Best Matera Tours from Bari

Carved into the rugged hills of southern Italy, Matera enchants with its ancient Sassi districts - cave dwellings etched from limestone cliffs that date back thousands of years. Wander narrow alleyways flanked by centuries-old churches like Santa Maria de Idris and homes-turned-boutique hotels, where history merges with modern comfort. Once dubbed the shame of Italy, this resilient city has transformed into a cultural beacon, earning its place as a European Capital of Culture in 2019. Just beyond the honey-colored stone, the Gravina ravine frames dramatic views, while nearby, the rupestrian churches adorned with medieval frescoes reveal spiritual devotion across ages. Dine on regional specialties like orecchiette with turnip tops under starlit skies, and feel the timeless pulse of one of Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited settlements.