Piedmont
5
Day Itinerary •
Italy
Five days in Piedmont reveals the full extraordinary range of Italy's most rewarding food and wine region. From Turin's world-class museums and the finest aperitivo culture in Italy, through the UNESCO vineyard landscape of the Langhe, to the white truffle capital of Alba, the extraordinary mountain valleys of Cuneo and the dramatic Sacra di San Michele monastery on its Alpine spur. This route covers the complete hidden Piedmont. Two days exploring Turin's overlooked depth, the Langhe wine hills at their finest, the truffle and tower cities of Alba and Asti, the extraordinary Cuneo valleys with their French-influenced architecture and the Sacra di San Michele, one of the most dramatic monastic sites in Europe.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to November
Getting There
Fly into Turin (TRN) or Milan then drive 1 hour
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 90 to 150 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
TURIN DAY ONE
MORNING
THE MUSEO EGIZIO, THE FINEST EGYPTIAN COLLECTION OUTSIDE CAIRO
The largest and most important collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts outside Egypt. Extraordinary papyri, intact tomb complexes and thousands of objects. Entry approx 15 euros and visited by a fraction of those who queue at the Vatican Museums. Drive: 15 min walk to Quadrilatero
MIDDAY
THE QUADRILATERO ROMANO AND PORTA PALAZZO MARKET
Turin's Roman grid neighbourhood with Europe's largest open-air market filling the Piazza della Repubblica from dawn to 2pm. The layers of Turin's history are visible in every street: Roman columns in medieval walls, Baroque facades above medieval arches. Drive: 15 min walk to Piazza San Carlo
AFTERNOON
PIAZZA SAN CARLO AND THE APERITIVO TRADITION
The finest Baroque square in northern Italy, entirely arcaded and lined with extraordinary cafes. From 6pm the aperitivo tradition fills every bar with free food alongside drinks. The Caffe Al Bicerin serves Turin's iconic layered hot drink of espresso, chocolate and cream.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Piazza San Carlo aperitivo from 6pm is the finest in Italy. Every bar serves extraordinary free food with drinks. The tradition is as generous as anything in Spain. Work the entire square over two hours and eat magnificently for the price of three drinks.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe Torino, Piazza San Carlo Most beautiful cafe in Turin. Order a Bicerin. | Lunch: Mercato di Porta Palazzo Eat at market stalls. Local vegetables, cheese and Langhe wines for almost nothing. | Dinner: Ristorante Del Cambio, Turin Most historic restaurant in Turin, open since 1757. Extraordinary Piemontese cuisine.
DAY 2
TURIN DAY TWO
MORNING
THE PALAZZO REALE AND THE SAVOY ROYAL PALACES
The Palazzo Reale was the home of the House of Savoy for 300 years and contains extraordinary state apartments, the Savoy Armoury (one of the finest in Europe) and the Royal Gardens. The adjacent Palazzo Madama is a Roman city gate converted to medieval castle converted to Baroque palace, now housing the Museo Civico d'Arte Antica. Entry to both approx 14 euros combined. Drive: 30 min drive to Venaria
MIDDAY
LA VENARIA REALE, THE VERSAILLES OF PIEDMONT
The Reggia di Venaria Reale is the Savoy royal hunting palace outside Turin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary scale and beauty. The Diana Gallery is the finest Baroque ceremonial hall in northern Italy. The restored gardens are extraordinary. Entry approx 15 euros and visited by far fewer people than Versailles despite being of comparable scale. Drive: 30 min drive to Superga
AFTERNOON
BASILICA DI SUPERGA AND THE TRAGIC HILLSIDE
The Basilica di Superga stands on a hilltop above Turin with extraordinary views over the city and the Alps. The royal crypt beneath contains the tombs of the Kings of Sardinia. Behind the basilica is the site of the 1949 air crash that killed the entire Grande Torino football team, considered the greatest club side ever assembled in Italian football. A moving memorial marks the crash site. The view of Turin against the Alps from the terrace is extraordinary.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Shroud of Turin is kept in a specially designed reliquary in the Cathedral of Turin. It is not normally on display but is exhibited periodically. Check the dates at the Archdiocese of Turin website. The chapel itself, designed by Guarino Guarini in 1694, is one of the most extraordinary Baroque interiors in Italy.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe in Turin centre Second morning of Turin. Explore the neighbourhood near the royal palaces. | Lunch: Trattoria near Venaria Local agriturismo near the royal palace. Piemontese home cooking and local Barbera wine. | Dinner: Ristorante Consorzio, Turin Outstanding modern Piemontese restaurant. Creative interpretations of classic dishes.
