How to visit Matera with kids: based on our own experience, we share the best things to do in Matera as a family, family friendly accommodation and restaurants we loved and practical tips to tackle matter with little ones. Updated October 2023.
Matera is one of the most unique and beautiful places our family has ever visited.
Famous for its peculiar rock dwellings and troglodyte houses (‘i sassi di Matera‘) still nowadays in use, it is a place with a distinct otherworldly feel and a peculiar history.
We visited Matera with our kids during a 4 day road trip to Puglia, Matera and Paestum and we found it so special, unique, exciting and different, we all consider this trip one of the best we ever had!
The whole family adored it!
The peculiar landscape and the uniqueness of its dwellings captured the imagination of our children as much as that of us adults and the lack of cars made is especially enjoyable for a stress free family trip.
Despite this sweeping declaration of love for Matera as a place to visit with family, however, there are some practical considerations that are helpful to plan your trip.
Based on our very own experience of Matera with our children, this is our practical guide for visiting Matera with kids.
Photos, opinion and experiences on this post are my own and are based on our family trip to this area.
This post contains affiliate links. Should you make a purchase through them, we might make a small commission.
Table of Contents
Why visit Matera with kids (all ages)
I recommend you visit Matera with the kids if you want to:
- Experience one of the most ancient cities in the world
- Immerse yourself in a landscape that is unique in Italy (and is stunning!)
- Learn about the incredible story of a city that went from ‘shame of the country’ to European capital of cultue
- You have kids who love to explore and wander car free streets, search local cats, hidden passages and secret corners
Why not to visit Matera with toddlers
There is no reason to skip Matera because you have small kids.
However a couple of things must be taken into account if you are planning Matera with a toddler.
- The sassi part of Matera is not stroller friendly. If stroller accessibility is important to you, you may want to delay a trip to when the kids can walk on their own
- Matera is not a place with attractions for toddlers as such.
It is a cool place to explore with them but it doesn’t have indoor play areas, and even playgrounds are not Matera’s strong point!
If you have toddlers, this is a place for them to tot around picking leaves and searching for cats while parents help them negotiating steps and hills.
I think of it as a place for adventurous toddlers and parents who are happy with unscheduled fun. If this type of location is not for you, coming with older kids will probably be better!
Where to stay in Matera with kids
During out stay in Matera we stayed in an apartment attached to the lovely B&B Casa del Sole, in Sasso Caveoso.
The apartment has all the comforts we may have asked for, including a good kitchen, and came with a generous breakfast offered in the main hotel area, which was a lovely way to start the day.
The location is Sasso Caveoso was scenic and perfect for exploring.
Good to know: this area is not stroller friendly. Our kids were older so we didn’t have issues; if you have a little one however, make sure you fold the stroller to come here or opt for accommodation outside of the sassi (the top part of Matera if flat and accessible).
You can find here >>> photos and prices for Casa del Sole
How many days to visit Matera with kids?
We stayed two nights in Matera and we found this was a great amount of time to stay here with kids.
While we could have easily stayed here an extra day, we felt that 2 days in Matera were sufficient to see the most important things in the city and to give us and the kids a sense of this unique town, yet short enough so that the kids didn’t start fretting for something different.
What is special about Matera
Matera is a small town in Basilicata, in the South of Italy, with a very special appearance and history.
Rather than ‘built’ as such, the city has been excavated our of rocks! Let me explain.
The area of Matera is characterized by two rocky natural amphitheaters facing each other, called ‘i sassi‘.
These are made of a type cream-colored stone that is easily carved and ancient inhabitants made the most of this characteristic to excavate caves that they could use as shelter
Over the course of millennia, unlike other locations that evolved so to speak into different types of housing solutions, Matera stayed quite isolated and therefore the dwellings stayed in use from the Paleolithic until now.
Matera: from ‘shame of Italy’ to Capital of Culture
Matera is now regarded as a wonderful city and tourist destination but this wasn’t always the case.
