Prepare to Be Amazed: Matera’s Top 10 Must-Do Experiences

You’ll spend a lot of time in caverns in Matera, Italy. You’ll sleep in a cave, eat in a cave, sip an aperitivo in a cave, and even see contemporary sculpture in a cave.

The ancient neighborhoods, known as sassi, are a succession of limestone grottoes perched on the side of a ravine.

This southern Italian city is one of the most unusual and gorgeous sites we’ve seen in Italy, if not the world. We’ve been three times because we enjoy it so much.

Matera was not well known to foreign visitors for many years, but that has changed when it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, a European Capital of Culture in 2019, and the location for the 2021 James Bond film No Time to Die.

While visitor numbers have increased and several of Matera’s caves have been converted into chic hotels and restaurants, the city still has considerably fewer tourists than its northern neighbors.

In this travel guide, I discuss the finest things to do in Matera, as well as where to stay and dine, how to get there, and a map of all the top Matera attractions.

What to Do in Matera, Italy

#1 Moom has an old olive press

The Matera Olive Oil Museum (MOOM) is a modest family-run museum housed in an underground oil mill dating from the 15th century.

You can see how olive oil was formerly produced—it was used to make lamp oil rather than for consumption. The stable held two donkeys who plowed the olives into a paste using the round stone mill.

The mixture was packed in woven bags and placed beneath large wooden presses that extracted the oil.

#2 Enter the Ravin

Walking down into the ravine that the city is located on the edge of is one of the top things to do in Matera.

The entire region is protected as part of the Parco della Murgia Materana. It’s fantastic to have access to wildlife so near to a bustling city.

It appears challenging, but the hike down into the ravine and back up isn’t that difficult. However, avoid the midday heat and bring lots of water.

#3 Stay in a Matera Cave Hotel

The abundance of cave hotels and B&Bs is one of Matera’s most distinctive features. Choosing to stay in one adds to the enchanting experience of visiting the city.

Accommodation in Matera

#4 Visit Cave Churches

The many chiese rupestre, or churches carved out of soft tufa rock, are among the nicest things to see in Matera. Many of them have old frescoes.

The most famous cave church is Santa Maria di Idris, which is constructed into a massive rock on the edge of a valley. It is seen from several vantage points throughout the city.

If you can only see one Matera rock church, make it this one. It’s most stunning from the outside, but inside are two small cave chapels with 12th-century frescoes. You are not permitted to take photographs inside.

#5 Visit Matera’s Duomo (Cathedral)

The Cattedrale di Maria Santissima della Bruna & Sant’Eustachio in Matera is most often known as Il Duomo.

It was built in the 13th century on a ridge between two sassi at the highest point in the old city. Matera’s skyline is dominated by its bell tower.

Except for the lovely rose window, the Romanesque exterior is modest. The interior décor, which was added decades later, is much more extravagant, with a lot of gold and ceiling frescoes. The entrance fee is €1.

#6 Enjoy an Aperitivo with a View

A drink (ideally an Aperol Spritz) with some wonderful appetizers and a view of the sassi is the ideal way to finish a hard day touring Matera.

Terrazza Cavaliere (go to the terrace out the back) and Crialoss Cafe (on top of the cave church San Pietro Barisano) are two of our favorite bars with a view. Because they are on opposing sides of town, you get a unique perspective.

#7 Venture Underground at Palombaro Lungo

Matera’s underground cistern network is one of the reasons it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Palombaro Lungo is the largest of the cisterns, a rock-carved underground Cathedral of Water. It was utilized for rainwater collection and storage for nearly a century, until the early twentieth century.

The water was extracted using buckets dipped into a well. The rusty marks left by missing buckets on the ceiling may still be seen.

It’s an interesting sight, but a visit won’t take long. There are guided tours in Italian at particular times, or you may conduct a self-guided tour with an English pamphlet, as we did.

Palombaro Lungo is open daily from 9.30am to 1pm and 3pm to 6.30pm (hours may vary depending on the season). The entrance fee is €3.

#8 Discover Ipogeo MateraSum’s Underground City

Palombaro Lungo is not distant from Ipogeo MateraSum. It feels remote, and there were only two other guests during our summer vacation.

The underground region has been excavated to illustrate how dwellers formerly exploited a network of Matera caves. There’s a bakery, a mill, houses, a quarry, a church, and other structures.

#9 At Casa Noha, you can learn about Matera’s history

Casa Noha, where you may view a 30-minute film on Matera’s history, is a good place to start your Matera visit.

It takes place in a historic building, and you walk between rooms as the video progresses. While the film is in Italian, an audioguide in English and other languages is given.

It really puts the city into perspective when you learn about how horrible living conditions were up until the 1950s and how the sassi were abandoned for years before being regenerated.