On a trip to southern Italy, don’t miss Matera, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Its cave dwellings built around a canyon, the sassi, earned it UNESCO World Heritage status. Numerous churches carved directly into the rock are also scattered throughout the old town and the surrounding hills. Matera is located in the discreet region of Basilicata, but a visit is often included in the itinerary of a road trip through Puglia.
What is the best things to do in Matera ? Which must-see sights should you not miss ? Where to park ? Where to stay in Matera ? I share all my tips in this blog article following our stay there in October.
Why you should visit Matera ?
Matera is one of those cities you won’t find anywhere else. Italy has many magnificent cities, and it’s always a great pleasure to go there on vacation. But none looks like Matera or has its history. In addition to being listed by UNESCO, it was also named European Capital of Culture in 2019.
The sassi of the old town have also been used as filming locations for several movies. Film lovers may recognize scenes from The Passion of the Christ (2004), Ben-Hur (2016), or the James Bond film No Time to Die (2019).
Matera is not part of Puglia, as can sometimes be read on blogs (it belongs to the Basilicata region). But its proximity to Puglia makes it one of the must-see places on a road trip through the heel of Italy. The city is only 1 hour from Bari Airport.
Guided tour
Before setting out on your own to explore Matera, be aware that if you want plenty of information about the city’s history or are afraid of getting lost in the sassi, you can join a guided tour of Matera. Lasting 2 hours, it includes the entrance ticket to the cave house and the Church of Sant’Antonio Abate.
And to enjoy a unique experience that will leave lasting memories, you absolutely must take this hot air balloon flight over Matera. The view is absolutely unique and stunning. The flight takes place very early in the morning at sunrise, leaving you the whole day to visit Matera.
Best things to do in Matera
Apart from the viewpoint beyond the canyon, all the must-see sights are located in the old town of Matera, where the sassi are found. In this guide, I present the monuments and buildings in the order we followed to visit Matera. We started from the northwest of the city, where our accommodation was located.
The old town of Matera is divided into two natural amphitheaters. To the northwest is the Sasso Barisano (the best restored), and to the south the Sasso Caveoso, where many caves are still found. I have marked the sites to see on the map below, as it is quite difficult to find your way around the sassi. But don’t worry, signs will help you not get “too” lost 🙂
La vieille ville de Matera est divisée en deux amphithéâtres naturels. Au nord-ouest le Sasso Barisano (le mieux restauré) et au sud le Sasso Caveoso où se trouvent encore de nombreuses grottes. J’ai reporté sur la carte ci-dessous les sites à voir car il est assez difficile de se repérer dans les sassi. Mais rassurez-vous, des panneaux vous permettront de ne pas “trop” vous perdre 🙂
Piazza Vittorio Veneto
When arriving from the modern city located west of the sassi, the visit to Matera begins at Piazza Vittorio Veneto. This square, surrounded by several historic buildings, is a meeting place for locals and a convenient starting point for tour groups. The benches installed here invite you to grab a quick lunch or enjoy an ice cream.
To the west of Piazza Vittorio Veneto stands the Palazzo dell’Annunziata, a former convent of Dominican nuns converted into a library. This building houses the Matera tourist office. To the north of the square, the Church of San Domenico adjoins the Palazzo del Governo, which now houses the prefecture.
Palombaro lungo (cistern)
Just beneath Piazza Vittorio Veneto lies an underground cistern. It is accessed by a staircase that then leads out into the sassi. This immense basin carved into the rock in the 16th century was used to collect water from surrounding springs, which was then redistributed through a system of channels. Matera had several public cisterns intended to supply residents with drinking water, but the Palombaro Lungo is the largest. Measuring 50 meters long and 16 meters high, it has a capacity of 5 million liters of water.
