Matera Magic

Matera in the Basilicata region of Italy is one of the oldest cities in the world and if I have to sum up my experience of Matera, then its simply ‘Magical’. It Is a UNESCO World heritage site known for its famous “sassi” or caves.

It’s convenient to add Matera to your Puglia itinerary since its not very far from Bari. During our one week long trip to Puglia, we covered the following three places: 

• Matera

• Alberobello and

• Polignano a Mare

The blog links for the other two destinations is provided at the end of this page.

1. Scratch the map

Matera, the city of caves is known to have presence of life since the Paleolithic Age.

2. How to reach

Bari (BRI) is one of the main airports in Puglia region close to beach towns like Monopoli, Polignano a Mare and many more. Since we were mainly covering Matera, Polignano a Amare and Alberobello (all close to Bari), we chose to fly from Zurich to Bari ( journey time was around 2.5 hours).

3. Number of days

We spent 4 nights in Puglia (3 in Polignano and 1 in Alberobello) and combined it with 2 nights in Matera (which is part of the Basilicata region in Italy).

3. Tour Highlights

The UNESCO Heritage site of Alberobello known for its unique whitewashed huts having conical roofs. Alberobello is quite close to Polignano a Mare (approx 30 km away) and it takes approximately 30 minutes by car to commute between these two towns.

Alberobello is the land of "trullis" and possibly one of the most cute towns I have ever been to! The history of this town is also quite interesting...the trullis were built in the 15th century to avoid taxes on permanent houses to royal tax inspectors. These huts were made of limestone without mortar and could be quickly dismantled into a rubble of stones before the king's people came to collect taxes.

3.a  Rione Monti

This neighbourhood is the most busy area with around 1000 trullis comprising of mainly tourist accommodations, restaurants and souvenir shops. The long flight of steps starting from Largo Martellotta (central square of Alberobello) leading upto the "trullo church" i.e. Chiesa Parrocchiale di Sant'Antonio da Padova. This area has multiple narrow alleyways all lined with cute trullis on both sides and decorated with pretty flowers and artwork outside. Sometimes, you will find bicycles parked outside the trulli adding to the old world charm.  

Rione Monti gets very crowded during the day and its difficult to enjoy a casual stroll or take good pictures! If you are staying overnight, then 8AM -10 AM is a good time to explore the town since the day trip visitors only start arriving after 10 AM.

Some particular places worth keeping watch for is the 'Alberobello in Miniatura' and the 'Siamese Trullo' known for having two joint roofs.

3.b  Rione Ai Picola

This neighbourhood is comparatively calmer without any shops or restaurants. This is the area where local people also live. Hence this neighbourhood gives a more authentic feeling. You can also visit a local's trullo in this neighbourhood where they give you a tour of the interior (you can give a voluntary donation) and explain their interesting history and culture.

3.c Trullo Sovrano

This is the only two storey trullo in the north of the town. It was originally built in the 18th century by a wealthy priest family and has served multiple purposes over time as a chapel, monastery as well as a private dwelling. You can visit this trullo for a small fees and learn about its history. 

3.d Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian

Located very close to Trullo Sovrano, this is a beautiful church in Alberobello with twin bell towers and splendid paintings adorning its interiors.

3.e Alberobello photospots

• Santa Lucia viewpoint: This is the most panoramic viewpoint in Alberobello providing a beautiful view of the entire Rione Monti neighbourhood. 

• Villa Communale Belvedere Park: Another good viewpoint is the Villa Belvedere Park via which you can go from Via Independenza to Rione Aia Piccola.

4. Personal Recommendations

• Number of days: Consider spending atleast 1 night in Alberobello so that you can enjoy the town to yourself after day trip visitors have left.

• Hotel stay: Consider staying in a trullo hotel to enjoy the "trullo feel" for a night. We stayed at the Tipico Resort in Rione Monti neighbourhood and the experience was lovely.

• Pack light: Note that cars cannot go upto your hotels, especially in the south (especially Rione Monti). You will have to carry your own luggage from the main square to your hotel and the town has slopes. So remember to pack as much light as possible.

4. Goodbye Notes

I am sure you are already in love with Alberobello by now! So if you are planning a trip to this cute little town, dont forget to check my blog on Polignano a Mare so that you can combine the two in a single trip! 

Polignano a Mare