15 Best Things to Do in Matera, Italy: Sassi, Viewpoints & Cave Churches
Looking for the best things to do in Matera?
Start in the Sassi. These ancient cave districts carved into the limestone cliffs are the reason people come here, a maze of staircases, terraces and rock churches overlooking the Gravina canyon.
The Sassi are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world.
From wandering narrow alleys and stepping inside cave house museums to visiting fresco-filled rupestrian churches and climbing to the Duomo ridge for sweeping views, Matera feels unlike anywhere else in Italy.
This post covers the best things to do in Matera, including the essential sights in the Sassi, the best viewpoints and a few experiences that make the city so memorable.
Best Things To Do In Matera, Italy
There is far more to Matera than just the caves. From wandering through the ancient Sassi districts to visiting rock churches, viewpoints and cave museums, the city offers plenty to explore.
The historic Sassi districts are the main highlight, but there are also cave museums, viewpoints and underground cisterns worth visiting.
Below are some of the best things to do in Matera, whether you are visiting for a day or staying a little longer.
Matera is surprisingly compact, but the Sassi districts are a maze of staircases and terraces carved into the hillside. This map shows the main sights mentioned in this post so you can see how everything fits together.
1. Explore Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso
This is the heart of Matera and easily one of the best things to do in Matera. The two Sassi districts, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso, are ancient neighbourhoods carved directly into the limestone cliffs.
Sasso Barisano is the more restored side, with boutique hotels, restaurants and cave homes that have been carefully rebuilt. Sasso Caveoso feels rougher and closer to how the city once looked, with simple dwellings cut deep into the rock.
The best way to explore is simply to wander. The narrow lanes, staircases and terraces often open onto unexpected views across the Gravina canyon.
Tip: Wear proper shoes. The stone streets are uneven and surprisingly slippery in places.
2. Start at Casa Noha
Casa Noha is one of the best places to begin your visit. This small multimedia museum tells the story of Matera through a short film projected across several rooms of the historic house.
In about twenty-five minutes, it explains how the Sassi developed, why living conditions became so difficult, and how the city was eventually restored.
Watching it first makes the rest of Matera much easier to understand.
3. Visit Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario
Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario recreates what life inside the Sassi looked like before the 1950s, when many residents were relocated to modern housing.
The restored cave house is furnished with beds, tools and everyday objects that show how families once lived here, often sharing a single room with their animals.
It is a simple visit, but it puts the history of Matera into perspective.
4. Visit the Rock Churches of Matera
Many of Matera’s churches were carved directly into the rock and decorated with frescoes painted onto the cave walls.
Some of the most impressive are near Piazza San Pietro Caveoso, including Santa Maria de Idris, San Giovanni and Santa Lucia alle Malve.
Santa Maria de Idris is the most dramatic, perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the ravine. Inside, small cave chapels contain faded medieval frescoes.
You can buy a combined ticket if you plan to visit several of these rupestrian churches.
5. Visit Duomo di Matera
The Duomo sits on the highest ridge between the two Sassi districts and is visible from almost everywhere in the old city.
Built in the 13th century, the cathedral has a bright Romanesque interior and several well-preserved frescoes.
Even if you do not go inside, the square outside offers one of the best views across the rooftops of Matera.
6. Walk through Piazza Vittorio Veneto
Piazza Vittorio Veneto is the main square at the edge of the Sassi and one of the busiest spots in the city.
From here, you can look straight across the rooftops of Sasso Barisano and reach several important sights, including Palombaro Lungo and the streets leading down into the cave districts.
Just beside the square is Belvedere Luigi Guerricchio, one of the easiest viewpoints in the city for a panoramic view of the Sassi.
It is especially lively in the evening when locals gather in the cafés and bars around the square.
7. Go underground at Palombaro Lungo
Beneath Piazza Vittorio Veneto lies Palombaro Lungo, a vast underground cistern carved directly into the rock.
For centuries, it stored drinking water for the city, collecting rainwater through an ingenious system of channels that once supplied much of Matera.
Today, you can walk through part of the cavernous space and see how this remarkable system once worked.
8. Take in the Views from Chiesa di Sant’Agostino
Chiesa di Sant’Agostino sits above Sasso Barisano and offers one of the best viewpoints in Matera.
