Sassi Di Matera: The Ultimate Guide For A Day Trip
The Sassi di Matera... wait, what's that?
We must admit, we had never heard this name before. It's a shame, I know!
This special place wasn't in our plans either (read all about our Euro-road-trip-preparation here) as the south of Italy was only being a stopover.
Once we had traveled the coasts of Slovenia and stopped in cities like Pula or Dubrovnik in Croatia (check out these posts, so beautiful!), we actually wanted to drive straight to Greece to visit Meteora, Athens, Crete and Santorini.
But in order to do this, as Albania's borders were still closed to foreigners, we had to take the ferry from Dubrovnik to Bari (in the south of Italy) and continue with another ferry to Greece.
So we stayed in Bari for two days and a friend suggested to check out the Sassi di Matera while we were there.
And that's precisely what we did...
Here's our ultimate guide for a day-trip to the Sassi di Matera.
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What are the Sassi di Matera exactly??
The origin of the name
First things first: 'sassi' is actually the plural form of the Italian 'sasso' meaning 'stone'.
Hence the Sassi di Matera literally mean 'stones of Matera' and are actually two districts in the city bearing that name: the 'Sasso Caveoso' and 'Sasso Barisano'.
Matera is a city in the Italian region of Basilicata, in the south of Italy, originally lying in two canyons.
A brief history
The Sassi di Matera are an ensemble of cave dwellings that have been carved into the canyon. There are archaeological evidences that some of these caves have been inhabited as early as 7000 BC.
Over the course of history, many cultures occupied the area and the cave dwellings have been continuously used until the 1950s.
This is when the last residents, living in very poor conditions, have been evacuated and relocated.
Italian author Carlo Levi had brought the problem to the public's attention by describing what his sister had seen when visiting the Sassi as a doctor in his 'Christ stopped at Eboli'.
“[children] sitting on the doorsteps, in the dirt, while the sun beat down on them, with their eyes half-closed and their eyelids red and swollen” [from trachoma]"
Carlo Levi
The caves were then abandoned until the 1980s when the whole complex was renovated for touristic purposed and named UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
The 'shame of Italy' was reborn and is now more popular than ever.
The Sassi di Matera in a nutshell
How to get there
By car | We visited Matera while road-tripping through Europe (read about our preparation and gear here) so we had our own car.
Even if you don't have your own, it would be advisable to rent one to explore the surroundings as well.
But beware: parking is scarce and the old town is a ZTL ('Zona a traffico limitato'), a limited traffic zone. Meaning the only ones allowed to park there are residents or people staying at one of the hotels.
You can even get a fine for only driving through it! We did by mistake as one of the parking lots we found on the internet was said to be accessible by everyone. But no, it was in a ZTL.
Luckily, we managed to get out there pretty quickly and find a (paying) parking space in the streets right outside of the old town.
Good to know:
Most parking lots of the old town are in a ZTL, a limited traffic zone only for residents or people staying at the hotels.
You are not allowed to drive through them.
Better find a parking space on the street right outside of the old town.
By bus | Driving from Bari to Matera by bus will probably be the more 'relaxed' way to travel as you won't have to worry about parking spaces.
It takes about 1 hour to get from Bari to Matera by bus.
Where to stay
We stayed in the city centre of Bari, not in Matera, as this where we had arrived by ferry. Booked the B&B Dei Meravigli, a cute little studio in the heart of the historic centre of Bari.
Breakfast was served at a cafe on the little square down the street. An Italian breakfast, meaning a coffee/cappuccino with a fresh croissant.
But this was enough for us and that coffee was so good! Also, the host was super friendly and the price pretty sweet (under 50 € per night for two).
Would definitely recommend this place when staying in Bari.
Big rooms at the B&B Dei Meravigli
View on Bari's roofs at B&B Dei Meravigli
The cafe where breakfast is served
As from Bari to Matera it's only a one hour drive (be it by bus or car), we would definitely recommend staying here if you only plan a day-trip to the Sassi di Matera.
If, on the other hand, you want to experience the quiet streets of the Sassi in a romantic evening light, definitely stay in the old town.
The perfect accommodation would obviously be to stay at one of the picturesque cave hotels inside the Sassi di Matera.
Click on the map below to browse through the options:
6 things to do in the Sassi di Matera: our day
1 - Check out the viewpoints outside of the city
Before entering the old town of Matera, we looked for a few nice viewpoints outside of the city.
This is pretty easy as the cave dwellings were built inside the Gravini canyon (Gravini being the river passing there). This means that standing on the other rim of said canyon gives you incredible views on Matera.
We put the 'Belvedere of Murgia Timone' in our gps but couldn't quite reach the parking lot as there where road works going on.
So we had to park at the Centro Visite Jazzo Gatini and then continue by foot.
It was about a 30 min walk (1.8 km) to the first viewpoint (see the map below).
From here, just continue to walk along the rim (be careful though!!) towards the South and you'll get a few more beautiful spots.
Good to know:
Bring decent shoes when visiting the viewpoints.
