Sunset & Stars – Sunset Trekking in the Murgia

There's a moment of the day when Matera becomes something impossible to describe. The sun sets behind the city, the Sassi bathe in golden light, and the Murgia transforms into a natural viewpoint suspended in time. This trek is built precisely around that moment. The route crosses the Murgia Timone and the Murgecchia, two of the most evocative plateaus in the Murgia Materana Regional Park, winding along the edge of the ravine through one of the most fascinating and least frequented trails in the area. You'll walk among jazzi—the ancient stone enclosures used by shepherds—and avucchiare, cavities carved into the rock to collect rainwater. You'll encounter rock churches hidden in the ravine wall, silent testimony to a civilization that lived within the rock for centuries. And before you, the entire way, are the Sassi of Matera: a continuous, frontal view that changes color with the light. When the sun touches the horizon behind the city, the landscape transforms. The Sassi glow with orange and ochre, shadows lengthen along the alleys, and for a few minutes everything stops. Then darkness comes—and with it, the starry sky of the Murgia, far from artificial lights, as clear as few places in the world can offer. The route is suitable for everyone, with no hiking experience required. Easy, scenic, unforgettable. Difficulty: Easy Distance: 4 km Elevation gain: 80 m