Basilicata Italy travel guide

Basic information

The region Basilicata is located between the heel and the toes-point of south italy. Basilicata has a surface area of 9992 km² and approximately 603 000 inhabitants. The region is divided into 2 provinces, the capital city Potenza and Matera.

Geographically, this region offers montain landscapes, hills and some valleys and also a small coastal area in the western and southeastern part of south italy. Also the then applied artificial lakes like Lago di San Giuliano, Lago di Monte Cotugno or the lake Lago Pietra del Pertusillo has developed to real natural paradise. Included to the natural lakes are the Monticcio lake on the Mount Vulture which arose by an extinct vulcano.

Sightseeing

In Basilicata is located the well known and famous province Matera also called "Citta dei Sassi" (City of Stones) which got protected 1994 by UNESCO World Heritage. This is a special type of building how the former residents at the Byzantine period built their homes into the rocks termed as tuff caves.

It is difficult to see how these buldings were constructed, if they're directly worked into the rock or even build. A truly distinctive type of building design which rightly got protected by the UNESCO World Heritage.