This historic centre is a unique complex, the quarter of cave dwellings. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. I think it’s a must see site if you are in Puglia. It’s one of the oldest settlement of Italy, people lived in these caves already in prehistoric times. It’s an incredible cave-city, we enjoyed walking there and admired the breathtaking view. You need comfty shoes. We will return and stay at least one night in this fabulous place.

My wife and I had wanted to visit Matera for a few years. We finally went there last 4 day long weekend. MAGNIFICENT! It's a must see at least once in your life. City inhabited since prehistoric times. Divided between Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso with Civita in the middle. You get lost in its streets and in its steps from one stone to another. Worth visiting are the many rock churches and other churches in the city, the typical stone rebuilt as in the 1950s, the various viewpoints for taking photos. Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the main square with the long diver. Cathedral. Lots of bars, trattorias and restaurants with typical Matera-Puglia dishes. I recommend the trip to the Matera Murgia (the area in front of Matera) with the caves inhabited since prehistoric times and the belvedere (where you can take photos). Truly a marvel. Rightly a world heritage site. The advice is to wear comfortable shoes because you have to make a lot of steps to go up and down! And if it rains, be even more careful because you slip easily!

The city is away from everything, in the middle of nowhere. She takes your breath away. Incredibly beautiful, enchanted and majestic. The people - tourists and residents alike - are nice, in a good mood, relaxed and stylish. I don't have the words to express our enthusiasm and describe our feelings. Worth one and more trips. Photos don't reflect that.

Unique site in the world. Incredible if we think that until 40 years ago it was almost abandoned and it was considered a national shame that people lived there until the 1950s. Now it has been recovered, too much so. The only flaw: prices of a real tourist site, at times bordering on circumvention of the incompetent.

A unique, unmissable place. I believe it is one of the essential visits in the already wonderful Italian tourist-cultural panorama. Getting lost in its up and down alleys is a unique experience and it is easy to understand why it was chosen as a location for some films. Unfortunately the tourism business is making great strides here too but, holding our nose for some economic inconsistencies, I think it's really worth immersing yourself here for an exciting leap back into the past

Absolutely worth visiting for their historical value. Partly excavated and partly built by working the local tuff stone, they have been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. Inside the Sassi there is a labyrinth of alleys and caves which for a long time were the real homes of the people of Matera since the Paleolithic. The somewhat tiring visit, given the continuous ups and downs in the rock, is however totally rewarded by the emotions that this unique place transmits. Try to stay there at least one night because the view of the illuminated Sassi is spectacular.

A great experience was the visit to Matera. The caves started to be made by monks of the catholic church (which is why there are underground churches). At one point they were a refuge for poor troglodytes, who probably shared each cave with ten families. Unique criterion for creating a cave ...the rooms should be exposed to the sun as much as possible during the day. The ovens were shared and each family distinguished its own bread by the initials it put on it. Conditions were so bad that child mortality was as high as 50 percent. This, of course, in the lower mahallas, while the wealthiest lived in other places. Sometime in 1950 the inhabitants moved away and settled elsewhere. Don't make the mistake of staying less than two days in this city, as the narrow streets are worth exploring!

Truly spectacular, everything, the ravine, the Tibetan bridge, the entire rocky part with the churches and caves, the streets and stairways of the historic center, the palaces, the churches, the cathedral is a true marvel. It is a city that undoubtedly deserves to be visited. Highly recommended.

Matera, Italy is one of the oldest towns in the world and has been inhabited continuously for over 7,0000 years. As one of the most spectacular Italian cities, it’s located on the edge of a ravine and is divided into two districts (Sasso Caveoso – South and Sasso Barisano – North). Sasso Caveoso reminded me of Cappadocia where we stayed in a boutique cave hotel. The original buildings were hewn into limestone rock. The newer district was built from quarried stones. The crooked streets are easy to navigate on foot as they form a maze. We got lost countless times as we wandered through stone archways and the labyrinth of lanes and dead ends, but that was the fun of it as we asked the locals for directions. Usually, it was a child who guided us out of our dilemma. It was a fun day.

Much has been said and written about the stones of Matera but only by getting lost in the streets and looking out from some viewpoint can you grasp their extraordinary beauty. The guide is useful to accompany you and explain what you see but be careful to choose carefully. In my experience the guide who accompanied us for a two-hour tour went too far to introduce us to the artisan's workshop, the typical products shop, etc... not appreciated