My husband and I will be in Matera for 2 night before our biking adventure begins.
We have our hotel but would appreciate any advise on the highlights of the city, what not to miss and some restaurant suggestions as well.
We will not have a car.
Thanks in advance for your help.
T
DiDi,
One suggestion would be to tour the old part of Matera, The Sassi. It has an interesting history and was used in the filming of the Mel Gibson movie The Passion of the Christ. Check the Italy Guidebook for information on local Guides.
I found a tour of the cave homes to be a highlight of my visit, especially seeing how the residents kept their livestock inside with them.
Happy travels!
As well as the Sassi area, there is a castle (under repair in May when I was there), delightful churches, particularly San Pietro Caveoso, and an excellent archeological museum. Just walk and walk. The view at night is spectacular. As with many towns/cities, much closes for the siesta. Matera is also a great place to observe the passegiata.
My husband and I really enjoyed our dinner at Il Cantuccio. There seemed to be only one seating, so it's smart to reserve: 0835 33 20 90. The best gelato is at the Bar/Caffe Tripoli in a corner of Piazza Vittorio Veneto, and that piazza is the prime passeggiata spot. Be sure to wander clear down Via Riddola. There's a viewpoint over the Sassi Caveoso at the end of that street.
Thank you to all that have taken the time to reply to my questions regarding Matera/Bari. We will definitely try to include all the suggestions I have received.
I think Rick Steve's web site has the most helpful and considerate members.
There's a restaurant at the very bottom of the Sassi area, right beside the shop with the scale model of the Sassi area (worth seeing). Don't remember the restaurant's name, but my dinner there was really good. Try their house specialty ceci (chickpea) soup - absolutely fantastic.
Thank you Frank. Will try to hunt your restaurant suggestion down.
Frank,
Thanks for the info on that restaurant in Matera. I couldn't remember the details, and that's why I didn't include the information in my original post. I'll have to dig through my trip diary and see if I can find the name.
The two things I remember are that the food was good and I believe it also had a Karaoke Bar.
Cheers!
