To see Matera as a whole you have to leave the city. From the opposite slope of the Murgia it lies across the gorge in its full width – it is the view practically every photograph of the city shows.
What you see
The viewpoint lies in the Parco della Murgia Materana, beyond the Gravina. From there you look across the gorge to the terraced Sassi, the Civita and the bell tower of the cathedral. Only from this distance does the structure of the city become readable: below, the open terraces of the Sasso Caveoso, in the middle the rock spur, to the right the more densely built Sasso Barisano.
At the same time you see what surrounds the city – a bare plateau without forest, into which the same caves were driven as opposite. The Sassi are not a special case but the densest point of a way of building that shapes the whole landscape.
By car
A road runs around the gorge onto the plateau; from the parking areas it is a few minutes on foot. That is the easy way – also for anyone who wants to be there at sunset and would rather not walk back in the dark.
On foot
The sportier option is the descent through the Gravina and the climb up the other side. The route crosses a suspension bridge in the valley floor and takes one to two hours each way depending on the line taken. Sturdy shoes and enough water are part of it; in summer avoid the middle of the day, because there is no shade on the way.
Walk it and you get more than the view: the valley floor, the rock walls and the small caves along the path explain the city from below.
When
In the morning the city is backlit – good for silhouettes, poor for detail. In the late afternoon and at sunset it is lit head-on; that is the classic time. After dark the lights trace the terraces and the outlines of the districts stand out more clearly than by day.
Check path conditions and possible closures with the park before visiting. Sentiero 406 – Ente Parco.
Read on
- Jazzo Gattini – the park’s information point nearby
- Neolithic village Murgia Timone – settlement traces on the same plateau
- Viewpoints in Matera – all the views compared
Plan your visit to Matera
Two-day Matera itinerary · Getting to Matera from Bari airport.
