In a nutshell
- Hardly anyone knows Basilicata — even though this region has truly breathtaking landscapes and is packed with culture. Our Italy expert Rebecca shares her best Basilicata travel tips with you here.
- What makes Basilicata so special, beyond its landscapes and ancient villages, is its wonderful emptiness. Mass tourism simply doesn’t exist here.
- The top highlight is the cave city of Matera. Make sure you also visit Castelmezzano and Maratea.
- A fantastic place to stay is Villa Lancellotti, where we stayed ourselves. It’s centrally located — perfect for day trips — and at the end of the day you can relax by the enormous pool with a view.
What You Should Know About Basilicata
- Basilicata is the perfect destination if you want relaxation and culture without the crowds. Long lines and tourist menus simply don’t exist here.
- It’s one of the least densely populated regions of Italy. You can drive for miles on your road trip through Basilicata without passing a single soul.
- In Basilicata, you’re constantly rewarded with breathtaking views all the way to the horizon.
- We’ve seen the most stunning night skies here. And the most beautiful sunsets.
- Even though hardly anyone knows this region, it’s packed with highlights. A true hidden gem in Italy and a fantastic destination for explorers!
Basilicata’s Sights on a Map
Basilicata sits between Apulia and Calabria, in the deep south of Italy — essentially at the ankle of the Italian boot.
Only about 500,000 people live here in total. That’s roughly the same as an entire mid-sized European city, even though Basilicata is a full region.
Things to Do and See in Basilicata
In Basilicata, almost everything is worth your time. Every village, the endless green-and-golden hilly landscape, the ancient towns — all of it.
If we covered every highlight in this Basilicata travel guide, it would go way beyond the scope of one article.
So we’re focusing on the absolute must-sees. Further down, we’ll round out the list with even more great spots.
Matera
Matera is the undisputed highlight of Basilicata and one of our top travel destinations in Italy.
Important: Matera is not in Apulia. This often gets mixed up, but it’s simply wrong. Many visitors to Apulia take a day trip to Matera and assume they’re still in Apulia. For the Lucanians — the locals of Basilicata, who live in the virtual shadow of Apulia when it comes to tourism — this distinction really matters. They are incredibly proud of their cave city.
The city is one of the oldest in the world, continuously inhabited for around 10,000 years. Pretty incredible, right?
What makes Matera so special are the cave dwellings of the old town. Behind the house facades of the Sassi — as Matera’s historic center is called — hundreds of hand-carved caves are hidden. The entryway might be a normal rectangular room, while the bedrooms are carved straight into the rock.
The entire cave district is a labyrinth of alleyways, stairways, and terraces, with jaw-dropping views around every corner.
Matera is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and everyone needs to see it at least once!
Lies auch:
Castelmezzano
Castelmezzano is another top standout in Basilicata.
This tiny village is wedged between the rocks of the Lucanian Dolomites, pretty much right in the heart of Basilicata.
The houses look as though they’re literally climbing up the rock face.
The village has several small trattorias and B&Bs — because many visitors come here specifically to do the Volo dell’Angelo, the Angel Flight.
Adrenaline junkies “fly” in a horizontal position along a zip line to the neighboring village of Pietrapertosa.
That village sits on the opposite mountain, so you race across a 1,300-foot-deep gorge at 75 mph. You can also fly back from Pietrapertosa.
The flight costs around 40 euros per person and needs to be reserved online:
Get tickets for the Angel Flight in Castelmezzano
Maratea
Maratea is the classic Italian seaside resort and is somewhat reminiscent of the fishing villages of Liguria.
Mountains drop steeply into the sea, there are several swimming coves with sandy beaches, and the water is crystal clear. Perfect for snorkeling and diving, too!
The main sight in Maratea is the statue of the Cristo Redentore, which stands on a mountain above the village — it definitely has something of the Cristo Redentor in Rio. From up top, you get a truly spectacular panorama of the entire coastline and the sea.
Maratea has plenty of places to stay and restaurants, and there’s a lot going on in summer. So if you’re traveling through Basilicata and want a few days at the beach, this is the place.
Our tip for where to stay in Maratea: Hotel Murmann. Every room has a balcony with sea views, and they serve a wonderfully generous breakfast!
Extra tip: If you prefer something more intimate and want to stay in a truly typical southern Italian house, check out the Dimore Santojanni. The little house is decorated with a whole lot of attention to detail.
