65km from Bari, but a different region and a different century. The Sassi cave dwellings, carved into limestone gorges, feel like a Biblical landscape.
Direct Bari → Matera. Drops you at Piazza Matteotti — 5 min walk from the Sassi viewpoint.
Single-track through the countryside. Slower but cheap and reliable.
Bus — 1 hour, direct, frequent. Stay overnight in a cave hotel — the Sassi at dawn are otherworldly.