Almost unbelievably, until 1945 the sassi were a place of heartbreaking misery: they had no running water, no facilities, no electricity and would operate as a shelter for often very large families.
Around that time, author Carlo Levi published a now famous memoir called ‘Christ stopped at Eboli’ about the area and it caused such an uproar that the Italian Government ended up ‘discovering Matera’ and its living conditions.
The result was first a label that branded Matera as ‘the shame of Italy’ and then action.
In the 1950s, they started a massive regeneration project that, over time, turned Matera into a shiny jewel that now mixes peculiar history, incredible landscapes and unbelievably high number of wine bars and tourist facilities!
Matera is now proud to be both Unesco World Heritage Site and European Capital of Culture 2019
The Best things to so in Matera with kids
The main thing to see in Matera are i sassi but, within them, there are several specific places and attractions you should seek out.
Admire Santa Maria de Idris (rupestrian church)
Probably the most impressive of all sites in Matera is the church of Santa Maria de Idris, which is entirely excavated in Matera’s rock.
The church is perched on the top of a rocky formation and you can easily see it from the Sasso Caveoso, just in front.
It is the most peculiar sight: from the distance, the first impression is that of just a mountain peak with a cross ton op but as you get closer, you can see that it is a proper church, with a door and steps to enter.
Inside, you have beautiful ancient frescoes worth seeing (sadly, no photos allowed inside).
The church is one of several rupestrian churches in the area and the easiest to access: others can only be reached via long hikes and require special permits and well as the aid of expert guides.
The church already existed in the XIV century and is a must-see in Matera: if you visit nothing else, this is the one thing to seek out!
What the kids loved: the church only takes minutes to visit and feels very adventurous as you climb up a rocky hill and it feels very much like you are entering a cave! It’s as exciting as a church visit gets, for children!
Explore Sasso Caveoso and the case-grotte
The Sasso Caveoso is the one of the two amphitheaters with the original rock dwellings, called case-grotte (houses-caves).
You can see the entrance of all of these houses taking a stroll around the Sasso Caveoso but some are open to the public and operate as museums.
We visited two and they are indeed worth seeing.
The first entered was on Vico Solitario and while really interesting, it was so packed with people you could hardly connect with the place at all
The second one we saw, smaller, was on Via dei Fiorentini and truly gave us a sense of what life there must have been like.
This was our kids’ favorite: due to the size and type of display, it was the easiest to visit and appreciate and it is also just in front of the miniature sassi (see below), which also was a fantastic attraction to see with the children.
I recommend you make a call about which one of the many to visit depending on the crowds on the day
Take in the incredible church of San Pietro e Paolo al Caveoso
Matera has several wonderful churches and one that truly struck a chord with us for its incredible position is San Pietro e Paolo in the Sasso Caveoso.
The church dates back to the XIII century and opens up onto a large piazza overlooking a deep ravine.
The inside is interesting but it is the outside that steals the show.
Take your time to take a stroll behind it: you will quickly find yourself fat Santa Maria de Idris, just around the corner.
What the kids loved: the walk around it and catching the view from the top, which makes you feel very high up!
Visit Sasso Barisano at dusk
The Sasso Barisano faces part of the Caveoso but it is very different.
Rather than cave dwellings, here you have traditional houses and even palazzi excavated from the rock and the result is beautiful.
Come in the late afternoon to explore its alleys and churches: the sunset over the Caveoso from here is magical!
What the kids loved: Sasso Barisano has many small streets that are fun for kids to explore. Since we came here as the sun was setting and the lights were coming on, it also felt like a nativity Christmas scene!
Visit Matera’s Piano and Civita disctricts
As well as the Sassi, you should take some time to visit the ‘plain’ of Matera, the part of the city that sits at the top of the Sassi and with a more standard layout.
This area is beautiful and has many churches, some worth seeing.
