Matera

Italy

It doesn’t matter what is going on in my life. As soon as I hit the road, all of my worries and stresses seem to fade away. With my mind clear of worries, I’m better able to focus on changing surroundings and the stunning beauty around me.

Matera is a place that I simply had to visit. This remarkable city, the third oldest continually inhabited in the world is perhaps one of the most fascinating I have ever visited. Carved into the rock, Matera is composed of a network of caves inhabited since the Paleolithic era. Today, it is a place to marvel at the architecture and gain a sense of all that is wonderful about southern Italy.

The ancient sections of the city are composed of two Sassi – Sassi Barisano and Sassi Caveoso – and by far the best way to discover both is on foot. A walk around Matera is great for body shape too, I don’t know when I went up and down so many stairs in one day. I spent a whole day roaming labyrinth-like alleyways and pretty little courtyards bursting with bright green cacti. Climbed up old stone staircases for spectacular views multiple times and discovered a world that doesn’t look out of this time. Houses tumble down the hillside, stacked on top of one another, perched on the edge of a ravine.

Many of the previously abandoned caves have been converted into stunning boutique hotels, and I don’t need special reason to splurge. It was really nice to wake up in a place like this and have breakfast on the terrace with a unique view.

I hope you like this little photo diary I put together to share my time adventuring through Matera. Let me know if you have visited Italy and how did you like it. If anyone has any feedback I’d be so appreciative to receive your comments and questions below. 

♥︎ Unta