tdk320n

I am planning my trip to Matera and am having difficuly in finding a lodging that is not on a very steep incline. Hard to tell from reviews how much of a climb there is. I would like to stay in a cave if possible but will consider a b&b or hotel not in the SASSI.
I would pay up to $250 for a room.
I will not have a car so parking is not important.
I have made temporary reservations at both Corte San Pietro and Palazzo Gattini , both seem absolutely fabulous but concerned about walking I think that I read that Palazzo Gattini might be on a steep hill.
I am a senior woman, active and in good health but sometimes use a cane just for extra security.
Any suggestion will be much appreciated .

sandralist

Corte San Pietro is right down in the sassi, so you don't want that. Palazzo Gattini is higher up and can probably be accessed by taxi and straight foot path, but it is located on the side of the ravine that is most distant from any restaurants and shops.

If you want to stay closer to where everyone really lives, where it is full of restaurants, strolls, fountains and life, some hotels to consider are Residenza del Suoni or Albergo Italia, They are not cave hotels but they have views over the sassi. I have never stayed in them so you would need to look up reviews.

For what it is worth, I did not find the sassi as steep or as difficult to navigate as I expected them to be. However, I don't use a cane and I wouldn't want to mislead you, because there is plenty of stair climbing and the surfaces of the sassi underfoot are often in very bad repair. It is also very poorly lit at night (bring a small flashlight). My biggest concern about the sassi is how hot it would get in the warm months. I would not want to be doing a lot of high noon sightseeing. There is no shade.

tdk320n

sandralist
many thanks for your reply.

Any other thoughts from anyone? I would love to stay in a cave, are there any at the top of the sassi so the walking would not be difficult. Or any other hotels that would have views of the sassi.

sandralist

I also hope someone else chimes in (and you might think of asking on the Slow Travel website or the TripAdvisor message forum for Matera if you haven't already).

But I wanted to ask: How many nights are you staying in Matera? If it is 2 or less, then I suggest spending them in one of the cave hotels at the very bottom of the ravine near the Piazza San Pietro Barisano. The Residence San Giorgio is there and so is the Fra I Sassi Residence. I also think there is one name Hotel Matera there, but make sure the address is piazza San Pietro Barisnano because there may be another hotel with that name).

You would have to take taxis to get places rather than climb but one of the very best restaurants in all of Matera is right in that piazza. So you could eat there for dinner one or 2 nights and have the entire atmosphere of the sassi and the cave housing. But in the morning you could take a taxi up to other levels, and have lunch up there, and take a taxi back down. Go up again for the evening passeggiata. For the extra costs of the taxi rides, I think it would be really worth it to do what you really want to do.

If you are staying more than 3 nights, then consider dividing your hotel stay so that you spend at least one or 2 nights right in the sassi. Remember that the residents of the sassi had to relocate too -- and I am not making fun of it when I say that having an experience of both the modern town and the ancient sassi might help understand the situation of the town.

sandralist

I forgot to tell you the name of the excellent restaurant in Piazza San Pietro Barisano. It is Le Botteghe. If you ate there 2 nights in a row you wouldn't be bored. Just be aware not to order too much. In that part of Italy, they serve you a lot of food on every plate.

tdk320n

Sandralist
Thanks for your help and suggestions. I will be in Matera 3 noghts and not sure if I want to split the nights in different hotels.
Am cbecking the places you suggested as possiblilities.