Matera

The Basilicata, located at the instep of Italy’s geographic “boot”, is one of the country’s smaller regions, one of its least-densely populated, most mountainous, and most often overlooked. But within its 3,869 square miles (slightly under 10,000 square km) are: a UNESCO World Heritage site (Matera) Italy’s largest national park (Parco Nazionale del Pollino) the …

I’ve left Italy’s Puglia region and entered the Basilicata region, which lies to the northwest. The region is poorly served by trains and buses, likely because of its mountainous terrain, but I want to visit the town of Matera once more before heading north. I spent the better part of this morning trying to find …