Things to Do in Matera
Prices, opening hours, best times to visit and the stuff nobody tells you, everything you need for a first trip to Matera, Italy, plus one pigeon's opinions on all of it.
Right, Matera. People lived in caves here until surprisingly recently, an ancient cave city so genuinely old in parts that film crews have used it to stand in for Jerusalem itself, overlooked for decades before a fairly recent rediscovery. This is the proper, no-nonsense guide to things to do in Matera: what things actually cost, when to go, what to skip, and which bits are worth the walk. Four main stops below, plus a quiz elsewhere on this site to see if you were paying attention.
The Sassi Cave Dwellings
Matera is famous for its ancient cave dwellings carved into rock, known as the Sassi, people lived here right up until the mid-20th century, now it's mostly hotels and film sets, a genuinely remarkable, continuously inhabited urban landscape, homes, churches, and workshops all carved directly into the soft limestone, some dating back thousands of years, making Matera one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world.
The Sassi were considered a genuine national embarrassment by mid-20th-century Italian authorities, residents were forcibly relocated in the 1950s due to the area's poverty and lack of basic sanitation, a difficult history worth understanding, the site's more recent transformation into a UNESCO World Heritage attraction represents a remarkable turnaround.
Best time Any time; sunset for the golden light on the stone
Address Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano, Matera
Matera's Film History
Matera's dramatic ancient cityscape has made it a popular stand-in for Jerusalem in several films, stood in for a two-thousand-year-old city because, frankly, parts of it genuinely are that old, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ and several other major productions have filmed here specifically for this reason, a fitting use of the setting given its authentic ancient character.
Worth seeking out a self-guided or organised film location tour if this interests you, several specific spots used in various productions are marked or well known locally.
Best time Any time; consistent film-worthy atmosphere throughout the Sassi
Basilicata, the Overlooked Region
Matera is located in Basilicata, overlooked for decades, now increasingly popular, I liked it better when nobody else did, a genuinely underrated southern Italian region, considerably less visited than Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast, worth exploring beyond just Matera itself if you have extra time, the wider region holds real mountain scenery and smaller, equally atmospheric towns.
Matera being named European Capital of Culture in 2019 genuinely accelerated its transformation from a forgotten, impoverished corner of Italy to a proper bucket-list destination, worth appreciating this recent, real turnaround as part of the city's story.
Rock Churches (Chiese Rupestri)
Beyond the residential Sassi, Matera holds numerous rock-cut churches, some genuinely holding original Byzantine-era frescoes, carved directly into the surrounding ravine, worth a visit for anyone interested in this unique religious architectural tradition.
Several are accessible via marked trails through the Murgia Materana park across the ravine from the main Sassi districts, offering the classic postcard view back at the cave city itself, worth the hike for that view alone.
Getting there A short walk or drive across the ravine from central Matera
Best time to visit Matera
April through June and September through October give the most comfortable weather for the amount of walking this list involves, mild without summer's peak heat.
Summer brings genuine heat, particularly intense given the stone Sassi districts retain warmth, worth planning around early morning and evening if travelling then.
Getting around Matera
Matera's Sassi districts are entirely walkable, though the terrain is genuinely uneven, cobbled and stepped streets throughout, worth proper footwear. The Murgia Materana park across the ravine requires a short walk or drive.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Matera worth visiting?
- Yes, unquestionably, genuinely one of the most unique urban landscapes in Europe, few places anywhere let you walk through a continuously inhabited settlement this ancient.
- How many days do you need in Matera?
- Two days covers the Sassi districts and the rock churches comfortably.
- Is Matera expensive?
- Moderate, generally affordable, cave-hotel accommodation within the Sassi themselves is a genuine, worthwhile splurge if your budget allows.
- What is Matera famous for?
- The Sassi, its ancient cave dwellings inhabited until the mid-20th century, being used as a filming location for ancient Jerusalem in several major films, and being named European Capital of Culture in 2019.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