A well installed on the square allowed water to be drawn using a bucket (the holes at the top of the cavity are still visible). The well disappeared during works in 1927 when the cistern was permanently closed and replaced by a modern aqueduct. Still full of water, it was not explored until 1991 by two divers who found many objects dropped by residents over the centuries. Today, drained of water, visitors can descend via walkways to the bottom of the Palombaro Lungo cistern to observe this masterpiece of hydraulic engineering.
Price : €3 (free for under 18s).
Opening hours : 9:30 am–1 pm and 3 pm–6:30 pm.
Belvedere Luigi Guerricchio
When exiting the water cistern, instead of heading into the sassi, go back up to Piazza Vittorio Veneto to continue visiting Matera from the upper part of the city. Passing under the arches on the east side of the square, you will reach the Luigi Guerricchio belvedere (map), which offers a beautiful panorama over the sassi. In the distance, you can see the cathedral (Duomo), which we will visit shortly.
Church of San Francesco d’Assisi
We continue along Via del Corso to Piazza San Francesco, where the Church of San Francesco d’Assisi stands. The church is the only building that survived the demolition of the monastic complex in 1950. The Franciscan community settled in Matera at the beginning of the 13th century and began building the church in 1250. It is built on an older hypogean church, still accessible through a trapdoor located in a chapel.
The Church of San Francesco d’Assisi underwent many transformations over time; its current Baroque appearance dates from the 18th century. The interior has a single nave with a painted ceiling. Originally made of wood, it was replaced in 1934. The white walls are decorated with several paintings by Neapolitan artists.
The posted opening hours do not seem to be strictly followed, as we visited the Church of San Francesco d’Assisi at 2 pm even though it was supposed to be closed. On the same square, opposite the church, stands the Palazzo del Sedile, a 16th-century palace. The square is lined with bar and restaurant terraces, making it a pleasant place for a break.
Opening hours : 8 am–12 pm and 4:30 pm–8 pm.
Matera Cathedral (Duomo)
Its full name is the cathedral della Madonna della Bruna e di Sant’Eustachio, and it is the most beautiful in the entire region. It was built in Romanesque style in the 13th century on the highest point dividing the two sassi. Entry to the cathedral is via the diocesan museum located just to the left of the bell tower. It displays collections of sacred art objects (crucifixes, chalices, etc.) that will appeal to enthusiasts, but offers little of interest for the casual visitor. In the center of the abbey, you can see the remains of an earlier church completed in 1084, of which only the crypt remains.
You then enter the richly decorated central nave with a superb painted ceiling. It is surrounded by several chapels, one of which houses a stone nativity scene created in 1530 that recalls several elements of the city of Matera. To the right of the entrance, the 13th-century fresco discovered during restoration work is the only surviving testimony of the original medieval decoration.
The forecourt of the Duomo offers a lovely view over the sassi of Matera, but it is not yet the best viewpoint, so I invite you to continue the visit.
Price : €3.50 (free for under 15s).
Opening hours : 9 am–6:30 pm (no visits on Sundays from 10 am to 12:30 pm).
National Museum of Matera
From the Duomo, we backtrack slightly to take Via Domenico Ridola. This pretty pedestrian street is home to several museums. The first is the National Archaeological Museum Domenico Ridola, which displays archaeological collections from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages. The second is the National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art of Basilicata, housed in Palazzo Lanfranchi, a palace built in 1668. It highlights art collections (paintings, sacred art, and contemporary art).
We did not come to Matera to visit museums, so we skipped them. But if this interests you, you will find information on the official website. We did, however, pass through here to reach Piazza Pascoli.
Belvedere Giovanni Pascoli
This belvedere, located on Piazzetta Giovanni Pascoli, is one of the best things to do in Matera. Apart from the one high up on the mountain (which requires quite a bit of walking), it is the most beautiful viewpoint over the sassi of Matera. As a result, there is often a crowd of tourists gathered here.
The viewpoint is located just to the left of Palazzo Lanfranchi. Here is its location if you have trouble finding your way around the city. The panorama embraces the entire Sasso Caveoso. From the belvedere, take Calata Domenico Ridola, which slopes gently downward to continue your visit to Matera.
