A trip from Matera to the cave complexes

A trip to the caves near the southern Italian town of Matera

Starting point

Free parking in Matera. The car parks closer to the Sassi di Matera district are chargeable.
 

Description of the hike

We parked the car in the area of Via Cererie, where there are no blue parking zones yet and it's not far to the Sassi di Matera part of town. We had some more fantastic baguettes with local salami and cheese at a little shop on the street and headed into town.

Even the first view of the Sassi di Matera part of town is breathtaking. The densely built houses and the narrow roads and stairs between them. There is no point in describing the exact passage through the town, everyone can choose which way to wander through the narrow streets. Eventually we reached the edge of a deep ravine. On the opposite slope, the numerous caves we wanted to reach were already clearly visible. But first we had to descend into a deep canyon. 

A beaten path leads down from the gate. Even outside the main tourist season there were quite a lot of tourists here. So we set off along the path, which descended very steeply in places and it was quite slippery on the dirt pavement. Eventually we descended to the bottom of the gorge and came to a rope bridge over the river. It was swaying nicely, so some hikers had a bit of trouble crossing it. From the footbridge we started to climb up to the caves at the top of the slope. There is a well-maintained trail leading to them. The climb is steeper in places, but nothing too challenging. Eventually we reached the first caves. Opposite us was the town of Matera. A beautiful sight. We reached the top of the gorge. We also enjoyed the views of the surrounding area and especially the town of Matera. Then we headed back to Matera. The descent into the gorge and the ascent followed the same route. Of course we explored the town through different streets and enjoyed the unforgettable atmosphere of the place.
 

Difficulty

A short and very varied trip that consists of two parts. The first is a passage through the fantastic town of Matera, its part of Sassi di Matera. The latter is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The second part of the trip is the descent into a deep gorge and the subsequent ascent to the caves on the other side of the gorge. This part of the hike is a bit challenging, especially in the summer months you will sweat a lot. The rope bridge over the river in the gorge is a treat.
 

Water availability

The town of Matera is full of options for refreshments, the town is full of tourists. For the part of the route outside the city, you definitely need to have your own liquids.
 

Sleeping options

The town of Matera is a tourist destination, finding accommodation here is not a problem.
 

Danger

The route does not lead over any peak. However, from the plateau above the gorge, there is a fantastic view of the town of Matera and its surroundings.
 

Food

Matera is full of restaurants or shops where you can eat or buy food.
 

Attractions

The town of Matera and its surroundings are known for the large number of excavated caves. Since 1993 the town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first settlements were already there in the Neolithic period. The first Christians took refuge here and the caves were also used by monks who built chapels. In total, up to 3000 caves are said to have been built here. Some of them were gradually walled up and became quite comfortable dwellings. Gradually, however, the caves became inhabited by the poor and lived in very poor sanitary conditions. Therefore, in the 1950s, the Italian government had the caves forcibly cleared and the inhabitants moved into new housing. Due to the uniqueness of the location, Matera is a very popular place for filmmakers and several films have been made here, such as The Passion of the Christ and James Bond - No Time to Die.