The Lonely Planet has Lecce as one of the 3 highlights of Puglia and labels it the “Florence of the South”. It’s nice, for sure – the pastry tour can be fun and there are some nice spots to eat – but it’s a far distant second to the nearby white-washed hill towns in the Valle d’Itria of Alberabello, Locorotondo, Ostuni and Martina Franca (see the travel entry Puglia’s Valle d’Itria – trullis and perfect white stoned villages – wow) or the sensational Matera (Matera – wow wow) which is only 1.5hr away. It’s also less appealing than the old town of Bari (see Bari Vecchia – wow) which has the added advantage of being the spot most visitors will be flying into.
Lecce is nothing particularly special in what is the most beautiful country in the world, and not particularly special for Puglia either . . . Meh. See A week in Puglia in early October for an itinerary and what your priorities should be.