From the terrace, you can look across the entire Sassi district, with the Gravina canyon stretching out beyond the city and the cathedral rising above the rooftops.
It is a quieter spot than some of the more famous viewpoints.
9. Visit MUSMA, Matera’s Contemporary Art Museum
MUSMA is the Museum of Contemporary Sculpture in Matera. The collection is displayed inside cave rooms carved into the rock within Palazzo Pomarici, creating an unusual contrast between modern art and ancient architecture.
It is not a large museum, but it makes a peaceful break from walking the steep streets of the Sassi.
10. Hike To Belvedere Murgia Timone
Across the ravine from Matera lies Parco della Murgia, a protected landscape filled with caves and rock churches.
The trail to Belvedere Murgia Timone crosses the valley and climbs to one of the most famous viewpoints of the Sassi.
Many people come here at sunset when the stone city begins to glow in the evening light.
11. Try Matera’s Famous Pane di Matera
Pane di Matera is the city’s traditional bread and something you will see everywhere during your visit. The large, dark, crusted loaves are made using local durum wheat and a natural sourdough starter.
The thick crust helps the bread last for days, which once made it ideal for families living in the Sassi.
You will find it in bakeries across the city, and it often appears on restaurant tables alongside local olive oil.
12. Dine In One Of Matera’s Cave Restaurants
Many restaurants in Matera are built directly into the rock, creating atmospheric dining rooms inside the caves.
The menus usually focus on Lucanian dishes such as orecchiette with turnip greens, lamb stew or crapiata, a traditional bean soup.
It is one of the most memorable ways to experience the Sassi after dark.
13. Stay In A Cave Hotel In The Sassi
One of the most unique things to do in Matera is to stay inside a cave hotel in the Sassi.
Many of the former cave dwellings have been carefully restored into boutique accommodation, ranging from simple guesthouses to luxury suites carved into the rock.
If your budget allows, spending a night here adds another dimension to the experience.
14. Visit the Crypt of the Original Sin
About fifteen minutes outside Matera lies the Crypt of the Original Sin, an extraordinary cave church known for its 8th century frescoes.
Often called the “Sistine Chapel” of rupestrian art, the paintings cover the cave walls with vivid scenes from the Book of Genesis.
Visits are by guided tour and must be booked in advance.
15. Experience The Festa della Bruna
If you happen to be in Matera on the 2nd of July, you will witness one of the city’s most important traditions.
The Festa della Bruna has been celebrated here for more than six hundred years. The festival ends with a dramatic ritual in which a ceremonial chariot is escorted into the main square and then torn apart by the crowd.
Locals rush to tear apart the chariot, and taking home a piece is believed to bring good luck for the year ahead.
How to Get to Matera
Matera sits in the southern Italian region of Basilicata and does not have its own airport. Most visitors arrive via Bari Karol Wojtyła International Airport, about 65 kilometres away in the neighbouring region of Puglia.
From Bari, you can reach Matera by bus, train or car, with the journey usually taking between one and two hours depending on the option you choose.
Flying to Bari
If you are travelling internationally, you will most likely fly into Bari. It is the closest airport to Matera and is well-connected to many European cities.
Once you land, the easiest ways to reach Matera are by airport bus or train.
Bus from Bari to Matera
The Pugliairbus runs directly from Bari Airport to Matera and takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes. At about €5, it is one of the easiest and most affordable options if you are heading straight to Matera after your flight.
There are also longer-distance buses connecting Matera with cities such as Rome, Florence, Milan and Naples. These usually arrive at the main bus station near the centre, around a ten-minute walk from the Sassi.
Train from Bari To Matera
The train between Bari and Matera is operated by Ferrovie Appulo Lucane rather than Trenitalia.
The trains depart from a small station next to Bari Centrale and take roughly 90 minutes to reach Matera Centrale.
Tickets usually cost around €5. Some routes require a change at Altamura, so it is worth checking the timetable in advance on the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane website.
From Matera Centrale station, it is about a ten-minute walk to the edge of the Sassi.
Tip: The trains are simple but reliable and offer a relaxed way to reach the city.
Driving to Matera
If you are exploring Puglia or Basilicata by car, Matera is an easy stop on a road trip.
You cannot drive into the historic Sassi districts, so you will need to park outside the old town and walk in.
