Matera’s position in Basilicata - on the eastern edge of the Murgia plateau, within reach of Puglia to the east and north - makes it a natural base for exploring the cave cities, trulli districts, and Magna Graecia sites of southern Italy. Most destinations require a car; the bus links to Bari are the exception.
Alberobello (70 km northeast, approximately 1 hour by car)
The largest concentration of trulli in the world - the dry-stone dwellings with conical limestone roofs that exist almost nowhere else. The Rione Monti has over 1,000 trulli climbing a hillside. The Trullo Sovrano (Piazza Sacramento 1 - entry approximately €3 as of 2026) is the only two-storey trullo in Alberobello. See the Bari day-trips entry for detailed coverage.
Getting there from Matera: Car recommended - approximately 70km via Altamura, approximately 1 hour. The drive through the Altamura plain and into the Valle d’Itria is pleasant. Public transport requires a bus to Bari and then FSE train - allow 3–3.5 hours each way.
Altamura (35 km northeast, approximately 35 minutes by car)
Altamura is famous for two things: its cathedral and its bread. The Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta is considered the finest example of Apulian Romanesque architecture in Basilicata - built on the orders of Frederick II in the 1230s, with an extraordinary carved portal. The pane di Altamura DOP (round sourdough loaves made from durum wheat semolina, with a dense crumb and thick crust) is the most famous bread in southern Italy. Buy it from any of the bakeries in the old town (from approximately €3 per loaf as of 2026). The old town’s white stone architecture is well-preserved and relatively uncrowded.
Getting there from Matera: FAL bus from Matera to Altamura - approximately 45 minutes, approximately €3 as of 2026. Or drive - approximately 35km, approximately 35 minutes.
Castel del Monte (70 km northeast, approximately 1 hour by car)
Frederick II’s castle is one of the most mysterious buildings in medieval Europe - an octagonal fortress with octagonal towers, built in the 1240s. See the Bari day-trips entry for full detail. Entry approximately €5 as of 2026.
Getting there from Matera: Car is essentially required - Castel del Monte is on an isolated hilltop. From Matera, approximately 70km via Altamura, approximately 1 hour 10 minutes. Organised day tours from Matera that include Castel del Monte and Alberobello are available (from approximately €45 per person as of 2026).
Metaponto (45 km southeast, approximately 45 minutes by car or train)
The Parco Archeologico di Metaponto is one of the most extensive Magna Graecia sites in southern Italy - a prosperous Greek colonial city from the 7th to 3rd centuries BC. The Tavole Palatine (free access to the exterior; archaeological park entry approximately €5 as of 2026) are 15 columns of a 6th-century BC Doric temple standing in a grain field - one of the most atmospheric ancient sites in the south. The Museo Nazionale di Metaponto in Metaponto town (entry approximately €5) holds the finds from the excavations.
The Metaponto coast (Lido di Metaponto) has long sandy beaches on the Ionian Sea - less developed than the Salento, good for an afternoon on the coast after the archaeology.
Getting there from Matera: Trenitalia regional train from Ferrandina-Scalo (20km from Matera; taxi or bus from the city to the station) to Metaponto - approximately 30 minutes, approximately €3 as of 2026. Or drive directly - approximately 45 minutes.
Taranto (75 km east, approximately 1 hour by car)
The Greek city of Taranto (Taras, founded 706 BC) has the finest collection of Magna Graecia antiquities in the world at the MArTA (Museo Nazionale Archeologico di Taranto, Via Cavour 10 - entry approximately €10 as of 2026). See the Lecce entry for full detail.
Getting there from Matera: Drive approximately 75km east - approximately 1 hour. Buses connect Matera to Taranto (approximately 1.5 hours, approximately €6 as of 2026).
Parco della Murgia Materana (free, immediately north of Matera)
The plateau directly across the Gravina ravine from the Sassi is a national park containing dozens of rock-cut cave churches with medieval frescoes (rupestrian churches), ancient sheepfolds (jazzi), and prehistoric settlements. This is the most easily accessible excursion from Matera - no transport required beyond the short descent into the ravine and the path up the other side.
The Madonna delle Virtù and San Nicola dei Greci cave church complex (across the Gravina - entry approximately €5, guided tours from approximately €12 as of 2026) are the most accessible and impressive. The park office (Piazza Vittorio Veneto 1, inside the Sassi) books guided tours.
Practical notes
- A car is strongly recommended for Matera-based day trips - the public transport connections to Alberobello and Castel del Monte in particular are impractical as day trips. Hire a car in Matera from approximately €30–45/day; book in advance in peak season
- Car hire in Matera from approximately €30–45/day as of 2026; book in advance in peak season (July–August)
- FAL buses to Bari (approximately 1.5 hours) connect with FSE trains to Alberobello and Trenitalia services to Taranto
- The Murgia Materana rock churches require guided tours - book through the park office in Matera’s Sassi district
- Prices listed are approximate as of 2026
Back to the full Matera travel guide for the Sassi overview, cave hotels, and getting there from Rome or Bari. For Matera food - pane di Matera, peperoni cruschi, and slow-cooked lamb - see the Matera food guide. For accommodation in the Sassi, see best hotels in Matera. Bari is the main transport hub for reaching Matera - our Bari travel guide covers the connection. For a broader southern Italy circuit, our southern Italy itinerary maps the route.