Cave churches
Three cave churches can be visited in the sassi of Matera. The visit is paid, and photography is prohibited. What’s more, it is well monitored, and I managed to bring back only one photo 🙂 But you can check the official website to get an idea.
We chose to visit two of them (ticket €7 per person) : the Chiesa Madonna de Idris e San Giovanni in Monterrone and the Chiesa di Santa Lucia alle Malve. Inside these rock-carved churches are small (empty) niches and frescoes that are more or less well preserved. To be honest, we found the price high compared to what there is to see. UNESCO-listed sites are always expensive.
If you only want to visit one church, I recommend the Chiesa di Santa Lucia alle Malve, whose frescoes are the best preserved. In addition, from its forecourt there is a lovely view over the canyon and the cave dwellings opposite.
Price : ticket for 1 church (€4), 2 churches (€7) and 3 churches (€8). Free entry for under 15s.
Church of San Pietro Caveoso
From the Chiesa Madonna de Idris, you only need to go down a few steps to reach Piazza San Pietro, where the Church of San Pietro Caveoso is located. Passing under its arch on the right, you take Vico Solitario Street, which runs along the canyon to the chiesa di Santa Lucia alle Malve, the other rock church.
The Church of San Pietro Caveoso, which takes its name from the Sasso Caveoso on which it is built, is one of the most important churches in Matera along with the cathedral. It was built in the 13th century and then modified over time. The current façade, bell tower, and interior date from the 17th century. We were unable to see the interior as it was closed during our stay in Matera.
Price : €3 per person.
Opening hours : 8 am–12 pm and 4:30 pm–8 pm.
Matera Canyon
On this side of the city, there is a beautiful view over the canyon that runs through Matera (Gravine di Matera), with the river flowing at the bottom. It is possible to descend via a dirt path to the ravine and then cross to the other side using a suspension bridge. Continuing along the path that climbs the hill, you reach cave dwellings and a rock church. It is from this hill, at the Murgia Timone belvedere, that you will have the most beautiful view of Matera, but it requires some effort to get up there.
As Daniela was not at all keen on doing this hike, we arrived by car from the other side, as we had read that it was possible to reach the viewpoint directly by vehicle. But this is no longer possible; you must use the visitor center parking and then walk 1.7 km to the belvedere. As the path is flat, it is less tiring than going up and down via the canyon. Otherwise, you can take the official bus, which will take you to the Murgia Timone belvedere without effort (departure from the center of Matera).
If visiting the rock churches on the hill interests you, I recommend the rock churches circuit of the Murgia Park (duration 2 hours).
Ancient cave dwellings
In several places in the old town, you can visit a former furnished house carved into the rock. This is an opportunity to discover how the inhabitants of Matera lived before leaving the sassi at the end of the 1960s. The best known is the casa grotta di vico solitario (map), located between the two rock churches mentioned above. We did not visit it, as we found the price a bit high for what there really is to see.
There are others that are cheaper in the city (we saw some with €2 entry, for example). You will easily find them while strolling through the alleys of the Sasso Barisano. Look for the sign “Casa Grotta.”
Price : €5 (€3 for over 65s and students, €2 for under 18s, free for under 10s).
Opening hours : daily from 9:30 am to 7 pm.
Viewpoint on via S. Giacomo
This belvedere is not an official one (unlike the others), but passing by we found a beautiful view over the sassi and wanted to share it with you. From the church of San Pietro Caveoso, head back up toward Piazza Duomo via the stairs to reach via S. Giacomo. The viewpoint is located here.
Then all that’s left is to continue climbing the stairs of the Sasso Barisano to return to our starting point and finish this visit of Matera.
Visiting Matera at night
At nightfall, when the city lights up, Matera turns into a sort of nativity scene with all its illuminated stone houses. This is particularly visible from the viewpoints mentioned in this Matera travel guide. I recommend going at blue hour rather than when it is fully dark ; the photos will be more beautiful.
