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Last month, I accomplished my goal of visiting all 20 regions in Italy when I set foot in Molise (which Italians cheekily refer to as "the region that doesn't exist," because it's so small). Although I have great memories of Emilia-Romagna's incredible food and Sardinia's therapeutic salty air, nowhere has quite stolen my heart like Basilicata — a...

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Italy hasn’t stopped moving since the Romans began building their extensive road network, and the country has a penchant for speed and drama — despite its reputation for a slow, savoured approach to life. Whether you choose to board a plucky Vespa or a zippy vaporino, ride a poker-red Ferrari or a sky-scraping cableway, this way of exploring brings...

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As summer approaches, Riviera Travel has released a round-up of hidden gem destinations across Europe that promise history, charm, and breathtaking scenery without the crowds of tourists. From the unique capital cities of the Baltics, to the ancient ruins of Sicily and the dramatic mountains found in the north, Italy is no stranger when it comes to...

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Comprising two provinces, Potenza and Matera, the Basilicata region stretches between Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. Though it’s an often missed region of Southern Italy, its ancestral charm, rugged coastline, and pulsing piazzas will win you over in no time. A blend of outdoor adventures, art, culture and antiquity, the r...

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I’m standing inside a cave where the walls hold black and white photographs of the family who once lived here. In one, the children are lined up in front of a large bed; in another, there’s a donkey in the kitchen. Furniture and domestic props laid carefully around me recreate the home as it once looked, complete with plastic animals to represent h...

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Bari, Tropea, Matera, and Trento in Italy offer a perfect escape from overcrowded tourist hotspots with stunning scenery, rich history, and authentic experiences. Venice has become the world’s first major city to implement a unique visitor fee, aiming to curb overtourism and safeguard its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The €5 (£4.30) charg...

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These days marks the twentieth anniversary of the Associazione Nazionale degli Alberghi Diffusi, which embraces and protects these hotels integrated with the landscape, offering many options for all types of travelers, for all budgets: a truly Italian invention. Farmhouses, refuges, trulli, masserie, and cabins. In the countryside, high altitudes,...

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Italy is full of beautiful cities, but visitors to the southern European country only ever seem to visit its most popular areas, namely Rome, Florence and Pisa.  But, found in the Basilicata region of southern Italy lies Matera - which has been described as one of the most authentic cities to visit. The city is full of unusual places to discover, a...

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Matera, city of the “Sassi” and rupestrian churches, has always been a cradle of traditional craft skills rooted in the distant past. The local inhabitants are accustomed to working in terracotta, tuff, wood and papier-mâché, initially as a pastime and then for trade, resulting in the production of excellent artefacts. The art of papier-mâché, in p...

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Matera is known for its stone-carved architecture and unique cultural heritage, but this isn’t why the town has made the front pages of Italian newspapers in recent times.  After its stint as the European Capital of Culture in 2019, Matera received plenty of national and international attention, especially thanks to its Sassi. Even before that, its...

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