Piemonte

Traveling Through Piemonte

Most of what brings travelers to Piemonte sits within two hours of Turin: the vineyards of the Langhe and the Monferrato, the rice plain around Vercelli, the residences built by the House of Savoy and the Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore, with the Alps in view from much of the region on a clear day.

For many travelers the reason to come is food and wine. Truffle season in the Langhe runs through the autumn (the white truffle fair in Alba fills the town on weekends from October into December), and Barolo and Barbaresco are made in villages only a short drive apart.

The ideas below are a handful of moments the region has to offer rather than an itinerary, and any of them can become the starting point for a journey that takes its own shape.

Ideas for Your Time in Piemonte

Gianduiotto in Turin’s Historic Cafés

Under the arcades between Piazza Castello and Piazza San Carlo, Turin has kept its historic cafés. Stop in the afternoon for gianduiotto, the hazelnut chocolate the city is known for, or come back in the early evening, when the same rooms fill up for aperitivo.

Into the Woods with a Trifulau

The dog leads, and the trifulau follows it along the paths of the tartufaia (the patch of woodland where truffles grow), telling stories of truffle hunting that go back to his grandfather’s time. A tasting paired with Langhe wines closes the morning.

Rice from the Vercelli Plain

Around Vercelli the fields are flooded in spring, and for a few weeks the plain reflects the Alps like a mirror. Rice has been grown here for centuries, so a local chef showing you how a traditional rice dish is made, before you sit down to eat it with a glass of wine, belongs naturally to a day in the area.

A Picnic Among the Vines of the Basso Monferrato

After a walk through the vineyards and down into the old cellars, the estate wines come outside with a picnic of local, seasonal products.

Tuma at a Langhe Cheese Farm

On a small organic farm in the Langhe, tuma is made from sheep’s milk and served by the owner himself at a light lunch, with other specialties of the area on the same table.

Venaria Reale

Built in the 1600s as a hunting lodge for the House of Savoy, Venaria Reale lies about ten kilometers north of Turin and is one of the largest royal residences in the world, fully restored and listed by UNESCO.

The Borromean Islands from the Water

Seen from a boat on Lake Maggiore, each of the Borromean Islands has a character of its own: Isola Bella with Palazzo Borromeo and its terraced gardens, Isola Madre with its English-style botanical garden, and Isola dei Pescatori, which is still a fishing village.

Every idea on this page can be shaped around the way you like to travel.

Tell us what caught your attention and we will take it from there.