Via Peuceta

The Via Peuceta is typically walked in 7 stages from Bari to Matera. The route starts at the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari and passes through places including Modugno, Bitetto, Cassano delle Murge, Santeramo in Colle, Altamura and the Santuario di Picciano before finishing in Matera.

Via Peuceta is generally considered a medium multi-day hike, with 169.24 km of walking and 2,107 m of total elevation gain. The official Cammino Materano materials describe the route as easy, but the full distance and week-long format still make it a solid undertaking that suits hikers comfortable with consecutive long days.

The Via Peuceta starts in Bari at the Basilica di San Nicola and finishes in Matera. It crosses the historic Peucezia area inland from the Adriatic coast toward the Murge plateau and the ravine landscapes around Gravina in Puglia and Matera.

Most walkers complete the Via Peuceta in about 7 days. That works out to roughly 24 km per day over 169.24 km, although daily mileage varies by stage and by overnight stop choices along the route.

The Via Peuceta has 2,107 m of total ascent over 169.24 km. The climbing is spread across a long point-to-point route rather than concentrated in alpine terrain, with the walk moving from Bari’s coastal plain onto the Murge uplands and onward toward Matera.

Via Peuceta is primarily designed as a walking route on the Cammino Materano. Some sections may be rideable, but the route includes rural tracks and terrain features such as lame and gravine, so it should not be assumed to be a straightforward bike itinerary without checking stage-by-stage conditions first.

Overnight stays on the Via Peuceta are usually arranged in the stage towns and villages along the route, including stops such as Bitetto, Cassano delle Murge, Santeramo in Colle, Altamura and Matera. The Cammino Materano also lists hospitality options for this route, and Casa Ester is noted as a pilgrim accommodation reference point on the Via Peuceta.

Via Peuceta translates most naturally as Peuceta Way or Peucetian Way. The name refers to Peucezia, the historic territory crossed by the route as it runs from Bari to Matera through inland Puglia and into Basilicata.