Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SITA
( 0835 38 50 07;
www.sitabus.it
)
Goes to Taranto (€5.50, two hours, six daily) and Meta-
ponto (€2.90, one hour, up to five daily) and many small towns in the province. Buy tick-
ets from newspaper kiosks on Piazza Matteotti.
TRAIN
Ferrovie Appulo-Lucane
(FAL; 0835 33 28 61;
http://ferrovieappulolucane.it
)
runs regular trains (€4.50,
1½ hours, 12 daily) and buses (€4.50, 1½ hours, six daily) to Bari. For Potenza, take a
FAL bus to Ferrandina and connect with a Trenitalia train, or head to Altamura to link up
with FAL's Bari-Potenza run.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Potenza
POP 68,600 / ELEV 819M
Basilicata's regional capital, Potenza, has been ravaged by earthquakes (the last in 1980)
and as the highest town in the land, it broils in summer and shivers in winter. You may
find yourself passing through as it's a major transport hub.
The centre straddles east to west across a high ridge. To the south lie the main Trenitalia
and Ferrovie Appulo-Lucane train stations, connected to the centre by buses 1 and 10.
Potenza's few sights are in the old centre, at the top of the hill. To get there, take the el-
evators from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II. The ecclesiastical highlight is the
cathedral
, erec-
ted in the 12th century and rebuilt in the 18th. The elegant Via Pretoria, flanked by a
boutique or two, makes a pleasant traffic-free stroll, especially during the
passeggiata
.
In central Potenza,
Al Convento
( 097 12 55 91;
www.alconventopotenza.com
; Largo San Michele Arcan-
gelo 21; s/d €40/60; )
is a great accommodation choice housing a mix of polished an-
tiques and design classics.
Grassani
( 0835 72 14 43)
has buses to Matera (€5.50, 1½ hours, four daily).
SITA
( 0971
50 68 11;
www.sitabus.it
)
has daily buses to Melfi, Venosa and Maratea. Buses leave from Via
Appia 185 and also stop near the Scalo Inferiore Trenitalia train station.
Liscio
( 097 15 46
73;
www.autolineeliscio.it
)
buses serve various cities including Rome (€24, 4½ hours, three
daily).
There are regular train services from Potenza to Foggia (from €6, 2¼ hours), Salerno
(from €6, two hours) and Taranto (from €8.50, two hours). For Bari (from €14, three to