The cathedral of Matera (XIII century), the Church of San Francesco d’Assisi (XIII century) and the Church of San Giovanni Battista, a wonderful example of Apulian Romanichal architecture, are just some of the most noticeable ones.
This is the most toddler friendly area of town as it is flat and stroller accessible. This is also an area with shops and restaurants, so if you need anything essentials, you’ll find them here!
See Matera’s museums (kid-friendly)
For a small town, Matera packs a punch in terms of museums.
Some worth seeing are the National Archaeological Museum and the interesting Casa Noah (Website in Italian only).
This last one now hosts an exhibition showing the history of Matera, maybe the best place of all to learn about the unique fate of this peculiar town.
While not specifically for kids, the museums are easy to enjoy also for children of primary school age and up as they are interesting and not overwhelming.
Admire Sassi in Miniatura (the Miniature Sassi)
In Via dei Fiorentini, we came across a museum/shop with a beautiful miniature of the Sassi.
This is a wonderful, easy place to visit that gives a great understanding of the geography and topography of Matera: the skills of its makers are also impressive!
This was one of our kids’ favorite places!
Where to eat in Matera with kids
We found food in Matera of exceptional high quality. Places we enjoyed are:
Bistro Bollicine, where we had one of the best meals ever! This place is delicious, has an upscale feel yet it is family friendly (my kids has a fantastic plate of friend chicken they devoured)
Fermento wine Bar and restaurant: both a wine bar and a family frienldy restaurant in Matera city center
Vigna del Mare: a family friendly restaurant with stunning views of Matera.
As well as these, we found many aperitivo places where we could easily stop for a quick rest and get anything from crisps, to platters, sandwiches and more.
How to visit Matera with kids: getting there
Matera is in a rather isolated part of the South of Italy, in the Basilicata region.
The easiest way to reach Matera with kids is by private car.
The roads in this area are good and well kept and the city is equipped with several parking options that make it easy to leave the car and explore i sassi on foot (the historical area of Matera is not accessible to traffic).
We parked in the free parking area in front of the school but noticed covered parking lots immediately outside the sassi as well, all well indicated.
Rome is about 5 h away by motorway, Naples about 3hours and Bari and Brindisi between 2 and 2.5 hours.
Car rentals are available in all these cities: we usually book with Avis or Hertz (Avis, for this trip specifically).
Getting to Matera by public transport is a little less straight forward although the nomination as Capital of culture brought a strengthening of the transport options.
Currently, the best public transport option for getting to Matera is a combination of train and bus (AKA ‘Freccialink): combined tickets allow you to reach Salerno and Bari and then hop on the bus to Matera, all within the same tickets.
You can find the schedule and buy tickets on the Trenitalia website, Italy’s train provider.
How to get around Matera with kids and orientation
Matera can be described as having two parts: a Medieval part, flat and with a standard city layout with beautiful streets and churches and i Sassi.
I sassi, as I mentioned, are excavated on the flanks of two mountains facing each other and are respectively called Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso.
You access the sassi area from Matera main street and you get around on foot.
I sassi are accessible via beautiful roads, some open to limited traffic. To fully explore the sassi, you need to venture up streets with steps and uneven terrain which, for people with no mobility issues, is part of the fun.
If this is not possible, there are some fun tuk-tuk tours that showcase all the best part of Matera accessible on wheels.
How to visit Matera: need to know
- Matera is very hard on people with any mobility issues. The roads and often steep, the ground uneven and often slippery (it is made of very polished stone).
- Proper walking shoes such as sneakers are a must.
- For the same reason, I advise against bringing a stroller to Matera: if visiting with very young kids, you won’t be able to use a stroller at all in the sassi: bring a carrier instead.
- Don’t underestimate how cold Matera gets in winter. Wrap up very well if visiting between late November and March as in normal years, the mountainous landscape makes it really chilly!
I hope you enjoyed this post it helped to answer questions about how to visit Matera Italy with kids. Safe travels!
