Cammino Materano from Bari to Matera

By train from Bari to Bitetto and on foot to Cassano delle Murge

26km, +318m -100m

After a hearty breakfast, you will say goodbye to Bari to reach Bitetto by train: the first stage of the Cammino along the Via Peuceta starts here.
We are on the slopes of the Murge plateau, and the huge expanses of olive groves all around are a reminder of the excellence of this area: the Termite olive which, harvested in the phase prior to ripening, is ideal for preparing many Apulian dishes thanks to its smooth taste.
The abundance and fertility of the countryside will accompany us to the outskirts of Cassano delle Murge, where the olive trees slowly give way to oak forests, where with a little luck we can spot foxes, weasels and beech martens. In spring you can enjoy the fantastic song of blackbirds accompanying the succession of steps through Mediterranean scrub and archaeological evidence.
Before reaching today's destination, a detour can be made to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria degli Angeli, located on a hilltop and erected following the discovery of the fresco of the 'Madonna of the Angels' on a wall of the natural cave on the Murgia di Cassano.
You will spend the night in the quiet Cassano delle Murge: here the smooth black chickpea is typical, a peasant specialty cultivated as early as the end of the 19th century to compensate for the scarce availability of animal proteins, and today a Slow Food presidium.

Santeramo in Colle > Altamura

23km, +250m -260m

With today's stage, you enter more and more into the millennial history of these lands.
You will pass by Cava Pontrelli, a place discovered 'by chance' with 30,000 dinosaur footprints of no less than 200 different animals dating back 70-80 million years. And from here you can see the Fornello rock site, which preserves the remains of ancient cisterns and underground cavities, resting places for flocks and shepherds passing through in the more recent past.
These are the lands inhabited by the Altamura Man, whose fossil was found at the Lamalunga cave and whose history can now be discovered at the National Archaeological Museum.
You can take a break at the Masseria Scalera, in a rustic and family-run environment, which sells the cheese of its animals.
From the steppe of the Alta Murgia, the last stretch follows an ancient medieval cart road leading to the lively Altamura. Here bread is an ancient art, and today Altamura PDO bread is a Slow Food Presidium. You will smell its fragrance as you discover the cloisters among the narrow streets of the ancient medieval town.
Overnight stay in Altamura.

Gravina > Santuario di Picciano

30/15km, +580/300m -500/230m

Today a demanding stage but full of evocative panoramas.
From the imposing Ponte Acquedotto with a view of the Gravina torrent, you go up and then down to Bosco Difesa Grande, one of the largest in Puglia. Traveling through the woods you will leave Puglia behind and the small hamlet of Borgo Picciano will mark the arrival in Basilicata. At that point begins a long climb to be covered calmly and cautiously especially on the long hairpin bends, surrounded by dense vegetation of eucalyptus, oak and conifers, to arrive in front of the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Picciano.
This place ruled by Benedictine monks was dear to both the Templars and the Knights of Malta, but even before that by the shepherds from Abruzzo who led their flocks here in transhumance. It is an oasis of peace, a center of prayer and inner listening, ideal for recharging the batteries in view of the last stages.
From here you will move with a short private transfer to a welcoming Masseria for dinner and overnight stay, and for five-star hospitality!

→ You can shorten the stage to 15km by requesting us a transfer from the Terra Rossa area, which will be paid on site (approximately 12 € per person).

San Giuliano Oasis > Matera

23km, +500m -232m

An awakening amidst the chirps of the friendly guests of the San Giuliano oasis will give the right amount of serenity and energy to enjoy the last stage of the Cammino Materano on the ancient Via Peuceta.
Leaving the dense vegetation behind you will come across the Crypt of Original Sin, a triumph of frescoes depicting moments from Genesis and the lives of saints.
A final uphill stretch and a splendid view of Matera will open up in front of you, with the bell tower soaring between the green Basilicata and the colors of the stone.
Welcome to the City of Stones! final destination of this journey. Here, among the alleys and houses skilfully carved into the rock, it will seem like entering a Nativity scene as evidence of a past that remains fixed in an eternal photograph.
Overnight stay in Matera