Excursion to the Gravina di Matera and the Bat Cave

A panoramic excursion in rocky habitats, flanking the Gravina di Matera and its stream which extends for 20 km, from the foot of the city of Matera, made famous for its Sassi and declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. We will follow the stream along the ridge of one side of the ravine, enjoying the landscapes of the Murgia Materana Regional Park. First by exploring the rock church of San Nicola all'Ofra, a farmhouse with its rooms dug into the cliff that communicate with each other: tunnels, stairways, cisterns, churches, developing on 3 levels of height. And then the karst Bat Cave, among the oldest evidence of human life in this area, a series of corridors, a breeding site for flying mammals, a place that hides the treasure of King Barbarossa between history and legend and where thanks research carried out in recent centuries revealed Paleolithic tools and fossils of extinct animals, such as the cave bear.

1. 1

   Stop 1

   1 hour

   This ravine of karst origin and carved over time by its torrent extends for almost 20 kilometres, from the foot of the city of Matera, made famous for its Sassi (houses dug into the calcarenite and used for millennia by the locals) and declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. The ravine rich in caves, once strategically inhabited by the local population, flows southwards and touches the town of Montescaglioso, then flows into the Bradano river and finally flows into the Ionian Sea. We will go up the path of the stream along the ridge of one side of the ravine, enjoying the landscapes of the Murgia Materana Regional Park.

2. 2

   Stop 2

   1 hour

   The journey continues and reaches the rock church of San Nicola all'Ofra, a farmhouse with its rooms dug into the cliff that communicate with each other: tunnels, stairways, cisterns, churches, frescoes, developing on 3 levels of height. The cluster of caves overlooks the ravine of Matera and the stream that crosses it. A very suggestive place, in a breathtaking landscape, where the steep rocky walls also represent the typical habitat for the rare black stork, a wonderful bird at risk of extinction, which for some years has sensationally returned to nesting in the Lucanian territory.

3. 3

   Stop 3

   1 hour

   A complex of karst caves composed of large entrances and long, narrow tunnels, an important breeding site for fascinating flying mammals. In this place where research had already previously been carried out to find the legendary treasure of King Barbarossa, in the 19th century the local archaeologist Domenico Ridola found Paleolithic tools, ceramics, tombs with skeletons and fossils of extinct animals: such as the ancient ox and the 'cave bear. Today exhibited in the Domenico Ridola National Archaeological Museum of Matera:

• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.