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The Sassi look different from a saddle. An hour on horseback in Parco Regionale della Murgia Materana takes you off the city streets and onto quiet tracks of pale rock and dry grassland, with Matera's cave quarter sitting in the distance like a theatre set. The pace is unhurried. First-timers are as welcome as anyone who simply wants a gentle hour in the hills. A local guide who knows these tracks chooses a line that matches the group, and numbers stay small, so you are not lost in a string of riders.
You meet at a small riding association in Contrada Pedale Della Palomba, where the Murgia already feels close. After a short briefing you are matched to a horse and head out with a guide onto panoramic paths above Matera. When the group and the trail allow, the classic beginner loop pauses near the rupestrian church of Madonna delle Vergini, a cave-cut chapel that belongs to this landscape rather than to a museum corridor.
The ride stays at a calm walk unless you and the guide agree otherwise. Later slots often catch warm light on the Sassi, though the exact viewpoint depends on the day. You return to the yard to untack, still dusty from the park, after about an hour on the clock. You get a genuine outdoor ride, not a paddock circuit: cave churches, dry grassland and that sudden view of the Sassi.
Murgia Materana Park wraps around Matera in pale rock, ravines and cave churches. From the saddle you see a different angle on the Sassi than you get from the city streets: open grassland, stone outcrops and long views into the gravina. It is the same UNESCO landscape, just quieter.
The meeting point is a working yard in Contrada Pedale Della Palomba, not a city-centre stable. That keeps you in the park from the first minute, with the old town as a backdrop rather than a start line in traffic.
No previous riding is required. You should be happy to sit on a horse for around an hour and follow simple instructions in English or Italian. Minimum age is 14.
Tell the team about injuries, pregnancy or a strong fear of animals before you arrive.
A local guide who works these Murgia tracks matches you to a horse and a line you can actually ride, rather than a one-pace string of animals. Groups stay between one and four, so instructions carry and the park stays quiet.
You leave the yard for real open country: pale rock, dry grassland and that sudden view of the Sassi. It is an hour in the hills, not a paddock circuit dressed up as a tour.
Arrive at the San Nicola riding association in Contrada Pedale Della Palomba. You meet your guide, are introduced to your horse and run through the basics of sitting, stopping and steering. Tack is fitted here so you leave the yard ready, not learning on the trail.
Ride out onto quiet tracks through Parco Regionale della Murgia Materana. The going is open grassland and pale rock, with the Sassi appearing as you gain a little height. The guide keeps the group at a walk and chooses a line that suits first-timers.
When conditions allow, the beginner loop pauses near the rocky church of Madonna delle Vergini, a rupestrian site set in the park. It is a short stop for photos and a sense of the cave-church landscape that rings Matera, not a long cultural visit.
Loop back to the yard, untack and finish the hour on the ground. Later departures sometimes catch sunset colour on the Sassi from the trail, but the return follows the hour you came for rather than waiting for the light.
Meet at Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica San Nicola, Contrada Pedale Della Palomba, 75100 Matera. The yard sits in the Murgia countryside outside the old town, so do not navigate only to the Sassi.
Drive time from central Matera is short but the last section is rural. Aim to arrive 15 minutes early. Parking is at the stables. There is no pickup from hotels on this product.
No. The hour is paced for first-timers. Your guide covers how to sit, stop and steer before you leave the yard, and the group stays together on quiet tracks.
You do not need previous lessons. If you are nervous around horses, say so when you arrive so the team can pair you with a calmer animal.
The minimum age on this outing is 14. Anyone under 18 should ride with a responsible adult in the group.
Younger children are not part of this one-hour ride, so do not assume a child under 14 can join.
Groups are small, typically between one and four riders. That keeps the pace relaxed and makes it easier to hear instructions on the trail.
If you are a pair or a solo rider you still go out as a guided ride rather than an unaccompanied hack.
Wear long trousers to avoid rubbing on the saddle, and closed shoes. A light layer is useful even in warm weather because you are in open country.
Bring sun cream, a hat that will stay on, and water. Leave dangling jewellery and loose scarves at the yard if you can.
About one hour, including time to meet your horse and cover the basics. The route heads onto panoramic tracks in Murgia Materana Park, with a pause near the rocky church of Madonna delle Vergini when conditions allow.
Exact paths change with the season, the light and the group's confidence. Later departures sometimes catch warm colour on the Sassi, but that is a gift of the hour, not a promise.
Meet at Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica San Nicola, Contrada Pedale Della Palomba, 75100 Matera. This is a rural yard on the Murgia, not in the Sassi streets themselves.
Allow extra time for the last stretch of road. Transport to the meeting point is not included.
Rides run in open countryside and depend on suitable weather. Light cloud is usually fine. Thunderstorms, very high winds or a waterlogged trail may mean a postpone or a shorter loop.
The team will be in touch if the forecast is unsafe. Do not assume every grey day is called off.
Yes. A local guide accompanies the beginner itinerary. You are not sent out on your own.
They choose the line according to the group's ability and keep the pace at a walk unless you have agreed something different on the day.
The ride is built as a calm walk through the park. You are not asked to trot or canter unless you and the guide agree otherwise on the day.
If you already ride, mention it when you arrive. The team can still match you to a suitable horse for this gentle park loop.
The horse, tack and guide are included for the hour. You do not need your own kit.
Wear long trousers and closed shoes. A small heel helps if you have those boots. Helmets, if the yard offers them on the day, are fitted at the start. We do not invent a helmet rule that the product does not state.
About the centre
Matera
Operated by Martulli Viaggi Tours & Excursions, a partner of adventuro.
