Not spectacular, but the moments you remember afterwards.
Get up early
Between seven and nine the Sassi belong to the residents. Shops open, washing hangs in the lanes, and you have the terraces to yourself. The same walk at eleven is a different one.
The back of the Barisano
Most visitors stay on the main axis. A few lanes higher it goes quiet at once – up there people live and work, they do not sightsee. See Sasso Barisano.
Porta Pistola instead of Piazzetta Pascoli
The same view into the gorge, only without an audience – Porta Pistola.
The small churches of the upper town
Between Via Ridola and Piazza del Sedile stand several churches that almost everyone walks past. Open doors are worth a look – see Churches in Matera.
An afternoon without a plan
The city is small enough that you cannot seriously get lost. Put the map away, follow the next staircase, and you will see more than with a list.
Out again in the evening
After dinner, the drive to the belvedere on the Murgia – the lit city above the dark gorge is the sight hardly anyone has on their list.
Read on
- Viewpoints in Matera – all the views compared
- Sunrise and sunset in Matera – the right hours
