Great Places
Other Great Places
BASILICATA - MATERA
Matera is a town and a province in the region of Basilicata The town sits in a small canyon. The the course of time, the canyon has erodedto create a stunning setting for this fascinating town.
Matera is known for the "Sassi di Matera", the stones of Matera. The Sassi originate from a prehistoric (troglodyte) settlement, which could have gbeen some of the first human settlements in Italy. These are houses that are dug into the rock cliffs of the valley.
Locanda di San Martino
www.locandasanmartino.it
(2009) What a pleasure to stay at this little hotel in the unique town of Matera!!
It duly deserves the envied “red” designation from Michelin’s travel guidebook and the number one rating from Trip Adviser.
The Locanda is built out from the deconsecrated church of San Martino and the street of the same name, through a series of balconies that provide views of the Sasso Marisano. There are twenty-eight rooms on four different levels.
Each room is individually decorated with each being in its own cave. We had Room # 10. The photo to the right shows a bed that is built into the walls of the cave.
I thought I would die after making two trips up the long outdoor stairway just to find as we were leaving that the elevator in the lobby took you up to a level right near the room. This was an oversight by us and not the very helpful staff.
Our room had a beautiful little terrace with wrought iron table and chairs overlooking the old town. What a spectacular view…absolutely stunning!! There was also a large terrace on a another level with furniture that could be enjoyed by other guests.
One particular thing about staying in the caves as they tend to be humid which can be difficult in hot weather. This also applies to the room where they serve a very nice breakfast. The rooms are air-conditioned so this alleviates most of the problem.
There is no parking for non-locals in the old town. You can stop with your car in front of the hotel to unload your luggage and fortunately, they have valet private parking at a reasonable rate.
The hotel is extremely good value and if it were located in a town with a lot more tourists you would pay substantially higher rates. The Locanda di San Martino is a little treasure and we highly recommend it . We were delighted with our stay at the hotel and our visit to this very special town.