Lies auch:
Craco
Basilicata has several ghost villages, but the most famous is Craco. The sight of it alone is worth the drive: the abandoned village sits on a steep hill and looks genuinely eerie.
Craco was abandoned about 50 years ago because the buildings were at risk of collapse due to erosion. What remains are empty homes, churches, and a medieval tower with great views of the surrounding landscape.
Craco has also served as a film set for various movies, including Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.”
You can only enter the village as part of a guided tour in English. Tours run once per hour from April through September. Buy tickets on-site or online:
Parco dei Calanchi
In the southwest of Basilicata, near Montalbano Jonico, lies the nature reserve Parco dei Calanchi.
It’s a natural landscape full of ravines and gullies, similar to the national parks on the West Coast of the USA. You can find many marine fossils in the park, since all of this was once the ocean floor.
The Calanchi are crisscrossed with hiking trails. We especially recommend visiting just before sunset, when the shadows and colors of the earth make for truly extraordinary photos.
Acerenza
Acerenza is a fortified village perched on top of a mountain at over 2,600 feet above sea level. You can spot it from many corners of Basilicata because it sits so dramatically high in the landscape.
Even though Acerenza is just a village, it has a full-blown cathedral. Once you’ve parked and walked into the historic district, you find yourself in a world of narrow alleyways accessible only on foot.
We actually almost got lost during our visit — thankfully, Acerenza isn’t that big.
From here, you get a jaw-dropping vista across all of Basilicata — precisely because it sits so high up.
Cancellara
Cancellara, with its medieval old quarter, is reminiscent of the villages of Tuscany — just without the tourists!
The small village even has its own castle, which crowns the old town. Unfortunately, it’s not accessible — another highlight that the regional authorities haven’t made proper use of.
But that’s no big deal, because Cancellara has a truly lovely historic center full of little alleyways and staircases that constantly wind up and down.
Many of the little houses stand empty, yet they still look well-kept. That’s because the residents of Cancellara care for their village with real love. Even the abandoned houses have flower pots on the window boxes that are regularly watered.
Our tip: Even though Cancellara feels very sleepy, there’s actually a really stylish restaurant here: Streat Umori e Sapori. Highly recommended!
RB Ride
In Pollino National Park — one of the largest national parks in Europe — at an elevation of over 3,300 feet, there’s something truly bizarre: a carousel. A real carousel, just like the ones you’d find at a fairground.
It was installed here by German artist Carsten Höller, who has also exhibited at the Tate Modern in London and at the Biennale in Venice.
You can ride the RB Ride — as the art installation is called — in summer. And you really should, because that’s the only way to understand the point of it: this carousel is also the slowest carousel in the world.
It makes one full rotation in 15 minutes, designed to let you slowly and fully absorb the landscape of the national park. A radical counterpoint to the speed of your typical fairground ride.
Castle of Melfi
Scotland? Nope, Basilicata! The Norman castle of Melfi looks like a fortress in the Scottish Highlands. It stands on a hill above the town of Melfi, which held major strategic importance in the Middle Ages.
The castle is famous both for its impressive appearance and for the fact that Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II ruled from here in the 13th century.
Even though that was a long time ago, Frederick II still plays an important role in southern Italy — many magnificent buildings, including some in Sicily, are owed to him. Every child in southern Italy knows who Federico Secondo was.
The Castle of Melfi houses a museum displaying archaeological finds from across Basilicata.
But Melfi is worth a visit beyond the castle, too. There are several museums, a rock-cut church, and some really excellent wine — Melfi sits in the heart of the Vulture wine-growing region.
Extra Tip: A Day at Santojanni Winery
Federica and Antonio, a young and incredibly passionate couple, have lovingly breathed new life into this old winery near Forenza.
They quit their office jobs in Rome to return to their roots in Basilicata and nurse the then-neglected vines back to health.
Today they produce their own wine and regularly organize events, such as picnics among the vines or lunches at the farm.
In September you can even take part in the grape harvest!
Event dates are shared on Instagram and Facebook. You can also reach them in English through their website — for example, to reserve a wine tasting.
Contact page for Tenute Santojanni
More Sights You Should See in Basilicata
- Irsina: A sleepy village with incredible views. While we were passing through, someone tried to sell us an old house for 5,000 euros.
- Muro Lucano: A 2,000-year-old village perched on a rock above a 2,000-foot-deep gorge.
