Search hotels in Basilicata, Italy

STIGLIANO is a hill top town in a very poor part of Italy. It is not easy to get to and is quite scruffy and not a bit run down. But that is the same with all the rural towns and villages of Basilicata. The roads in the hills are appalling, built on slopes of clay or mud that is quite likely to slide down the hill. Basilicata has no money to repair them. So, Why go there? Because this is a lovely part of the world, unhurried, welcoming and full of little pockets of interest. The countryside can be spectacular and wild, the towns fascinating and old (Matera). Stigliano offers a convenient stopover when touring. The 'only' place to stay is the Hotel Ristorante Mariano. Comfortable, with a good restaurant and very reasonable prices.

Saw Matera on a food/history documentary and thought I just had to go there. It did not disappoint one bit! We arrived from Rome using two trains and a bus via Ferrandina-Pomarico-Miglionico as we didn't want to go to Bari and have to go back on ourselves. This went smoother than I thought it would. We then left Matera to travel onwards to Bari. The trains from Bari to Matera are regular but the location of the train station in Matera isn't very obvious, it is under the bus station and you can't see the tracks so you wouldn't know if was there unless you asked. The bus/train station is just a short walk from the Sassi area. Bring your walking boots as you can walk up the other side of the valley and go in some of the older caves, but the route is quite steep. Three days is more than enough time to see everything but we could have spent days wandering through the cobbled streets and eating great food from the Basilicata region. There are a lot of steep steps so accessibility may not be great for those who have difficulty walking. Would highly recommend Osteria Pico for dinner, we had one of the best meals we have even had. Also Oi Mari for pizza. Matera is beautiful, I recommend visiting before it becomes too touristy as it is definitely going to become a hot spot in the future.

We were interested in seeing the castle birthplace of the composer, Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa. In it is a small but interesting and well-displayed collection of the National Archaelogical Museum.The compact, old town at its walls has character and charm as well as some very good restaurants- we enjoyed al Baliaggio and S Maria della Scala very much. The local wines are excellent. A fine abbey church, the cathedral and Jewish catacombs should also be seen. We would return to Basilicata to spend more time in the Monte Vulture area which has towering castles, frescoed churches and enchanting, unspoilt countryside.

-Visiting the carved churches and Matera's old town is like travelling back in history: go there if you're looking for a place which is unique in the entire world -Despite its gloomy past, Matera is walking steadily towards the future and it's becoming more and more tourism-friendly -Nothing can prepare your sight to the scenery you'll see in Basilicata

Matera is a unique town offering good food culture history and scenery. It’s the Sassi area which is makes Matera different from any other place and we spent most of our time exploring the tiny streets and squares. Parking is a nightmare so we left our car alone for the 4 days we stayed there, only taking 1 excursion to the opposite side of the valley to look back at Matera and the surrounding countryside. There is plenty to do especially if you enjoy history and culture. The food is good and and the wine is excellent, we were very impressed with Basilicata wine. Getting around on foot is fine if you don’t mind climbing, many of the footpaths are narrow steep and uneven so you have to take care. However much of the main areas of the Sassi are quite level safe with tuc tuc style taxis available just in case!

Matera is such an interesting city, so full of history and character. There is something to take your breath away round every corner. They are still getting used to having tourists which is great as it's not full of tourist-tat shops. There's a great choice or restaurants and bars serving traditional Southern Italy specialities. Matera is also well placed for visiting other interesting places in Puglia and Basilicata such as Alberobello.

Apart from the fact that Matera is a unique and highly beautiful city (ancient cave dwellings, apparently the third oldest city in the world), in my experience it has to be the friendliest city in Italy as well. The food is great too. It's also a good base to explore the many beauties of Basilicata and Puglia

Excellent for the area but perhaps a bit too crowded in summer. It's a very small place. Very Italian and not quite as open to foreign tourists as on the eastern Basilicata coast.

Pleasant small historic town in northern Basilicata. Interesting castle and old streets to wander in. Not a major destination but fine for a night if you are in the area. Nearby lakes were nice for a morning walk but again not a major site. Northern Basilicata has quite a lot of industry and wind farms but is still quite attractive. It gets prettier as you go south. If you like castles and medieval hill towns there are plenty to visit. We stayed one night as part of a touring holiday in Basilicata and Puglia and Melfi was fine for a night be route.

Bernalda is a very pleasant and unspoiled town in the south of the Italian region of Basilicata. Few tourists venture here- you'll share it with the friendly locals. It is a rewarding destination in its own right- with lots of charming bars and restaurants, a number of B and Bs and a luxury hotel. The pace of life is very gentle and traditional - great for families. It is also near to some great points of interest- the sassi of Matera, the Ancient Greek archaeological site of Metapontum, and the beach nearby. Few people know that the great scholar Pythagoras lived nearby! The local castle is being restored and will host an art gallery. It's easy to get there by car- it's near a major route.