Walk Through the Sasso Caveoso and the Sasso Barisano
3 h 30Without a pushchair
Independent walk through the Sasso Barisano, the Civita and the Sasso Caveoso, Matera's cave-house districts; free, with stairs.
AccessTrain from Bari, 1 h 30–2 h
Best timeApr · May · Sep · Oct
Minimum time1 day and 1 night
Overall difficultyMedium: steps
The Murgia has an entry fee from 2026. Trail 406, with the suspension walkway over the ravine, and the Murgia Timone viewpoint have their own entry fee. The 406 is rated for experienced hikers.
What to do
What to do in Matera
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario
30 minFamilies
Furnished cave house in the Sasso Caveoso, with the bed, kitchen and stable in a single room; half an hour and €8 for adults.
From €8
How to do it
Palombaro Lungo
30 minFamilies
Cistern dug beneath Piazza Vittorio Veneto, 16 m deep and holding five million litres, toured on walkways in 30 minutes.
Plan the trip
Matera, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Matera
Spring and autumn. In July and August the stone gives back the heat and at midday you can't walk round the Sassi. In winter there are fewer people and some cold, foggy days.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Who you're with
Matera for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
A City of Caves to Explore
Children understand Matera in the cave house: the bed, the table and the mule beside it. What is hard is the stairs and the heat.
- What works bestThe Casa Grotta, short and…
- Where to sleepIn the Sassi, to set…
- Where to eatBakery focaccia at midday, trattoria…
- Keep in mindNo pushchair: stairs everywhere
What works best
- The Casa Grotta, short and very clear
- The Palombaro Lungo cistern, free for children
- The Murgia Timone viewpoint with the shuttle
Where to sleep
- In the Sassi, to set out early and come back at night
Where to eat
- Bakery focaccia at midday, trattoria in the evening
Keep in mind
- No pushchair: stairs everywhere
- In summer, a long break from eleven to five
- Trail 406 is not for small children
What to do as a family
The City from the Films, and a Suspension Bridge
Many recognise Matera from No Time to Die or The Passion of the Christ. Trail 406 gives them the adventure part.
- What works bestCrossing the ravine on the…
- Where to sleepIn the Sassi, in a…
- Where to eatFocaccia and panzerotti to take…
- Keep in mindThe 406 is rated for…
What works best
- Crossing the ravine on the suspension footbridge of trail 406
- Going down to the giant cistern beneath the square
- Getting lost in the Sassi with the map and agreeing to meet at a viewpoint
Where to sleep
- In the Sassi, in a cave
Where to eat
- Focaccia and panzerotti to take away
Keep in mind
- The 406 is rated for experts: hiking footwear and water
- Under-25s pay half in the Murgia
What to do with teenagers
Where to stay
Where to stay in Matera
Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
Why we like it: Eighteen caves restored with local materials and antique furniture, almost untouched. It is the most faithful way to sleep in a cave house.
Sant'Angelo Luxury Resort
Why we like it: Rooms spread across old Caveoso dwellings, facing the ravine and a few steps from Santa Maria de Idris.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Matera
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Vitantonio Lombardo
What to order: the tasting menu.
No lunch on Tuesday or Wednesday; dinner every day. Book in advance
Takeaway and markets
Panificio Cifarelli, Matera
What to try
- CrapiataA thick soup of pulses and cereals, of peasant origin.
- Peperoni cruschiDried peppers fried for a few seconds until crisp.
- Pane di MateraDurum wheat bread with a tall shape and a thick crust.
Map
Everything on the map
Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Nearby
Near Matera
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Go out early or at sunset
Between eleven and five, in summer, the sun bounces off the stone and groups fill the alleys.
- 2Sleep in the Sassi
A cave hotel is the way to stay on when the day trippers leave.
- 3Wear shoes with a grip
It's all polished stone steps, which are slippery.
- 4Buy Matera bread
The PGI bread, tall and with a yellow crumb, keeps for several days: it makes a good souvenir.
Local tip
Look at the Sassi first from above, from the Piazza Vittorio Veneto viewpoint or the Luigi Guerricchio one, and then go down. That way you understand the maze.
We'd skip it
A Saturday in August at midday. Heat, slopes without shade and groups at every viewpoint. If you can only go then, leave the Sassi for the afternoon.
Why did people live in caves?
Because the rock invited it. Matera sits on a soft calcarenite, the tufo, which can be cut with simple tools. There are traces of habitation from about nine thousand years ago. For centuries, each family dug inwards and used the extracted blocks to build the façade. Beneath the houses they cut cisterns and channels to collect rainwater, because there was no other.
That's how the two Sassi came about, the Caveoso and the Barisano. Over time they filled with poor people who lived with their animals in a single cave, without running water and with malaria. In 1952 a law ordered their rehabilitation and the State moved almost all their residents to new districts. The Sassi stayed empty until, from the late 1980s, they were restored. In 1993 they entered the World Heritage list together with the park of rock-cut churches opposite.
How much time do I need?
A whole day and a night. The Sassi lit up at night are half the trip. With a second day you cross the ravine to the Murgia and see the city from the opposite side.
How do I get there?
From Bari airport or station, on the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane train, which leaves from its own platforms at Bari Centrale. It takes between an hour and a half and two hours, sometimes with a change at Altamura. By car, an hour and a quarter from Bari. The Sassi are a limited traffic zone: park outside and walk down.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you go with children?
Yes, but without a pushchair: the Sassi are all steps. A baby carrier for the little ones. Older children are impressed by the cave house and the giant cistern.
Do you have to pay to enter the Sassi?
No. Walking around is free. You pay for the cave house, some rock-cut churches, the cistern and the Murgia.
Can you see it in a day from Bari?
You can, but you lose the night and the first hour, which are the best. Better to stay one night.
Where do I park?
Outside the Sassi, which are a limited traffic zone. Ask at your hotel: many have an arrangement with a car park.
How much does trail 406 cost?
€15 from April to October and €10 from November to March. Free for children under 6 and half price for under 25s.