We saw people in high heels and they did not well on the unpaved gravel paths 🙂
The impressive Sassi di Matera seen from the other rim of the canyon
2 - Enter Matera and walk
As I mentioned earlier, the parking lots are only for residents or people staying at one of the hotels inside the Sassi di Matera.
Park right outside and explore the city by foot. It's the best way to really grasp the way the cave-city has been built!
Be prepared for a lot of ups and downs, though! The old town was built on different levels.
The Sassi of Matera seen from the north
Steep stairs
Venetian influences
The more basic cave houses
Inside of one of the cave houses still occupied in the 1950s
3 - Get some lunch inside the Sassi di Matera
There are a few really good restaurants inside the old part of the Sassi di Matera, recommended by friends or other bloggers.
We choose one of them located in the Sasso Barisano, in the Via d'Addozio: Giú a sud.
A cute little restaurant in a picturesque setting. We had lunch inside as it was burning hot that day. They don't have classical menus but ask you to take a picture of a QR-code to read it online.
The food was amazing and reasonably priced! Typical Apulian dishes like Orecchiette with fried breadcrumbs and Pecorino cheese. Or fresh pasta with green beens and Cacioricotta, a traditional cheese from Apulia.
So yummy!
Orecchiette with fried breadcrumbs and Pecorino
Beautiful location
Fresh pasta with green beens, cherry tomatoes and Puglian cheese (Cacioricotta)
4 - Inside Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario
Cave houses and their residents
This is obviously not the only 'casa grotta' or cave house you can visit in the Sassi. But most of them are private cave houses that display a phone number on the door.
You can call the owner and ask for a private visit.
One of the few public ones, with an entrance fee of 3 € per person, was the Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario.
In this particular cave house, living conditions of people living in the Sassi in the beginning of the 20th century have been reconstructed.
The furniture and objects on itself aren't that particular but they do showcase a few traditions (like the typical Apulian bread) and it gives an interesting image of how these spaces were divided.
They do tell that this is just an example and that all these objects weren't necessarily present at the same time. The weaving loom for example was only present in certain families.
Visit of a cave house in times of Corona
In current Covid19 times, the visit is done in small groups of eight people. There are markers on the floor where everyone has to stand (with the mask on) and on the sign of the guide, everyone moves to the next number.
That way, the safety distance is guaranteed. We thought this system was pretty good!
Instead of a live guide, you can use the free wifi of the Casa and open their online audio-guide on your phone, which explains the main features and the way of living.
Can you imagine that this tiny space served multiple households and their animals??
Inside the cave house
Safety distance guaranteed
A rural museum inside the house
5 - Admire the frescoes inside the rupestrian churches
Good to know:
You can purchase tickets that are either for one, two or three cave churches in the old town of Matera.
We chose to visit two of them, paying 12 € for both of us.
No photography allowed inside.
Santa Lucia alle Malve
A 5 min walk to the South from the Grotta di Vico Solitario and you get to one of the main rock churches: Santa Lucia alle Malve.
This one dates back to the 8th century and presents relief-carving and beautiful frescoes from different eras.
It was also the first female monastic settlement of the Benedictine Order in Matera. It is dedicated to Santa Lucia with the eyes as a symbol of the saint displayed in various places.
It was abandoned in the 18th century and subject to several transformations but it's still possible to reconstruct the architectural evolution.
The nave on the right is the only one that continuously served religious purposes. The two other ones were used as living and storage spaces until the evacuation in the 1950s.
This is actually what happened to almost all the rupestrian churches in the Sassi: the spaces were deconsecrated and used as homes, stores, etc.
Pretty cool to see!
Madonna de Idris
The 'Madonna de Idris' catches your eye when walking by. You see this rock standing out with a simple cross on top of it.
Looks like a big ol' stone from the outside but the inside is amazing.
So many beautifully painted frescoes dating from the 12th to the 17th century, spread out on two communicating churches.
The name 'Idris' comes from the Greek word 'Odigitria' which means 'guide of the water'.
And check out the views on the city and the Gravina from up here!
The rock
Look at that rock standing out
6 - Have a refreshing drink at the Quarry Lounge
You'll probably need it if, like us, you're travelling in the midst of the summer!
It gets so hot inside the Sassi and there are no trees to cast some shadow.
We stopped at the lounge of the Quarry Resort to have a drink on their beautiful terrace with views over the Sassi.
It's also a hotel so if your budget ain't tight, a great option for staying the night.
Really needed this!
Views from the terrace of the Quarry Lounge
For more activities, check out the following guided tours through the Sassi! Next time we're in the south of Italy, we'll definitely book one of these as you get more detailed information on the Sassi and their history:
Stop at Gravini in Puglia on the way back to Bari
We didn't visit the inside of the city but it's a picturesque Apulian town with a VERY famous bridge.
Famous why, you ask?
Check out the scenes of the latest Bond-movie (not in cinemas yet) and you'll understand the importance of this historic Roman aqueduct.
So naturally, on our way back from Matera to Bari, we had to stop to at least take a picture 🙂
Sun going down on Gravini in Puglia and its famous Roman aqueduct
That's it: our short-guide for a day-trip to the marvellous Sassi di Matera, Apulia, Italy.
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As ever
xx
Cyn
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