Matera, and a Stay in a Cave Hotel

Just before we cross the border of Basilicata into Puglia, we will stay in a cave hotel in the Sassi town of Matera, a World Heritage site known for its cave dwellings carved into the rocks that the town sits upon. People have been living in caves here since paleolithic times, and in the 1950s much of the population was relocated because of the poor living conditions, but nowadays many have been converted to B&Bs and chic hotels.