When is the best time to visit Matera?

Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) are ideal – mild weather, fewer crowds. Summer festivals are spectacular but hot. December brings candles glowing in every window of the Sassi.

How do I get to Matera?

Fly into Bari (BRI, 65 km) or Brindisi (BDS, 100 km). From Bari you can take a bus (Flixbus/Marozzi, ~1.5 hrs) or rent a car for a scenic 70-minute drive. There is no direct train to Matera.

What is a Sassi cave hotel?

The Sassi are ancient cave dwellings carved directly into Matera's limestone cliffs over 9,000 years. Since the 1990s, many have been beautifully restored into boutique hotels with modern amenities while retaining their original cave architecture.

How many nights should I spend in Matera?

At least 2 nights, ideally 3. Once the day-trippers leave in the evening, Matera reveals its true character – candlelit cave restaurants, silence, the gorge glowing at dusk, stars overhead.

Matera suits all budgets. Budget B&Bs start from €65/night, mid-range hotels from €140, and the famous cave hotels (Le Grotte della Civita, Palazzo Gattini) from €285–€520. Food and activities are very reasonably priced by Italian standards.

BnB Matera – Best Hotels, Cave Stays & B&Bs in Matera, Italy

The City of Stones

9,000 Years of
Unbroken History

Matera is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities — older than Rome, older than Athens. Its cave districts, the Sassi, have sheltered human life since the Palaeolithic era, making it unique on Earth.

The two districts — Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano — cascade down into the Gravina ravine in a breathtaking amphitheatre of limestone. Families carved entire multi-floor homes, churches and cisterns directly into the rock. In peak times, a street at ground level was literally the rooftop of the house below.

In the 1950s the Italian government forcibly evacuated 15,000 people, calling the Sassi a "national shame." Carlo Levi's book Christ Stopped at Eboli brought the poverty to national attention. Yet the caves were not shameful — they were extraordinary feats of ecological architecture, maintaining constant temperature year-round with no electricity required.

The renaissance began with a 1986 restoration law, then UNESCO recognition in 1993 (Italy's first southern site). Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (2004) put Matera on the global map — he called it more convincingly Jerusalem than Jerusalem itself. James Bond's No Time to Die (2021) sealed its cinematic immortality. And in 2019, Matera became the European Capital of Culture, beating Siena, Ravenna and 19 other cities.

9,000

Years inhabited

150+

Cave churches

1993

UNESCO listed

2019

Capital of Culture

Deep History

From Cave to Capital

A 9,000-year story of human ingenuity, poverty, shame — and triumphant rebirth.

7000 BC

The First Settlers

Neolithic hunter-gatherers settle the cliffs above the Gravina ravine, using natural limestone caves for shelter. This makes Matera one of the world's first known human settlements — contemporaneous with the earliest cities of Mesopotamia.

3rd–1st C BC

Greeks, Romans & Byzantine Christians

Successive waves of Greeks, Romans, Lombards and Byzantine Christians shape the city. Monks fleeing persecution from the Middle East carve hundreds of rupestrian (rock-cut) churches and monasteries into the canyon walls — over 150 survive today.

8th–16th C

Medieval Flowering

The Sassi become a thriving urban district. The Romanesque Cathedral is built in 1270. The rock-carved city houses all social classes — nobles lived in carved palazzi above the cave dwellings. The Gravina aqueduct system and 5,000+ cisterns supply water to every home.

1945

"The Shame of Italy"

Carlo Levi's memoir Christ Stopped at Eboli describes families and animals sharing cave rooms without light or water. Malaria, infant mortality and extreme poverty make Matera a symbol of southern Italy's suffering. Prime Minister De Gasperi calls it a "national disgrace."

1952–1970s

The Forced Evacuation

The Italian government forcibly relocates 15,000 Sassi residents to modern housing blocks. The cave city is locked up, abandoned, left to crumble. For decades, entering the Sassi is forbidden. The ancient city echoes with silence.

1986–1993

Renaissance Begins

A new Italian law allows reoccupation and restoration of the Sassi. International architects, craftsmen and entrepreneurs begin transforming cave homes into extraordinary hotels, restaurants and cultural spaces. In 1993, UNESCO lists the Sassi as a World Heritage Site — Italy's first in the south.

2004

Hollywood Discovers Matera

Mel Gibson films The Passion of the Christ here, saying: "The stones, the blocks, the terrain — it is Jerusalem." International tourism explodes. The city that was Italy's shame becomes its most cinematic treasure. Ben-Hur (2016), Wonder Woman (2017) and No Time to Die (2021) follow.

2019 → Today

European Capital of Culture

Matera becomes one of the 2019 European Capitals of Culture — beating Siena, Ravenna and 19 other Italian cities. Now designated the Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2026, the city that was once condemned as backward now leads Europe's cultural conversation.