Some useful parking options include:
- Parcheggio Via Vena
- Parcheggio Saragat (with shuttle service)
Many cave hotels can also arrange luggage transfers or private parking, so it is worth checking with your accommodation in advance.
Where To Stay In Matera
Matera has plenty of good places to stay, from simple guesthouses to boutique hotels carved into the rock. If your budget allows, staying in a cave hotel is worth it. It is one of the most distinctive parts of visiting the city.
➡️ Budget Option: Hydria Rooms
Close to Sasso Barisano, Hydria Rooms offers comfortable accommodation in a restored tuff stone building. The rooms are modern and simple, and the location makes it easy to reach the Sassi on foot.
👉 Check out the latest prices for Hydria Rooms here!
➡️ Mid-Range Option: Palazzo Degli Abati
Palazzo degli Abati sits in the heart of the Sassi and offers rooms set inside cave spaces as well as an 18th century building. The terrace overlooking the stone city is one of its standout features.
👉 Check out the latest prices for Palazzo Degli Abati here!
➡️ Luxury Option: Palazzotto Residence & Winery
Palazzotto Residence and Winery combines cave rooms with elegant design and modern comforts. It is well located near the Duomo and known for its excellent breakfast and attentive service.
👉 Check out the latest prices for Palazzotto Residence & Winery here!
Where to Eat in Matera
Matera’s food scene is surprisingly good for a city its size. From cave restaurants to quick lunches and strong coffee, there is plenty worth trying.
Most places are easy to find on a map app, but these are a few we ate at and would happily return to.
Breakfast
Caffè Schiuma
A relaxed café with excellent coffee and a wide selection of pastries.
Lunch
Il Rusticone
Big sandwiches, decent pizza and quick service near Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Ideal if you need something fast without settling for a bland tourist lunch.
Dinner
Trattoria del Caveoso
Traditional Lucanian food served in a candlelit cave setting. Expect dishes like orecchiette, lamb stew and grilled vegetables.
Ristorante Vitantonio Lombardo
Matera’s Michelin-starred option with creative tasting menus and polished service. Expensive, but worth considering for a special evening.
Drinks
Area 8
Part cocktail bar, part cultural space. Good drinks, good music and a relaxed atmosphere. A nice spot for an aperitivo or a nightcap.
FAQs: Visiting Matera
Planning a visit to Matera? Here are a few frequently asked questions to help you prepare, from getting around to what to expect when exploring the Sassi.
Is Matera worth visiting?
Yes. It is one of the most unusual places in Italy. The cave districts feel almost unreal, the history is fascinating, and the food is excellent. Matera still sees fewer visitors than cities like Florence or Venice, although that is starting to change.
How many days do you need in Matera?
Two nights is ideal. That gives you enough time to explore both Sassi districts, visit a few churches and museums, and see the city after dark.
If you have three nights, even better. You can add a hike across the ravine or a visit to the Crypt of the Original Sin.
Is Matera a walkable city?
Mostly yes. The Sassi are designed for walking, but it is not always easy. Expect steep alleys, uneven stone paths and a lot of stairs.
Comfortable shoes are essential, and visitors with limited mobility may find parts of the old city challenging.
How to spend a day in Matera?
Start at Casa Noha to understand the history of the Sassi. From there, wander through both cave districts, visit a rock church or cave house, and stop for lunch near Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
In the late afternoon, head across the ravine to Belvedere Murgia Timone for sunset views of the city.
Can you stay in a cave in Matera?
Yes, and you should. Many of the old cave dwellings have been restored into boutique hotels ranging from simple guesthouses to luxury suites.
Some rooms are quite minimal and atmospheric, while others include features such as spa baths and heated floors. Staying in a cave hotel is part of the Matera experience and makes the city feel even more immersive.
Wrapping Up: Visiting Matera
Matera is one of the most unusual places in Italy. The Sassi feel almost unreal at first, a maze of cave homes, staircases and terraces carved directly into the rock.
Spend a day wandering the old districts where staircases double as rooftops and cave doors open straight onto the street. Step inside a few cave churches and watch the sunset from across the ravine. It does not take long to see why Matera leaves such a strong impression on visitors.
If you can, stay overnight. Once the day trippers leave and the stone city lights up after dark, Matera becomes even more atmospheric.