Everyone discovered Matera. Great. But the rest of Basilicata — Italy's second least populated region — remains gloriously empty. Crumbling hilltop villages, dramatic rock formations called the Dolomiti Lucane, a tiny Tyrrhenian coastline around Maratea that rivals Amalfi without the chaos, and a silence you can't find anywhere else in Western Europe.
Plan my trip →Two medieval villages clinging to the Dolomiti Lucane rock towers, connected by a zipline (Volo dell'Angelo) that shoots you across the valley at 120 km/h, 400 meters above the ground. It costs €40 for a single flight, €70 for the round trip. Is it worth it? If you have even the slightest taste for adventure, absolutely yes. It's the most adrenaline-per-euro experience in Italy.
But even without the zipline, these villages are worth the drive. Castelmezzano at sunset, with the rocks glowing orange above the medieval houses, is one of the most dramatic sights in Southern Italy. Stay overnight at Al Becco della Civetta (from €70/night) — simple rooms, but the terrace view is worth ten times the price.
Maratea has one Christ statue (the Redentore, 22m tall — third largest in the world after Rio and Lisbon), 44 churches, and a coastline with coves that look like they were Photoshopped. The difference from Amalfi? A beachfront lunch costs €15-20, not €45. There are no tour buses. The locals look genuinely happy to see you, not exhausted by tourism.
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