Matera, from the Sassi to the Murgia
Three days among rock-cut houses, cave churches and the canyon that separates the city from its plateau.
- Where
- Basilicata
- Duration
- 3 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- Effort
- Easy
- Best season
- Spring · Autumn
Matera is a walking city, and most of the walking is downhill: from the modern town you drop into the Sassi, where houses are carved into the tuff and one street’s rooftops are the next street’s pavement. Day one covers Sasso Barisano and the frescoed cave churches.
On day two you cross the ravine on the rope bridge and walk into the Murgia Materana park, which offers the best view of the city. The last day is for museums, workshops and dinner in a cellar dug out of the rock.
What makes this trip special
- Cave churches with Byzantine frescoes
- Sunrise over Sasso Caveoso
- Hiking in the Murgia park
Places not to miss
Points of interest imported from OpenStreetMap and checked by our editors.
Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario
museum
40.6642, 16.6115 ↗Cattedrale di Matera
cathedral
40.6673, 16.6108 ↗Belvedere Murgia Timone
viewpoint
40.6702, 16.6285 ↗
Place data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Events along the way
What is happening near the route. Tell us your travel dates and you will only see events in your window.
Festa della Bruna
Patron saint feast · Matera
Matera’s patron saint festival: the shepherds’ procession at dawn, a papier-mâché triumphal float and the crowd storming it at the end.