First-timers · Matera
Matera Museums for First-Time Visitors
Top experiences in Matera
About Matera
Matera rewards first-timers who look beyond the famous skyline: much of the city's history sits underground, carved into the rock itself. The Matera: Guided Tour of the Ancient Underground City & Cave Houses is the clearest introduction, walking you through cave dwellings and cisterns that explain how the Sassi were lived in for centuries. For a change of setting, the Craco Ghost Town & Amaro Lucano Museum Day Trip from Matera pairs an abandoned hill town with a museum devoted to a local liqueur.
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Frequently asked questions
Matera's heritage is largely carved rather than built, so the most rewarding introductions are guided walks through the ancient underground city and cave houses, where cisterns, dwellings and workshops are explained in context. These experiences suit first-timers because a guide connects what you see in the Sassi to how people actually lived there.
