Matera Travel Guide: the Sassi, Cave Museums, Truffle Days and Getting There from Bari

Matera sits in Basilicata, in southern Italy, 31 miles (50 km) from Bari Palese airport. It suits travelers who want to walk through houses, churches and monasteries built into the caves of the Murgia, a limestone plateau, and who like to see a UNESCO World Heritage site on foot.

The nearest big airport is Bari. Naples is 181 miles (291 km) away and Rome Fiumicino 329 miles (530 km), so the last stretch is always a road or rail trip. Cars are also restricted in the historic centre and the Sassi, the old cave districts, which are limited traffic zones.

Both things are worth knowing before the trip is booked.

At a glance

• Region: Basilicata, southern Italy
• Nearest airport: Bari Palese, 31 miles (50 km)
• Nearest stations: Ferrandina Scalo, 22 miles (35 km); Metaponto, 28 miles (45 km); Bari, 37 miles (60 km)
• Heritage status: UNESCO World Heritage property, inscribed in 1993
• What you do there: walk the Sassi, visit the cave museum and the archaeological parks
• Events: Materadio, October 30 to November 1, 2026; white truffle days, November 20 to 29, 2026

Where is Matera and what is it like?

Matera is in Basilicata, in the south of Italy. Its coordinates are 40.666 / 16.61, and Bari Palese airport is 31 miles (50 km) away.

The setting is the Murgia, a limestone highland plateau cut by deep fault fissures, ravines, rocks and caves. The historic centre is made of the Barisano and Caveoso districts, the 15th century Casalnuovo district and the Piano, which dates from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The UNESCO property, inscribed in 1993, takes in houses, churches, monasteries and hermitages built into the natural caves. It covers 1,016 hectares (about 2,510 acres).

What is there to do in Matera?

The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches

The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera form the UNESCO property. Rupestrian means cut into rock. The site includes the Barisano and Caveoso districts and the surrounding Murgia.

The heritage area spreads over 1,016 hectares (about 2,510 acres), so it is a place to cover on foot, district by district.

The historic centre and the Sassi have limited traffic zones and pedestrian areas, with gates on the roads in. Plan on walking here and leave the car outside the gates.

Parco della Storia dell’Uomo

The Parco della Storia dell’Uomo is in Rione Malve, in the Sasso Caveoso. It recounts 8,000 years of human presence in the territory.

The park is organized into four thematic parks, among them the Parco della Civiltà Contadina and the Parco della Preistoria. It suits anyone who wants the story of the land behind the caves.

Because it is inside the Sasso Caveoso, it combines easily with a walk through that district.

MUSMA, Museo Ridola and Palazzo Lanfranchi

MUSMA is housed in Palazzo Pomarici in the Sasso Caveoso. It is the only cave museum in the world and the main Italian museum entirely dedicated to sculpture.

The Museo Nazionale Domenico Ridola is at Via Ridola, 24. Palazzo Lanfranchi is at Piazza Pascoli, 1. Both are in the town and can be added to a day in the Sassi.

The archaeological sites of Murgia Timone, Timmari and Murgecchia can also be visited. They suit travelers who want to go beyond the town itself.

Materadio and the white truffle days

Materadio runs in Matera from October 30 to November 1, 2026. Sapori dalla Terra, devoted to the prized white truffle of Basilicata, follows from November 20 to 29, 2026.

Matera also hosts other events through the year, so check the dates before booking rooms.

If you want cave dwellings and churches, start with the Sassi. If you like sculpture, go to MUSMA. For archaeology, choose the Museo Ridola and the Murgia sites. For food, aim for the truffle days in late November.

How do you get to Matera and get around?

Bari Palese is the nearest airport, 31 miles (50 km) from Matera. Pugliairbus links the airports of Brindisi, Foggia and Bari by bus with several Puglia cities, and also reaches Matera. Naples Capodichino is 181 miles (291 km) away, and Rome Fiumicino 329 miles (530 km).

By rail, Ferrandina Scalo station is 22 miles (35 km) from Matera, Metaponto 28 miles (45 km) and Bari 37 miles (60 km). Ferrovie Appulo Lucane trains cross part of the province of Bari and the Murgia on the way to Basilicata. Buses of the same company serve some localities of the province of Bari and run as far as Basilicata.

By car from the north, take the A14 Bologna-Bari motorway, exit Bari Nord and continue on the SS 99 Bari-Altamura-Matera. Coming down the A1 from Rome, exit at Sicignano and follow the SS 407 Basentana to the Matera exit. From the south, take the SS 106 Jonica, exit Matera and continue on the SP 175 Metaponto-Matera.

The gates have been active since a 2016 city resolution. Walking is the way to see them.

When should you go to Matera?

May and June are comfortable months for walking the Sassi. May reaches 72°F (22°C) in the afternoon and June 82°F (28°C), with about four rainy days in June. April is cooler at 63°F (17°C).

January and February are the cool months, with highs near 50°F (10°C) and lows near 36°F (2°C). Each has about eight rainy days, so pack layers and a rain jacket. July is the hottest month in the figures, with highs of 87°F (30°C), which matters for steps and uphill lanes.

What to know before visiting Matera

According to the U.S. State Department, U.S. citizens can stay in Italy for 90 days without a tourist or business visa.

• Passports must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned date of departure from the Schengen area. A 6-month validity is recommended, and passports must have 2 blank pages for entry stamp.
• You will need proof of sufficient funds and a return plane ticket.
• Italy sets a currency limit of 10,000 euros, or the equivalent, on entry and on exit.
• There are no vaccination requirements to enter Italy.
• Travelers visiting Italy for business, tourism or study for up to 90 days must fill out a “dichiarazione di presenza”.