Would you like to visit Matera with children? Good idea! Here’s what to see, from the Cave House to the treasures of the Murgia park.
Matera is probably not the first destination that comes to mind if you’re planning a vacation with kids: the apparently challenging walking up and down through the Sassi can make parents anxious. Yet, this incredible city really does have so much to offer even the youngest children, who are sure to be fascinated by its sights and its thousand-year history.
So, why not organize a pleasant family outing to the European Capital of Culture 2019? Here are the five sights you must visit in Matera with children!
© Maurizio Montanaro via Flickr
A family vacation in Matera: leave from the Casa Grotta
The idea that so many years ago, men could live in houses carved into the rock is extremely suggestive for children: in the Sasso Caveoso, in Vico Solitario, you can show them the Casa Grotta, a house still furnished with authentic furniture, objects and tools of the time, including the bed with a mattress of corn leaves.
What is there to see in Matera with children? The Sassi in miniature!
Also very interesting, especially for young children, are the Sassi in miniature, a perfect scale reproduction, carved in tufa, depicting how daily life was like in the ancient settlement. The result of more than 3 years of work by local artist Eustachio Rizzi, the Miniature Sassi are located in the heart of Sasso Barisano.
Visit Matera with children: the souvenirs of Sasso Caveoso
How can you return from a vacation with the kids without a souvenir? And so, your tour of the city must necessarily include some delightful shopping to discover Matera’s typical .handicrafts: we particularly recommend the Sasso Caveoso quarter, whose narrow streets feature the highest concentration of craft stores and markets. The little ones will surely ask you to bring home a cuckoo, a typical whistle in the shape of a cockerel!
© Il Bottegaccio
Matera with kids: what to eat
Yes – walking gives you an appetite! The gastronomy and cuisine of Matera, made with authentic and flavorsome ingredients, is sure to satisfy the palates of adults and children alike.
You can enjoy fresh pasta dishes, tasty cheeses, and cured meats, but above all, the typical Matera bread, a local excellence prepared from durum wheat, which remains crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. And did you know that the Sassi of Matera are full of ice cream shops everywhere?
© Ristorante Il Terrazzino
Explore the surroundings of Matera, the beaches too!
Matera is the ideal starting point for exploring the surrounding area. To the east of the Sassi district, you find the Murgia Park, perfect for excursions to discover the enchanting nature, some archaeological sites dating back to the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, and several rock-hewn churches set in the rocks. On the other hand, if the children feel like swimming in the sea, choose the beautiful beaches nearby, above all, the Lido di Metaponto!
To Matera with Italo
Your family trip gets off to the best start if you choose Italo, which allows you to reach Matera with the convenient Itabus train + bus combination. All you need to do is arrive by high-speed train at Naples Afragola station and then take advantage of one of the daily connections to Matera: forget the stress of car queues and parking searches, relax while looking at the view from the window or entertain your children with the best travel games!
