Cycle Puglia

Our trip starts in Altamura - a small town located on the Murge plateau, renowned for its cartwheel size bread, Gothic Cathedral and for the nearly intact skeleton of the Altamura Man that was found here dating back 400,000 years. Our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for the welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Bari International Airport - Karol Wojtyla (BRI), which is around 50 minute drive from the Altamura. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, perhaps you might choose to Explore the old town and maybe try the local PDO-protected bread - perfect for a bruschetta!

Before leaving Altamura this morning, we pay a visit to a bakery for a guided visit to learn all about the local art of bread making and to taste their various products. Afterwards we head south into the wide-open countryside on remote roads, crossing grassy meadows and wheat fields as we ride to Matera. Along the way, we will enjoy marvellous panoramas of endless fields and immense blue skies dotted with small white clouds above. The remote back roads lead us to a natural balcony with commanding views before this grand emptiness subsides and literally, the first forms of civilization reappear as we approach Matera. The ancient town of the 'sassi' (stone dwellings) originates from a prehistoric troglodyte settlement, thought to be one of the first human settlements in Italy. Roaming through its maze of narrow allies, up and down the stone stairs you will find yourself transported to a distant past. Many of the houses you encounter are caves, and the streets in some parts of the 'sassi' are often located on the rooftops of other houses. Our total cycling distance today is approximately 30 kilometres and the route is graded as leisurely (total ascent 330 metres and descent 450 metres).

This day is free to spend at your leisure exploring the magnificent sites of Matera. Until the late 1980s, this was considered an area of poverty, since these houses were, and in most areas still are, mostly uninhabitable. Current local administration has become more tourism-orientated and has promoted regeneration with the aid of the European Union, the government, UNESCO and Hollywood with several films made here including Mel Gibson's Last Temptation of Christ. Sit down on the terrace of one of the bars for a cappuccino and soak up this magical atmosphere. Your Tour Leader will organise a guided optional ride in the morning for anyone interested and will dicuss the two options. The shorter one is a loop ride to the Torre Spagnole Belvedere with a view over the Sassi district. The longer alternative ride heads out into the countryside surrounding Matera to the San Giuliano Lake. Our total optional cycling distance today is approximately 30-40 kilometres and these routes are graded as moderate (total 300-600 metres of ascent and descent).