- Temple of Metaponto: An archaeological site with Greek temples by the sea. The Greeks settled Basilicata in antiquity.
- Venosa: A medieval town in the heart of the Aglianico wine-growing area. You can taste it in the wine cellars here.
- Tibetan Suspension Bridge of Castelsaraceno: The longest Tibetan suspension bridge in the world, stretching over half a kilometer.
Where to Stay in Basilicata
Apart from Matera, there aren’t that many hotels in Basilicata. But among the few that exist, some are genuinely lovely.
We’ve done the research, asked around, and stayed in Basilicata ourselves — here are the places we’d recommend:
Villa Lancellotti in the countryside: Our top pick for families. An agriturismo in the countryside with family rooms, a large garden, pool, and tennis court. Ideally located, and the owner Angela is an absolute gem!
Hotel Dolomiti in Castelmezzano: rooms decorated in a Scandinavian style, super stylish, with its own restaurant and spa. Excellent value for money!
Palazzotto Residence & Winery in Matera: our favorite hotel in Matera. Here you sleep in an actual cave.
Beaches in Basilicata
Basilicata has two small stretches of coastline: on the Ionian Sea in the south and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west.
The most beautiful beach resort in Basilicata is Maratea on the Tyrrhenian Sea, with its mountains tumbling into the sea and crystal-clear water. That said, Maratea is also a genuine jet-set resort, which means accommodation prices are fairly high by Basilicata standards.
The beaches on the Ionian Sea are less spectacular but more affordable. The shoreline here is flat and gentle, making it well-suited for families. Popular spots on the Ionian Sea include Metaponto and Policoro.
Our tip: If you want to add a beach stay to your Basilicata trip, we’d actually point you toward the beaches of Apulia, such as Polignano a Mare or Monopoli. They’re simply stunning and rank among the most beautiful beaches in Italy.
Food and Drink in Basilicata
The cuisine of Basilicata is rooted in simple peasant cooking: regional ingredients, lots of vegetables, legumes, meat, and dairy products.
Here’s what you should try when visiting Basilicata:
Peperoni Cruschi: Sun-dried peppers, briefly fried in olive oil and served as a snack with aperitivo — or tossed with pasta.
Mozzarella: We had the most delicious mozzarella of our lives in Basilicata! It’s made from the milk of local cows and simply can’t be compared to what you get back home. It’s usually sold in the form of small knots. In every village you’ll find one or more cheese shops (“Caseificio”) selling mozzarella and other cheeses like Caciocavallo.
Tomato sauce: Most people in Basilicata grow their own tomatoes and make enough sauce at the end of summer to last the whole year. A simple plate of penne with tomato sauce here is a genuine flavor experience.
Regional bread: Basilicata’s export star is buckwheat, used to make pasta and bread. The bread from Matera is especially famous — made according to a traditional recipe, soft and slightly yellowish on the inside, with a crusty, dark outer crust. Absolutely worth trying!
Aglianico wine: The signature red wine of Basilicata is Aglianico. The grape grows on volcanic soils and needs plenty of sunshine. It’s one of the most well-known wines in southern Italy.
The Best Time to Visit Basilicata
Basilicata is genuinely beautiful at any time of year. Depending on the season, the wheat fields take on different hues: green in winter, golden yellow in summer, and on an autumn trip — once the wheat has been harvested — you’ll see shades of brown stretching all the way to the horizon.
In winter, the lowlands stay mild, with temperatures between 50 and 68°F.
In the higher villages like Acerenza or Castelmezzano, it can get cold and there may even be snow.
In our opinion, the best time to visit is spring, from May through June. In the lowlands and in Matera it already feels like summer, but without the extreme heat, and in the higher-elevation villages the weather is really pleasant.
Summer and early fall are also lovely. In summer, Matera and the lowlands can be hot, but the higher villages stay comfortable and many events and traditional folk festivals take place.
Getting There
The best way to reach Basilicata is to fly into Bari. The border with Basilicata is just a half-hour drive away by rental car, and from Bari it takes about 50 minutes to reach Matera.
There are also direct flights from several European cities to Salerno, near the Amalfi Coast. From there, it’s less than an hour into Basilicata.
Alternatively, you can fly into Naples. From there it’s about a two-hour drive into Basilicata.
We keep mentioning cars because you absolutely need one here — public transportation is virtually nonexistent.
We always compare rental car deals on Discovercars and have had great experiences at Bari Airport as well.
