Day 1: Water, Civita, and Sasso Barisano

Morning: Your journey begins in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the "floor" of the modern city that hides surprises underground. Visit Palombaro Lungo, a huge underground water cistern known as the "Water Cathedral," navigable via suspended walkways. From here, look out over the "Luigi Guerricchio" viewpoint for your first breathtaking view of the Sassi. Then descend and explore Sasso Barisano, the most renovated and elegant part, admiring the decorated portals and facades built into the rock.
Lunch: Stop at a trattoria carved into the rock for a typical Lucanian appetizer: try Peperoni Cruschi (dried and fried sweet peppers, incredibly crunchy), pezzente sausage, and local cheeses like caciocavallo podolico.
Afternoon: Climb up to the Civita, the highest and most fortified part of the old city, to visit the majestic Cathedral of the Madonna della Bruna in Apulian Romanesque style. Stroll along Via Duomo and enjoy the sunset from Piazza Duomo: from here, the view opens onto the Sasso Barisano on one side and the rugged Sasso Caveoso on the other, as the city begins to light up like a living nativity scene.