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    • Overview
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    Basilicata

    Italy

    Basilicata

    Region

    Basilicata, nestled between Campania, Apulia, and Calabria, is Italy's second least populated region after the Aosta Valley. It has two short coastlines: on the Tyrrhenian Sea near Maratea and on the Ionian Sea near Metaponto.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
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    5. Italy
    7. Basilicata
    Basilicata, nestled between Campania, Apulia, and Calabria, is Italy's second least populated region after the Aosta Valley. It has two short coastlines: on the Tyrrhenian Sea near Maratea and on the Ionian Sea near Metaponto. Mountains and hills make up most of its area.MateraKnown for the Sassi of Matera, cave districts with rock churches, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.LandscapeThe south features Pollino National Park, bordering Calabria; the center has the Piccole Dolomiti Lucane rocks, with the villages Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa. Craco is an abandoned ghost town.AntiquityOn the Ionian coast, Greeks founded colonies like Metapontion; remains are in Metaponto and Policoro.
    Basilicata has around 520,000 inhabitants, its capital is Potenza. Maratea is located on the Tyrrhenian coastal railway, with trains operated by Trenitalia and Ferrovie Appulo Lucane.
    Maratea

    Place 1 of 2

    Maratea

    Maratea is the only town in Basilicata situated on the Tyrrhenian Sea, on the Gulf of Policastro.

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    Matera

    Place 2 of 2

    Matera

    Matera in Basilicata is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Its old town, the Sassi, comprises cave dwellings, rock churches, and houses carved over centuries into the tufa stone on the edge of a deep gorge.

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    Sights in Basilicata

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Small Lucanian Dolomites
    Park

    Small Lucanian Dolomites

    Jagged rocks in the Regional Park Gallipoli Cognato Piccole Dolomiti Lucane. On their slopes lie the mountain villages of Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa, linked by a zipline, the Volo dell'Angelo, where you glide about 400 meters above the valley.
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    Metaponto
    Attraction

    Metaponto

    Remains of the Greek colony Metapontion, founded around 630 BC on the Ionian coast. Its most famous monument comprises the columns of a Hera temple, the Tavole Palatine, also called the “School of Pythagoras”.
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    Food & Beverages

    The Lucanian cuisine is rustic and simple, featuring durum wheat, legumes, vegetables, and pork.

    Peperoni cruschi

    Dried sweet peppers from Senise, the foundation of numerous local recipes.

    Pane di Matera

    Traditional bread from Matera with a quality seal.

    Lucanica

    Spiced pork sausage, known to the Romans who named it after the region; in Northern Italy, it evolved into Luganega.

    Aglianico del Vulture

    The region's most famous red wine from the area around the extinct volcano Monte Vulture in the north.

    Customs

    The region was called Lucania in antiquity, a name it officially bore again from 1932 to 1947; the adjective 'lucano' remains in use today. Greek colonies, later Byzantines and Normans, left their traces on the coast; Basilian monks created numerous rock churches, especially around Matera.The region's poverty became widely known through Carlo Levi's book 'Christ Stopped at Eboli', detailing his exile in the 1930s. Today, Basilicata is economically stronger than earlier, thanks to Val d'Agri oil extraction, Melfi's auto industry, and Matera tourism.

    Traveling

    Trenitalia and Ferrovie Appulo Lucane operate rail services, offering connections to Puglia, Campania, and Calabria.A rental car is practical for mountain villages, national parks, and the coast.

    Round trips through this region

    Southern Italy Motorhome (2–3 Weeks)

    Southern Italy Motorhome (2–3 Weeks)

    The route leads from Bari via Alberobello and Ostuni into Salento to Lecce and Otranto, then across Apulia to Matera and to the Tyrrhenian Coast to Maratea. The longest leg from Otranto to Matera takes a good three hours. In Matera, park your campervan outside the Sassi.

    16 Days
    7 stops

    Nearby

    Matera

    Matera

    Matera in Basilicata is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Its old town, the Sassi, comprises cave dwellings, rock churches, and houses carved over centuries into the tufa stone on the edge of a deep gorge. In the 1950s, the Sassi were evacuated due to poverty and poor hygiene; since 1993, they have been a UNESCO World Heritage site and are now re-inhabited, with hotels, restaurants, and museums in the caves. In 2019, Matera was a European Capital of Culture. Opposite the city, across the Gravina gorge, lies the Murgia Park, featuring more cave churches and the most famous view of the Sassi. The alleys and stairs are steep; comfortable shoes are necessary.
    Maratea

    Maratea

    Maratea is the only town in Basilicata situated on the Tyrrhenian Sea, on the Gulf of Policastro. The municipality stretches for approximately 32 kilometers along a steep coast and comprises several districts: the old town on the hillside, and along the coast, among others, Acquafredda, Fiumicello, Porto, and Marina.Monte San BiagioAbove the old town, on Monte San Biagio, stands the Christ statue from 1965 next to the pilgrimage church of the town's patron saint. From there, you can overlook the coast and the hinterland.CoastBetween steep rock faces lie sand and pebble beaches and small coves, some of which are only accessible from the sea. Over 130 grottoes are recorded within the municipal area.
    Bari

    Bari

    Bari is the capital of Apulia and has approximately 315,000 inhabitants. In the winding old town, Bari Vecchia, stand the Basilica San Nicola with the relics of Saint Nicholas and the San Sabino Cathedral; on Via dell'Arco Basso, women shape orecchiette pasta outside their doorways.
    Apulien

    Apulien

    Puglia is the heel of Italy's boot and, with approximately 865 kilometers, has the longest coastline of all mainland regions of Italy. Between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas lie the Trulli villages of Valle d'Itria, the Baroque city of Lecce, Romanesque cathedrals by the sea, and vast olive groves.
    Alberobello

    Alberobello

    Alberobello is located in the Valle d'Itria in the Metropolitan City of Bari and is known for its Trulli, houses built of roughly hewn limestone using dry-stone techniques without mortar, with conical roofs made of stone slabs. Since 1996, they have been a UNESCO World Heritage site.The two Trulli districts are Rione Monti and Aia Piccola.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Unsplash, Google Maps. Each photo carries its credit.
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI