Matera is a UNESCO World Heritage city carved into a rock face. It is home to prehistoric caves and villages hiding within.
Matera recently popped as one of the must-visit vacation locations for 2020. Typically, tourists flock to the likes of Milan, Rome, and Venice for their Italian holidays. Now, Matera is on everybody’s watch list for their upcoming European vacation.
The city’s newfound boost in tourism can be put down to the fact Matera is one of the locations in the upcoming Bond film. There is a reason the Italian location was chosen though. It truly is like nowhere else in Europe.
The city comprises of two Sassi (“stones”) districts, Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano. The districts are built on prehistoric caves. The churches rise out of the caves and in the morning, the site will take your breath away.
Matera is home to a great selection of museum and the locals host a range of artistic and cultural events over the year. You can find bronze Salvador Dalí pieces scattered around town and a choice of Basilicata restaurants.
Ultimately though, it’s the Sassis that make Matera so special and the people that have transformed them into the work of art they are today. What was once referred to as “Italy’s shame” is now a thriving cultural hub in the Meditteranean.