Considered one of the oldest cities in the world - right after Aleppo and Jericho - and home to not one, but two UNESCO World Heritage Sites — the Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches, both recognized in 1993 — Matera is a place that feels like it belongs more to the realm of dreams than reality. It’s where the mind drifts off, breaking fr...

There is a new idea of tourism that is gaining popularity, related to the pursuit of wellbeing. This pursuit is not only about the tourist experience but also about everyday life. From this perspective, the small towns of Basilicata guarantee a high standard of wellbeing linked to a good quality of life and slower rhythms compared to life in big ci...

An underrated city in Europe is not only among the best places to visit, it is also one of the oldest in the world. The beautiful city of Matera in Italy is a hidden gem that offers several historical gems that can be explored without too many tourists. Situated in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, this destination continually amazes visitor...

Known for its wonderful "sassi", ancient rock settlements carved into the rock, Matera has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and gained notoriety as the European Capital of Culture in 2019. Matera has experienced immense fortune, in fact, in recent years, not only for its "stones": the city offers unique experiences of its kind. Looking...

When Carlo Levi penned his acclaimed Italian novel, Christ Stopped at Eboli, he could surely never have conceived that the impoverished town once labelled as “the shame of Italy” would one day become a subject of pride for Italians. Indeed, should Christ ever visit this near biblical part of Italy, he would be well-advised to bypass Eboli and ventu...

For Cristiana De Filippis, work is a passion, and Maria Colombo casually reconciles her theoretical analyses of fluid behavior with her private life in which she has just become a mother for the fourth time: they are the two Italian winners of the most important European prize for mathematics, awarded by the European Mathematical Society, a veritab...

2024 has been designated as the year of Roots Tourism in Italy, a concept that seeks to bridge the gap between Italians abroad and their ancestral lands. Unlike traditional tourists, roots tourists are motivated by a desire to connect with their origins, immerse themselves in the local culture, and possibly even reclaim or purchase ancestral homes,...

A beautiful Italian town carved from a mountainside is so stunning to look at it's been immortalised as a backdrop for more than 20 films. The good looks of Matera, in the less well known Basilicata region of Italy, are thanks to its unusual limestone architecture and a natural gorge that surrounds the settlement. Now home to 60,000 people, Matera...

La Dolce Vita Orient Express announced that it will soon be ready for guests to book tickets for what could arguably be called the most luxurious train journey in the world. In a press release shared with Travel + Leisure, the train operator shared it will open its virtual ticket window in April, with the train's specific run dates coming later thi...

I’ve often wondered what’s so special about walking for days in any weather when you can quickly zip from one place to the other by car or public transportation. So I gave it a try. While there’s no shortage of exciting paths to explore in Italy, I decided to walk the Via Peuceta, a relatively new trail that winds through Apulia and Basilicata. Thi...