Matera is the world’s second oldest city, Jerusalem being the oldest. With a history that extends back 30,000 years when you include the nearby cave dwellings carved into the mountainside, there is no shortage of history to explore here. Its original settlement lies within two canyons carved by the Gravina River. This area, the Sassi di Matera, is a complex of cave dwellings carved into the ancient river canyon. The main part of town was founded by the Roman Lucius Caecilius Metellus in 251 BC who called it Matheola. Over the course of its history, Matera has been occupied by Romans, Longobards, Byzantines, Saracens, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, and Bourbons.
Matera is technically in the Basilicata region, not Puglia, but since it’s right on the Puglia/Basilicata border and is easy to drive to from towns in Puglia, we will include it here as well. The best way to get to Matera is to fly into Bari and either rent a car or take the airport bus which takes about 65 minutes and costs 6-8 Euro. Below are a list of recommendations for things to do on your visit to Matera. A single day is likely enough to see all it has to offers, but you certainly can add a second or third day if you’d like.
Casa Noha
Just a short walk from the main cathedral in Matera’s Civita district is Casa Noha, Matera’s museum and unofficial welcome center for tourists. Designed to be a gateway for visitors, it features a 30 min video that gives you a great run down of the city’s history and importance. We highly recommend that you make this one of your first stops when arriving at Matera.
Take a Historical Tour
One of the most important things we can impress upon you is to book a tour. Without a tour guide it is really impossible to understand and appreciate what you’re looking at. A knowledgeable tour guide can really make this place come alive. You can find dozens of such tours on Viator and Airbnb Experiences, but a local tour guide by the name Vito Rondinone, comes particularly highly recommended.
Gelato
While in Matera make sure to get some of the best gelato on earth at Cremes Bureau – Vero Gelato Artigianale.
Visit the Chiesa di Santa Maria di Idris
Chiesa di Santa Maria di Idris is an old Catholic Church located in the Sassi (the old town of Matera). Also known as Madonna de Idris this unique church is carved directly into the the large limestone cliff on the upper portion of Sasso Caveoso. Neither the interior nor the exterior are particularly stunning, but it is still very cool to see a church carved entirely into a mountain face.
Hike to Belvedere
The Belvedere hike is a two hour hike that isn’t particularly strenuous that traverses the Parco Regionale della Murgia Materana. This hike will bring you to a hill overlooking the old town of Matera and is dotted with great scenic views the majority of the way. In total the hike is around 2.5 miles long with a change in elevation of about 750 yards. The hiking trail starts on the West edge of The Sassi area at a small rope bridge called Ponte Tibetano della Gravina. There is an open gate and a sign with some information. The point can be reached by car and there is even a free parking lot in case you want to drive up to the entrance. You can simply search for Parcheggio via Madonna delle Virtu, which is the name of the public parking space nearby. Check out this great blog if you need more information.
Take an Ape Car Tour
These little Tuk-Tuk cars, called Ape Cars in Italy, are all over the place in Southern Italy. You can find many tour guides offering 45-60min tours for around 20 Euros. Check out one of these tour guides HERE.
Have an Experience at a Local Agriturismo
Italy is becoming very famous these days for its Agriturismi. An agriturismo is a privately owned farm or vineyard that has received special designation from the government to operate as a tourist attraction. This designation is designed to provide extra income to small family run organic farms and wineries and allow tourists to experience more authentic parts of Italy. These places are some of the best experiences you can have in Italy and that is no different at La Lucana operated by an amazing couple, Greg and Silvia. We took their incredible cooking class and had an incredible time with them. Check out their website HERE for more information on booking experiences or even staying at their family farm.
