Nature Reserve Guide
The Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera, a nature reserve in Basilicata, southern Italy, offers a distinctive landscape for outdoor activities. Its terrain is characterized by the Murgia plateau, a calcareous highland carved by deep ravines and fissures, shaped by the erosive action of the Gravina torrent. This unique environment, featuring ancient cave dwellings and rock churches integrated into the rugged topography, provides a compelling setting for several sports like mountain biking, hiking, road cycling, touring cycling, and more.
…128
Routes
4.5
(543)
Average rating
4361
People visited

4.2
(49)
191
hikers
11.6km
03:27
330m
330m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

4.0
(3)
9
hikers
2.45km
00:40
40m
40m
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.5
(72)
624
hikers
4.96km
01:34
200m
230m
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

4.6
(53)
429
hikers
4.30km
01:24
190m
190m
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
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4.0
(2)
31
riders
46.3km
04:04
830m
830m
Hard mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike.

5.0
(3)
31
riders
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.

3.0
(2)
13
riders
40.1km
03:04
590m
590m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.

10
riders
32.5km
03:07
580m
580m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.
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4.0
(2)
59
riders
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

30
riders
120km
06:15
1,950m
1,950m
Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

20
riders
51.9km
02:20
440m
440m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

4.5
(2)
17
riders
50.1km
02:45
780m
770m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.
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4.5
(6)
53
riders
Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(9)
43
riders
15.7km
01:17
280m
280m
Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.3
(4)
31
riders
51.5km
03:26
710m
710m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

18
riders
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
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5.0
(1)
31
runners
Hard run. Good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

5.0
(1)
25
runners
13.4km
01:26
190m
190m
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

25
runners
11.0km
01:11
130m
130m
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

21
runners
4.20km
00:30
120m
120m
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
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6
riders
57.0km
04:04
1,010m
1,010m
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

7
riders
45.6km
03:05
710m
700m
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(1)
3
riders
30.6km
02:11
410m
410m
Moderate gravel ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

9
riders
85.8km
05:36
1,120m
1,120m
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.
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The Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera offers a variety of outdoor activities, including mountain biking, hiking, road cycling, touring cycling, jogging, and gravel biking. The park features 94 routes with an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars from more than 1,600 visitors. Explore specific options in the Attractions around Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera guide.
Popular hiking trails include the 1.3-mile (2.1 km) "View of Matera from the caves" loop, rated 4.6 stars, and the 4.5-mile (7.3 km) "Matera Cave Landscape" loop, rated 4.2 stars. Another option is the 3.0-mile (4.9 km) "Matera Cave Landscape" loop, rated 4.7 stars. More routes are available in the Hiking around Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera guide.
Yes, the park offers mountain biking trails ranging from moderate to difficult. A popular moderate route is the 23.2-mile (37.3 km) "Rock Church of Santa Rita – Gravina Stream of Matera loop," rated 5 stars. For a more challenging ride, consider the 36.9-mile (59.4 km) "Gravina Stream of Matera – The Thinking Olive Tree loop." Find more options in the MTB Trails around Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera guide.
Road cyclists can explore routes like the 38.5-mile (61.9 km) "The Sassi of Matera" loop, rated 5 stars, or the 31.6-mile (50.9 km) "Matera Cathedral – Bridge Over the Gravina Stream loop," rated 4 stars. A longer, difficult option is the 73.7-mile (118.7 km) "View of Matera – Historic Center of Grottole loop." Discover more routes in the Road Cycling Routes around Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera guide.
Yes, the park offers easy routes suitable for beginners or families. An easy hiking option is the 1.3-mile (2.1 km) "View of Matera from the caves" loop. For touring cyclists, the 4.0-mile (6.4 km) "Bike loop from Rioni Sassi" is rated easy. Consult the Easy hikes around Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera guide for more options.
The park's landscape features the Murgia plateau, deep ravines, and numerous caves. Key highlights include the Belvedere Murgia Timone, offering panoramic views of Matera's Sassi, and the Gravina River, which can be crossed via a suspension bridge. The park also contains over 150 ancient rock churches, many with medieval frescoes.
The official website for the Parco della Murgia Materana is parcomurgiamaterana.it. For direct inquiries, the Centro Visite Jazzo Gattini can be reached at +39 0835 332262.
The Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera is a popular destination on komoot, with more than 1,600 visitors having explored its routes. The park's 94 routes across various sports have an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, indicating high user satisfaction.
Mountain bike trails in the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera feature varied terrain. Riders can expect dirt paths, rocky sections, and gravel roads. The landscape is characterized by the Murgia plateau, with its calcareous highlands and deep ravines.
Yes, komoot offers several guides for the park, including Hiking around Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera, MTB Trails around Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera, and Cycling around Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera. Other guides cover road cycling, running, gravel biking, and attractions like caves and gorges.
Routes in the park cater to various skill levels, from easy to difficult. For example, the "View of Matera from the caves" hiking loop is easy, while the "Matera - Parco Nazionale delle Murge" mountain bike route is difficult. Difficulty ratings are provided for each route on komoot.

