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.
…108
Routes
4.4
(376)
Average rating
3131
People visited

4.4
(45)
179
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.

4.7
(153)
1,215
hikers
5.93km
01:57
240m
240m
Moderate hike. Great for any fitness level. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

4.5
(11)
36
hikers
Moderate hike. Great for any fitness level. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
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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.

7
riders
55.1km
04:17
960m
960m
Hard mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.

11
riders
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.
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4.7
(3)
53
riders
58.4km
03:01
960m
960m
Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

4.0
(2)
55
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.
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4.9
(9)
50
riders
Hard bike ride. Great for any fitness level. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route.

4.6
(5)
49
riders
Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.0
(3)
30
riders
51.6km
03:22
710m
710m
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.0
(9)
74
riders
19.1km
01:31
360m
360m
Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
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5.0
(1)
29
runners
Hard run. Good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

5.0
(1)
24
runners
13.4km
01:26
190m
190m
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

13
runners
7.97km
01:04
230m
230m
Hard run. Good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.

5.0
(1)
14
runners
14.8km
01:45
320m
320m
Hard run. Very 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.

6
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.

5.0
(1)
6
riders
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
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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.