Annual Calendar

Festivals & Events in Matera

From ancient religious processions to international film festivals — Matera's calendar pulses with life.

July 2

Religious Festival

Festa della Madonna della Bruna

Matera's most sacred and spectacular event. Months of work culminate in a triumphal papier-mâché float carried through the city — then deliberately destroyed by the crowd at midnight. A paradox of beauty made to be broken. One of Italy's most authentic festivals.

🔥 Must-See: Book accommodation 6 months in advance

Aug–Sep

Film Festival

Matera Film Festival

The ancient Sassi transform into an open-air cinema under the stars. International and Italian independent films screen against the backdrop of 9,000-year-old stone. Workshops, Q&As with directors, and the most cinematic festival setting in Europe.

🎬 Matera was literally born to be a movie set

September

Contemporary Arts

Open Future Festival

Music, dance, theatre and visual arts converge in the Sassi. Local and international artists perform in ancient cave spaces, piazzas and gorge viewpoints. A festival celebrating Matera's identity as a living, evolving cultural city.

🎶 Cave acoustics make every concert unforgettable

Early Sep

Food & Wine

Matera in Gusto

Basilicata's finest producers and chefs gather to celebrate the region's extraordinary food culture. Taste Pane di Matera, Aglianico del Vulture wine, Peperoni cruschi, crapiata stew and cacio ricotta in the setting of medieval cave cellars.

🍷 Pair with a night in a cave wine cellar

Easter Week

Religious Festival

Settimana Santa (Holy Week)

Extraordinary Good Friday processions wind through the Sassi by torchlight. The living nativity in the canyon, hooded confraternities, ancient chants echoing off limestone — Matera's Holy Week is one of southern Italy's most moving and authentic experiences.

✝️ Arrive a day early for the Palm Sunday procession

December

Christmas

Presepe Vivente (Living Nativity)

The entire Sassi becomes a living nativity scene, with hundreds of costumed inhabitants re-enacting the Nativity in the cave streets. Candlelight fills every alley. Matera at Christmas is one of Italy's most magical experiences — and shockingly uncrowded.

🕯️ The Sassi looks like ancient Jerusalem in candlelight

April–June

Outdoor

Murgia Trekking Season

The Murgia Materana National Park comes alive with wildflowers. Trek to rupestrian cave churches across the gorge, visit the ancient villages of Tirlecchia and Murgia Timone, and see Matera from across the ravine — the viewpoint no photo can do justice.

🥾 Hire a local guide — hidden churches reward the effort

Jun–Aug

Nightlife

Sassi Notturni (Night of the Sassi)

Summer evenings see the entire Sassi district illuminated by artistic lighting installations. Cave bars, open-air concerts and restaurants spill into candlelit alleyways. Matera by night is arguably more beautiful than by day — this is when to experience it.

🌙 Book a sunset aperitivo at a cave bar terrace

What Travellers Say

Real Voices, Real Opinions

From TripAdvisor, Reddit and travel forums — unfiltered reactions from people who've actually been there.

Overall sentiment from 12,000+ reviews

😍 Absolutely loved it 74%

👍 Worth the trip 18%

🤔 Mixed feelings 6%

👎 Would skip 2%

★★★★★

"There are no words to describe Matera. You have to go there to understand how wonderful it is. Around every corner is a new vista — it's so much bigger and more layered than I expected. Definitely returning."

Maria K. TripAdvisor

🇩🇪 Germany

★★★★★

"Matera is a one-of-a-kind place in a country filled with one-of-a-kind places. It's unique to the point that other Italian cities and villages look almost routine. The stone houses blend in perfectly with the cliffs — it looks like a fairy tale."

Johnny A. Johnny Africa Blog

🇺🇸 United States

★★★★★

"I've stayed in the most extraordinary hotel I have ever been in — a former family home 40 metres long carved entirely from the rock, cool even in September heat. Hundreds of buildings built into the hill, cave churches, an underground museum. Breathtaking."

David T. TripAdvisor

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

★★★☆☆

"Impressive from the panoramic viewpoint but harder to appreciate close up — steep staircases, electrical cables blocking shots, and the famous Sassi area is hard to find without a guide. That said, with the right guide it becomes magical."

Forum User Rick Steves Forum

⚠️ Helpful critique

★★★★★

"It seems like every trip to Italy brings some new thrilling experience. We wandered the streets — up, down, dead end, up again — until an elderly woman waved us into her courtyard. What followed was a four-level cave restaurant with the smell of 1,000 years of grape stomping."

Texan Traveller TripAdvisor

🇺🇸 United States

★★★★★

"We had free espresso within 5 minutes of arriving. The sister of the hostel owner personally guided us into the Sassi. I have been fortunate to travel widely — Matera is truly unlike any other place I have ever been. Remarkable."

