Basilicata · Southern Italy

Basilicata

Italy’s best-kept secret

Known in ancient times as Lucania, Basilicata is one of Italy’s smallest and least-visited regions, yet an extraordinary one. Wedged between Puglia to the east and Campania to the west, it occupies the instep of Italy’s boot: a largely mountainous and hilly land where over 92% of the territory is covered by hills and peaks, with only two short stretches of coastline, one on the Ionian Sea and one on the Tyrrhenian.

Its relative isolation has historically made Basilicata one of Italy’s poorest regions. Yet, the same isolation also helped preserve its uniqueness: an ancient rupestrian culture, unaltered landscapes, agropastoral food traditions, and genuine hospitality. Carlo Levi wrote about it with haunting clarity in its world renown Christ Stopped at Eboli (1945) after being exiled by the Fascist regime to the village of Aliano, in the province of Matera.

Slow travel has been around Basilicata for a long time, long before it was given its current definition.

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Places to discover in Basilicata

Matera & the Murgia Materana

The most ancient continuously inhabited city in Europe, with its two Sassi districts, Caveoso and Barisano, carved into limestone, and the extraordinary rock churches of the surrounding Murgia plateau. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and European Capital of Culture in 2019.

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Parco Nazionale del Pollino

Italy’s largest national park: wild ridges, ancient Bosnian pines (Pinus leucodermis), wolves and golden eagles. Trails for all levels, from gentle valley walks to serious mountain crossings. The Pollino is Southern Italy’s great outdoor reserve.

Castelmezzano & Pietrapertosa

Two villages of the Lucanian Dolomites, vertically built into the rock faces of the Apennines. Home to the Volo dell’Angelo zipwire between the two peaks, they are among the most beautiful villages in Italy.

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Vulture & Venosa

Venosa is a Roman town, birthplace of the poet Horace, with Norman ruins and an extraordinary archaeological museum. An extinct volcano rises above the landscape, its twin crater lakes and Aglianico del Vulture DOCG vineyards nestled in the slopes.

Craco & the Calanchi

Craco is one of Italy’s most evocative ghost towns, abandoned after a landslide and frozen in time since 1963. Surrounded by the pale clay gullies of the Calanchi, a lunar landscape that has appeared in international film productions.

Maratea & the Ionian Coast

Basilicata’s Tyrrhenian jewel: a coastal village between mountains and sea, with one of the most beautiful drives in Southern Italy and a statue of Christ the Redeemer watching from the summit. The Ionian coast offers the white sands of Metaponto and the Greek ruins of ancient Metapontum.

Travel with locals

Slow Italy Tours in Basilicata

We have been operating tours in Basilicata since 2002. Our programmes combine cycling, walking, cultural visits and food and wine experiences in a region where authentic encounters are still the norm, not the exception.

Check the experiences pages

Cycling Basilicata Coast to Coast
Trekking in the Pollino
Matera cultural tours
Aglianico del Vulture wine tours
Truffle hunting in the mountains
Cripta del Peccato Originale
Pane di Matera & food experiences

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Your journey starts here

A true connoisseur’s experience for food lovers: sample fine local wines, cheeses, liqueurs, baked goods, and the famous crispy peppers.

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<br>Not sure where to start? Get in touch, and we’ll help you build the right Basilicata itinerary for your pace, your group, and your time.

Do you want to combine a trip across the Puglia and Basilicata regions? We’ve got you covered with a network of suppliers and local knowledge spanning the whole area.

Check out our Puglia destination page for inspiration.