Top tip: Matera city walk Sassi Tour St George Grotte della Civita Sextantio Le

Need to know

Population: c570,000 (Basilicata) Time zone: GMT+1 (GMT+2 Apr–oct) Currency: Euro (€), currently €1.12 to the UK£ When to go: Snow blankets Pollino NP Dec–apr, when skiing and snowshoe hikes are possible. Matera’s Festa della Madonna Bruna is in July ( see ‘4 Things’).

You need a car to get around, so why not fly to Bari (to the north) and road-trip across Basilicata, winding past crumbling citadels and ending with the pizzerias of Naples.

Day 1‘Italy’s shame’ is now its pride and joy. Locals fill on weekends and saint’s days. Bag a tour: many off-radar sassi require a key.

Archaeologist and guide Nicola Taddonio, who runs (sassitour.it), grew up here. His halfday (€150/£134 for two) delves into hidden alleys, trawling a history thronged with invaders (Greek, Roman, Byzantine). Visit the private sassi to see how such caves were repurposed for each era – first as a church, then for oil production, then later for wine.

The half-day tour (€150/£134 for two) roams the ravine to reveal rock-cut medieval churches and their delicate murals. It also affords fine views of the sassi districts, including the abandoned and still partly off-limits Casalnuovo.

Delve into the cathedral-like Palombaro Lungo (€3/£2.70) cistern below Piazza Vittorio Veneto, and visit Casa Grotta, recreating life in a sassi (€6/£5.30), where dung was burned for heat!

Later, dine on local farm produce (try cruschi peppers) at Agriristories (agriristories.com) then sleep in a ‘4-star cave’ at chic

(see ‘4 Things’).