While most foreigners visit the north of Italy, the real gems can be found in the south.
Most tourists know Italy very superficially and besides Venice, Rome and Milan can not remember much at once. Travel journalist Caitlin Rosati has traveled all over Italy and knows the country very well. In an article for Business Insider she named her favorite region, where she returns with pleasure.
“While I have great memories of the incredible cuisine of Emilia-Romagna and the salty healing air of Sardinia, my heart was stolen by Basilicata, a region I have visited six times since 2021 and which I consider the best-preserved secret of the country,” she writes.
The Basilicata region is located in southern Italy, between Puglia and Calabria. Caitlin immediately thinks of the picturesque hills and the incredible local cuisine. Every time someone asks her which part of Italy to visit, she always mentions Basilicata.
This region is not only beautiful, but also relatively sparsely populated. There are fewer than 550,000 people living here, and there are not many tourists.
Basilicata has access to the sea on two sides: the Ionian Sea in the south and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west. At the same time, beach vacations here are quite budget-friendly, and the beaches are first-class, and the water is clean and sparkling.
The region is also home to the Pollino National Park, the largest in Italy. It is full of scenic hiking trails in the mountains, lined with Loricato pines.
For those who appreciate antiquity, Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, dating back almost 10,000 years. It is famous for its network of rock-cut cave houses, known as the Sassi di Matera.
Gourmets won’t be disappointed either. In addition to the ubiquitous pizza and pasta, you can try peperoncini crucci, which are crispy, sweet peppers that come in various forms. For cheese lovers, caciocavallo is a drop-shaped cheese that is typically made from sheep’s milk. It can be served in various ways, from fried discs to simply melting in a pan.
