Cisternino sits in a historic zone of Itria Valley (in Italian: Valle d'Itria), known for its prehistoric conical, dry stone houses called trulli, which are preserved under UNESCO safeguards due to their cultural significance, dry stone walls (muretti a secco), and its fertile soil which makes it the home of the Salento wine region.

The architecture is typical of the region with an old Centro Storico (Historical Centre) containing white-washed, stone buildings with cool, shaded, cave-like interiors, narrow streets and churches.

The town also features several community squares, each of which is built on the edge of the hill allowing for some spectacular landscapes.

In Cisternino and the surrounding area there have been several Bronze Age finds, including different types of hand tools.

Broad beans purée with wild chicory (fave e cicorie selvatiche), orecchiette con braciole e polpette (a particular shape of pasta with tomato sauce, stuffed beef rolls and bread balls on the side to dip in the sauce at the end) and "bombette" (a type of roasted pork rolls) are three typical dishes of Cisternino cuisine.