A small team from Matera shows visitors the city and its surroundings – on foot, by bike, in an Ape Calessino and at the cooking table. Most tours meet at Piazza Vittorio Veneto, and groups stay small.

Walking tours through the Sassi. With the view running across the cave houses to the cathedral tower, the guide explains how the city grew out of the rock. In summer a hat and a water bottle are part of the kit.

Rock churches. Inside one of the rock churches the guide explains the frescoes on the tufa – saints beneath the vault, in the warm light of the lamps.

Hiking in the Murgia. Paths across the karst plateau opposite the city, past rock formations and caves. Pack a rucksack, sturdy shoes and sun protection.

By e-bike. Along gravel tracks to viewpoints looking across to the old town – helmet included.

In an Ape Calessino. The open three-wheeler with a canvas roof takes small groups along the panoramic roads – comfortable for anyone who finds the steps of the Sassi too steep.

Handmade orecchiette. In the cooking class a cook shows how durum wheat semolina and water become the little ear-shaped pasta: dragged across the board with a knife and shaped over the thumb.

Tasting. Red wine, cheese, cured ham, tomatoes, olives and bread from the area, served on a terrace overlooking the Sassi.

Sunset photo tour. To the viewpoints where the old town lies in the evening light – with tips on where to stand and how to expose.

Crafts. A visit to a workshop full of ceramics: painted plates and bowls, little clay houses of the Sassi and the brightly coloured whistles known in Matera as cuccù.

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