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Parco della Murgia Materana

The wild plateau across from Matera’s Sassi, with 150-plus rock churches and the classic belvedere.

  • Matera
  • Park
Plan your visit
Where
Matera
Best for
Rock churches
Allow
3 hours
Tickets
From €10
Checked September 2026

Across the Gravina ravine from Matera’s Sassi, the Murgia Materana park protects the wild plateau where the city’s story began. Established in 1990, it shelters more than 150 rock churches carved into the limestone, along with pastoral caves, farmhouses and the Neolithic village of Murgia Timone.

Monks and shepherds used these caves from the early Middle Ages, and some of the churches still hold frescoes. The reason to come is the view from the belvedere, where the Sassi appear across the canyon exactly as the city’s old postcards show them. The path from the Jazzo Gattini visitor center to the church of San Falcione is easy and flat, and a shuttle runs to the viewpoint.

Sources and citations (3)
  1. Ente Parco della Murgia MateranaScoprire il ParcoOfficial park identity and landscape overviewRead source
  2. Ente Parco della Murgia MateranaLe Chiese RupestriOpening inventory and historical interpretationRead source
  3. UNESCO World Heritage CentreThe Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of MateraProperty scope and integrityRead source

Four things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The belvedere over the SassiAcross the Gravina

    From here the Sassi appear across the canyon exactly as in the classic postcards.Plateau edge, reached by shuttle from the visitor center

  2. The church of San FalcioneRock church with frescoes

    One of the park's rock churches, where some original frescoes remain in the cave walls.Reached from Jazzo Gattini by an easy, flat path

  3. The Neolithic village of Murgia TimoneNeolithic trenched settlement

    Trenched villages on the plateau, among the oldest signs of settlement here, sit in the heart of the park.Plateau of Murgia Timone

  4. The Gravina canyon and the suspension bridgeDeep limestone ravine

    A path drops into the ravine and crosses it by a suspension footbridge, linking the two sides of the canyon.Between the Sassi and Murgia Timone

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
From €10
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
3 hours
Best time
Early morning or late afternoon, when the light is warm and the heat is lower
Getting there
The park lies on the eastern side of the Gravina, opposite the Sassi. The visitor center is at Jazzo Gattini, reached by car or taxi from Matera, and the ticket includes a shuttle to the belvedere. Wear proper shoes and bring water; there is little shade.
Accessibility
The main trail is rated easy; contact the park about access for reduced mobility.

The access ticket covers the Murgia Timone trail network, the rock church of San Falcione, the visitor center and the shuttle to the viewpoint. Visitors with disabilities and their companions are exempt. Other churches in the park are visited on guided tours. Last updated September 2026. Prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Go at sunrise or an hour before sunset to see the Sassi from the belvedere without a crowd. Join a guided tour if you want to enter the painted churches, as many are locked.

Official website
Get directionsGoogle MapsApple Maps

Good to know

How long should you spend at the Murgia Materana Park?

Plan about three hours for the belvedere, a walk to San Falcione and time to look across at the Sassi. Go earlier or later in the day, because there is little shade.

Is the Murgia Materana Park worth visiting?

Yes. It is where you see the Sassi as a whole from across the canyon, and it adds rock churches and a wild plateau to the city's story. Bring water and proper shoes.

Is the Murgia Materana Park good for kids?

Mostly yes. The path to San Falcione is easy and flat, and a shuttle runs to the viewpoint, but there is little shade and few services, so plan around sun and water.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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