In the evening, while strolling through the sassi in search of a restaurant (see addresses below), the atmosphere in the almost deserted, lit-up alleys is also very different from daytime.
Where to eat in Matera ?
As the old town is very touristy, you will have no trouble finding a restaurant for lunch or dinner. If you want to go to a specific place, it is advisable to book, especially in high season. There are many osteria serving local cuisine at reasonable prices.
On the advice of our host, we had dinner at Pietra Viva and thoroughly enjoyed it. We had pasta, tagliolini porcini (€15) and cavatelli pistachio (€13), and a delicious chocolate tart (€5). A glass of wine was €6 and beer €5. Here are other places he recommended for eating in Matera :
For lunch, we bought foccacie from a bakery located between our accommodation and the old town. It’s Panificio De Palo, and as always in Italy, it was very good !
Where to stay in Matera ?
You have two options for where to stay in Matera : choose accommodation in the sassi of the old town, or stay slightly outside. Apartments in the historic center are more typical, but the fact that they do not have parking was problematic for us (it requires parking outside). We therefore chose an apartment with private parking included, a few minutes’ walk from the old town. I have not included it in the list because the price has increased significantly since our stay in Matera, and I feel the value for money is no longer there.
Here are some accommodation options in Matera that I recommend :
- 68 € : B&B Lucana 22, one of the cheapest accommodations in Matera while still being very well rated. Breakfast is included in the price, and it is located just a few minutes from Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
- 74 € : Vicolo Fiore Affittacamere II, this bed and breakfast located two streets from the museums of Matera offers double rooms with breakfast, as well as a triple room for couples with a child.
- 94 € : Alla dimora di Chiara Suite and Rooms, located in the old town of Matera, this accommodation offers charming rooms with breakfast that can be enjoyed on the small terrace.
- 103 € : Piano Piano – Rooms, this very well-located property in the sassi offers several nicely decorated cave apartments for 2 to 4 people.
- 191 € : Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita, the perfect accommodation for lovers of unusual hotels. The room set in a real cave is very typical of the sassi of Matera. Breakfast included, private parking available at an additional cost.
Travel guide and tips for visiting Matera
How to get to Matera ?
The city of Matera is in Basilicata, a little-visited region located between Campania and Puglia. It is possible to get there from Naples (250 km), but most travelers visit Matera as part of a road trip through Puglia. Allow about 1 hour’s drive from Bari or Alberobello.
The easiest way to get to Matera is by car ; you will find the best rental rates using this comparison site. I use it every time I need to rent a car. If you prefer public transport, a bus connects Bari and Matera in 1 hour. There is also a shuttle service linking Matera with Bari Airport.
Where to park in Matera ?
Once there, the car will be of no use; you will need to park it. Be careful the old town of Matera is a ZTL (limited traffic zone). Entry is prohibited when it is active, from 10 am to 8:30 pm. An electronic sign at the entrance to the ZTL indicates whether it is active. Red means entry is prohibited (indicated by the messages “attiva” and “closed”). If it is green, you can enter. You can also read my guide on ZTLs in Italy to familiarize yourself with this feature.
As we were staying one night, we looked for accommodation with parking just outside the historic center. If you are only passing through, you can use one of Matera’s paid parking lots. The closest is the underground Park Scotellaro (map), located 100 m from Piazza San Francesco. The rate is €1.50 per hour between 8 am and midnight (otherwise €0.80).
By moving away from the old town, you will certainly find free parking spaces along the streets. Be careful if the parking lines are blue, they indicate paid parking via a meter.
How much time to spend in Matera ?
Plan a full day to visit Matera if you like to see everything and go inside all the churches and museums. For travelers who want a good overview of the sassi without entering every building, half a day is enough for the best things to do in Matera. In this case, I recommend arriving in the afternoon to enjoy an evening and a night there.
I hope this guide to the best things to do in Matera will be useful to you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the blog comments.