Matera

Matera sits on the edge of a limestone ravine in Basilicata, one of southern Italy's most overlooked regions. For most of the 20th century, the city was literally called "the shame of Italy" — a place where families shared single-room caves with their livestock, no running water, no electricity. Carlo Levi wrote about it in 1945 and horrified the nation.

The government forcibly relocated everyone out of the Sassi between 1952 and the 1970s. Then, slowly, the world caught on. UNESCO listed it in 1993.

Hollywood showed up (The Passion of the Christ, Wonder Woman, No Time to Die were all filmed here). In 2019 it was European Capital of Culture. And in 2026, it's one of the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture alongside Tetouan in Morocco.

The place that was once abandoned is now one of the most photographed cities in southern Italy. That reversal is genuinely remarkable — and the Materani are deeply aware of it. The city's coat of arms carries a Latin motto: "Bos lassus firmius figit pedem" (the tired ox plants its foot more firmly).

That's Matera in a sentence.

Lunch is the main event. Don't expect a quick bite — trattorias set up for a proper sit-down, usually 1–3 PM. Turning up at noon sharp expecting fast service will frustrate everyone involved..

Italians don't eat dinner until 8 PM at the earliest. If you're sitting in a restaurant at 6:30 PM, you're surrounded by other tourists. Wait it out — the vibe and the menus improve dramatically after 8..

Photography inside rock churches is often restricted or outright banned. Ask before you point a lens anywhere near an altar or fresco. Some cave churches post signs; others rely on you having common sense..

Don't speak loudly in public spaces, especially churches and small shops. It reads as rude here in a way it doesn't in northern European cities.. The pausa is real.

Many smaller shops shut down from roughly 1–4:30 PM. Plan your errands and museum visits around it rather than against it.. Aperitivo culture exists here but it's low-key compared to Milan or Rome.

Piazza Vittorio Veneto fills up around 7 PM with locals doing exactly that — a spritz or a local wine, some snacks, not a meal.. Tipping is not mandatory. A euro or two left on the table at a trattoria is appreciated; anything more is unusual and sometimes awkward.

Matera is about as safe as Italian cities get. Violent crime is virtually nonexistent. Petty crime including pickpocketing is rare here compared to Rome or Naples — this is a small southern town, not a major transit hub.

The real safety issues are physical, not criminal. The Sassi streets are steep, uneven limestone and become genuinely slippery when wet. Wear proper shoes.

Not sandals. Not dress shoes. Actual walking shoes with grip.

Tall visitors should watch for low archways in cave passages. And don't wander the narrower, unlit parts of the Sassi alone very late at night — not because of crime, but because the layout is genuinely disorienting and it's easy to get turned around. One legitimate tourist trap to watch for: unlicensed 'guides' near the Sassi entrances who claim to represent the local government or the regional tourism office (APT).

No such thing exists. Real licensed guides carry a photo ID badge with a registration number and full name. Also, nobody should be charging you an entry ticket to walk into the Sassi as a district — that's always free.

Getting to Matera takes some planning. There's no airport. The nearest one is Bari (BRI), about 65 km away — under an hour by car.

Direct shuttle buses from Bari airport to Matera run daily; tickets from €5–15. From Bari train station, buses take about 1hr 20min (Flixbus, BusMiccolis, Itabus all cover the route). There is train service via the private Ferrovie Appulo Lucane (FAL) from Bari's Appulo Lucane station (a 2-minute walk northwest of Bari Centrale), but it takes 90 minutes and is slow.

A rental car is the most flexible option and lets you stop in Altamura along the way. Once in Matera, the Sassi can only be explored on foot — no cars allowed in the historic center. Park at Via Saragat and take the BusMiccolis shuttle to Piazza Giacomo Matteotti (1–2 minutes), or walk 10 minutes downhill.

The "Linea Sassi" city bus also runs to the Sassi every 30 minutes; tickets sold on board for €0.80. If you're staying in the Sassi, warn your hotel first and get their parking instructions — the ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone) restrictions are strictly enforced and the fines are painful.