9Matera, Italy

Known for its “sassi”—ancient cave dwellings carved into the limestone hills—Matera is a place unlike any other.

Once considered one of Italy’s poorest towns, it has transformed into a cultural gem, even named a European Capital of Culture in 2019. Visitors can stay in cave hotels, dine in candlelit grotto restaurants, and walk through centuries of history etched into the stone.

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