Experience the best of Matera
Matera is a southern Italian city of ancient cave dwellings carved into a ravine, a UNESCO-listed maze of stone houses, rock churches and stepped lanes.
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Matera, in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, is built above a deep ravine, and its old districts, the Sassi, are cave houses and stone buildings stacked down the cliff. People have lived here since prehistory, and until the 1950s many families still occupied the caves, before they were moved to new housing. The Sassi were listed by UNESCO in 1993, and the cathedral crowns the rock between the two districts, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso.
Rock-cut churches with Byzantine frescoes, such as Santa Maria de Idris and Santa Lucia alle Malve, are scattered through the Sassi and across the gorge in the Murgia Materana park, a rugged plateau with footpaths. The abandoned hill town of Craco lies to the south, Altamura is known for its bread, the Greek temple remains of Metaponto face the Ionian Sea, and Alberobello's conical roofs lie across the border in Puglia.
Pane di Matera, a large crusty loaf of durum wheat, anchors the local table, alongside cruschi, crisp dried peppers, orecchiette with lamb, and caciocavallo cheese. The red wine of the region is Aglianico del Vulture. At night the lights on the stone make the ravine glow.
- Free cancellation on 93% of experiences
- 4.7 across the top 14
Go beyond Matera
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Bari · 55 kmSwabian Castle (Castello Svevo)
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Bari · 55 kmTrulli of Alberobello World Heritage Site (Trulli di Alberobello)
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Alberobello & Locorotondo · 62 kmTrullo Sovrano
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Lecce · 137 kmLecce Basilica of Santa Croce (Basilica Di Santa Croce)
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Lecce · 137 kmLecce Roman Amphitheatre (Anfiteatro Romano di Lecce)
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Salerno · 156 kmArchaeological Park of Paestum (Parco Archeologico di Paestum)
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Salerno · 156 kmSalerno Cathedral (Duomo di Salerno)
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Amalfi · 169 kmPaper Museum (Museo della Carta)
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Amalfi · 169 kmArsenale di Amalfi
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Pompeii · 178 kmPompeii Archaeological Site
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Pompeii · 178 kmStabian Baths (Terme Stabiane)
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Positano · 179 kmSpiaggia Grande
Questions about Matera
- What is there to do in Matera?
- We list 186 experiences in Matera. The largest groups are city tours (18), day trips (11).
- What are the top attractions in Matera?
- Ranked by the experiences that visit them, the top attractions in Matera are Sassi di Matera, Murgia National Park (Parco della Murgia Materana), Madonna delle Virtù Church (Chiesa di Madonna delle Virtù).
- What is the most popular experience in Matera?
- By number of traveller reviews it is "Discover Matera, the ancient city - English tour", rated 4.9 out of 5 from 1,948 reviews.
- How long do tours and tickets in Matera take?
- The typical experience in Matera lasts about 2.5 hours; the middle half run between 2 hours and 3.5 hours.
- Can I cancel a booking in Matera?
- The operator lists free cancellation on 94% of the 186 experiences we hold for Matera. The cut-off differs by experience and is shown on each product page before you choose a date.
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