Backpacker Review TripAdvisor

🌍 International visitor

Share Your Matera Story

Been to Matera? Leave a note for future travellers. Reviews are published after a quick moderation check.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Everything You Need to Know

Frequently Asked Questions

Overwhelmingly yes — with some caveats. Matera is genuinely unlike anywhere else on Earth. It is not merely "charming" or "picturesque" — it is one of human civilisation's most extraordinary achievements. The key is to stay at least 2–3 nights (not a day trip), hire a guide for the first morning, and arrive knowing the history. Visitors who understand what they're walking through consistently rate it among their top travel experiences. Day-trippers who wander aimlessly sometimes find it "just caves." Context transforms it.

There is no major airport in Matera. The closest airports are Bari (65km, ~1 hour by car) and Napoli (250km, ~2.5 hours by car). By car is by far the best option — the drive through the Basilicata hills is beautiful. By train: a private FAL train connects Bari Centrale (underground connection) to Matera in ~1h50min. By bus: Marozzi runs coaches from Rome, Naples and Bari. Once in Matera, the Sassi is restricted to traffic — you'll walk everywhere.

Minimum: 2 nights. Ideal: 3 nights. Day trips are possible from Bari but you miss what makes Matera magical — the evenings when day-trippers leave, the golden canyon light at sunset and dawn, the silence of candlelit alleyways, the extraordinary restaurant scene in cave cellars. Day 1: Sassi guided tour + Cathedral. Day 2: Murgia Park trekking, rupestrian churches. Day 3: Museums, self-guided wandering, farm-to-table dinner in a cave cellar.

Spring (April–June) and early Autumn (September–October) are optimal — mild temperatures (18–25°C), wildflowers in Murgia Park, fewer crowds. July 2 is special for the Festa della Bruna but extremely crowded — book 6+ months ahead. Summer (July–August) is hot (35°C+) but vibrant with open-air events. December is magical and nearly empty — the Living Nativity in the cave streets is extraordinary. Winter is cold (5–10°C) but never harsh, and hotel prices drop significantly.

It depends entirely on your choices. Luxury cave hotels (Sextantio, Palazzo Gattini, Corte San Pietro) run €300–€600/night — worth it at least one night for the experience. Mid-range B&Bs and boutique hotels run €100–€200/night. Budget options start around €60–€90. Food is excellent value: a proper dinner with Aglianico wine at a good cave restaurant typically costs €30–€45 per person. Paid museum admissions average €4–€8 each.

The pre-credits sequence of No Time to Die (2021) was shot throughout the Sassi. Key locations: the motorcycle chase through Via D'Addozio near the Convent of Sant'Agostino; the Aston Martin DB5 donuts in Piazza Pascoli; the romantic hotel balcony scene at Belvedere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli. Note: the bridge scene was actually filmed in nearby Gravina in Puglia and edited in. Daniel Craig did many of the driving stunts himself. A self-guided Bond film locations walk is free and hugely popular.

Pane di Matera — the extraordinary ancient sourdough loaf made from durum wheat, protected by IGP designation. Crapiata — a Carnival bean and legume stew dating back centuries. Peperoni cruschi — sun-dried sweet peppers, fried crisp, on everything. Cacio ricotta — the local sheep's cheese, eaten young and fresh or aged and hard. Lagane e ceci — wide pasta ribbons with chickpeas and olive oil. Drink: Aglianico del Vulture, one of southern Italy's great red wines, aged in volcanic basalt.

Both, ideally. Hire a guide for your first 2–3 hours — without understanding the layers of history (Neolithic, Byzantine, medieval, 1950s evacuation, UNESCO restoration) the caves look like interesting old ruins. With context, they become profoundly moving. After that initial orientation, get lost independently. The best Matera moments happen while wandering: stumbling into a cave bar terrace with gorge views, finding a hidden rupestrian church, or being invited into someone's home. No free walking tours operate in Matera, but private tours are reasonably priced (€15–€30 per person).

Matera is extremely safe — one of southern Italy's safest and cleanest cities. The historic Sassi is pedestrianised and well-lit at night. The main practical hazard is the terrain itself: the Sassi consists entirely of steep stone staircases, uneven cobblestones and narrow alleys. Wear proper walking shoes — not heels or sandals. The cave streets can be slippery in rain. Be aware: some sections marked "accessible" on maps involve significant stair climbing.

In the 1940s–50s, 15,000 people lived in the Sassi cave dwellings with no electricity, running water or sanitation. Families shared single-room caves with their livestock. Infant mortality was extreme, malaria rampant. Carlo Levi's 1945 book brought the conditions to national attention, and Prime Minister De Gasperi called it a "national disgrace." The government forcibly evacuated all residents between 1952–1970s. Ironically, these same caves — now understood as extraordinary ecological architecture with natural climate control — are today considered symbols of human ingenuity, not poverty.

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Stay in the
World's Oldest City

Accommodation in Matera

9,000 Years of
Unbroken History