Things to Do in Basilicata: 15 Best Places to Visit

The 15 best things to do in Basilicata

Basilicata rewards a slow, region-wide loop rather than a single stop. Here are the 15 places that anchor a real trip, from the cave city of Matera to the coastline near Calabria.

1. Explore the Sassi di Matera

The Sassi (literally “stones”) are Matera’s two historic cave districts, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso, carved into the rock above the Gravina ravine. Matera’s Sassi were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, and walking their steep steps and narrow alleys, especially via San Giovanni Vecchio, remains the single most memorable thing to do in the region. Casa Noha and the Storica Casa Grotta give a clear sense of how cave-dwelling families actually lived here well into the 20th century.

2. Visit the rock churches of Matera

Scattered through the Murgia plateau and the Sassi themselves, Matera’s chiese rupestri (rock churches) hold faded frescoes and carved altars, some dating back to early Christian communities. The Crypt of the Original Sin, sometimes nicknamed the “Sistine Chapel of rupestrian art,” is the best-preserved example and worth a guided tour for context you’d otherwise miss.

3. Wander Piazza Vittorio Veneto and Matera’s old town

Matera’s main square sits right above the Sassi, with cafés, the belvedere overlooking Sasso Barisano, and access points down into the cave districts. It’s the natural starting point for a first walk through the city before heading down into the ravine.

4. See Matera Cathedral

Built in Apulian Romanesque style and perched above Sasso Barisano, Matera’s Cathedral offers one of the best vantage points over the cave city. The interior holds notable frescoes and a carved nativity scene worth the short detour.

5. Walk through the ghost town of Craco

Abandoned after a landslide in the 1960s, Craco is now a genuinely uninhabited hilltop town that can only be visited on a guided tour for safety reasons. Its crumbling houses and church tower have appeared in several films, and the view across the surrounding valley is stark and memorable, a striking contrast to Matera’s lived-in energy.

6. Hike or bike the Murgia Materana Park

Just across the ravine from Matera, Murgia Park (Parco della Murgia Materana) is a plateau of rock churches, shepherd trails and canyon views. It’s the best way to see the Sassi from a distance and to understand how the whole Gravina gorge shaped the city.

7. Cross the Flight of the Angel between Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa

The Volo dell’Angelo (Flight of the Angel) is a zipline strung between the cliffside villages of Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa, deep in the Lucanian Dolomites. Riders reach real speed crossing the valley between the two villages, and it’s become one of the region’s signature adventure activities.

8. Walk the trails of Castelmezzano

Castelmezzano clings to jagged rock spires in the Dolomiti Lucane, with stone stairways winding between houses wedged into the cliff. The village hosts a small but distinctive festa culture, and its narrow lanes make for one of the most photogenic walks in the region.

9. Explore Pietrapertosa, Basilicata’s highest village

Pietrapertosa sits even higher than its Flight of the Angel partner village, with a ruined Saracen-era fortress and trails leading up into the rock towers above town. The two villages are best visited together as a single half-day loop.

10. Relax on Maratea’s coast

Maratea is Basilicata’s main stretch of Tyrrhenian coastline, a mix of cliffs, coves and small beaches strung along a dramatic shore. It’s the region’s go-to spot for a day at the beach, with a compact old town worth a wander above the water.

11. See the Cristo Redentore statue above Maratea

Standing on Monte San Biagio above town, the Cristo Redentore (Christ the Redeemer statue) looks out over the Tyrrhenian Sea and the coastline below. The panoramic viewpoint around its base is one of the best in southern Italy.

12. Hike in Pollino National Park

Straddling the border between Basilicata and Calabria, Pollino National Park is one of Italy’s largest protected areas, with peaks, gorges and rafting stretches on the Lao river. It’s the pick for travelers wanting a genuine outdoor day away from the towns.

13. Discover Potenza, Basilicata’s regional capital

Potenza sits high in the mountains between Matera and the coast, with a historic center, a small archaeological museum, and views across the Lucanian hills. It’s a practical stop for travelers routing between Matera and the Dolomiti Lucane or Maratea.

14. Visit the Museo della Civiltà Contadina

The Museo-Laboratorio della Civiltà Contadina in Matera reconstructs peasant life in old Lucania, with tools, looms and reconstructed cave interiors. It’s a compelling companion visit to the Sassi cave-houses for understanding daily life here before the 1950s resettlement.

15. Follow the Carlo Levi and Pasolini trail through the Lucanian landscape

Basilicata’s stark valleys and cave towns drew both writer Carlo Levi, who described the region’s rural hardship, and filmmakers including Pier Paolo Pasolini, who shot scenes of “The Passion of the Christ” around Matera and Craco. Retracing a few of these locations, from the Sassi to Craco’s ridge, adds context to landscapes that already speak for themselves.

Craco can only be entered with a licensed guide, so book the guided tour in advance rather than showing up expecting free access.