DAY 3
LANGHE WINE HILLS
MORNING
THE LANGHE, UNESCO WINE LANDSCAPE
The roll of vineyard-covered hills around Alba is UNESCO World Heritage listed. Drive from Alba through La Morra, Barolo and Castiglione Falletto in morning light for the finest landscape in Italy. Drive: 20 min drive to Barolo
MIDDAY
BAROLO, THE VILLAGE AND THE WIMU
The WiMu wine museum in the Castello Falletti is one of the most extraordinary wine museums in Italy. Entry approx 12 euros. Several small producers in the village offer tastings directly. Drive: 30 min drive to Barbaresco
AFTERNOON
BARBARESCO AND THE PRODUTTORI COOPERATIVE
Barolo's great rival from the same Nebbiolo grape. The Produttori del Barbaresco cooperative, 50 small growers pooling their grapes, is one of the finest wine producers in Italy. Tastings by appointment.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Castello di Grinzane Cavour above the Langhe belonged to Count Cavour, architect of Italian unification. The annual white truffle auction is held here in November. Entry to the castle approx 7 euros.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in La Morra Coffee in the highest village with extraordinary views over the Langhe. | Lunch: Ristorante Bovio, La Morra Outstanding Piemontese restaurant. Tajarin pasta with butter and sage and Barolo. | Dinner: Osteria dell'Arco, Alba Most beloved trattoria in Alba. Tajarin with white truffle in season. Book ahead.
DAY 4
ALBA AND ASTI
MORNING
ALBA, THE WHITE TRUFFLE CAPITAL
The Tuber magnatum Pico, found in the hazelnut and oak forests October to December, is the world's most prized food ingredient. A single large truffle can sell for 50,000 euros. Walk the Corso Vittorio Emanuele and find truffle shops selling the fresh funghi direct. Drive: 45 min drive to Asti
MIDDAY
ASTI, THE HIDDEN BAROQUE CITY OF TOWERS
14 medieval towers survive of the original 120. The Duomo di Asti is one of the finest late Gothic cathedrals in northern Italy. The city produces Asti Spumante, far more sophisticated than its international reputation suggests. Drive: 30 min drive to Monferrato
AFTERNOON
MONFERRATO, THE SECOND UNESCO WINE LANDSCAPE
The Monferrato hills are a second UNESCO wine landscape, equally beautiful to the Langhe but far less visited. The hilltop villages of Moncalvo, Nizza Monferrato and Canelli are extraordinary. The Barbera d'Asti wine from these hills is one of the finest value wines in Italy.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
Nutella and Ferrero Rocher were both invented in Alba using the extraordinary Langhe hazelnut. The Tonda Gentile delle Langhe is the finest hazelnut in the world. Buy jars of local gianduja (chocolate and hazelnut paste) directly from Alba producers for a fraction of what Nutella costs.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe Calissano, Alba Most beloved cafe in Alba. Coffee and the finest hazelnut pastries. | Lunch: Ristorante Lalibera, Alba Outstanding modern Piemontese. White truffle dishes in season, tajarin and Barolo. | Dinner: Trattoria del Peso, Canelli Outstanding trattoria in the Monferrato. Local agnolotti, bagna cauda and Barbera d'Asti.
DAY 5
CUNEO AND SACRA DI SAN MICHELE
MORNING
CUNEO, THE ALPINE CITY OF ARCADES
Cuneo is one of the most extraordinary and overlooked cities in Piedmont. Built on a promontory between two rivers below the Maritime Alps, the city has an extraordinary arcaded main street, the Via Roma, running for over a kilometre under continuous colonnades. The Friday market is the largest in Piedmont. The surrounding Cuneo valleys lead directly into the French Alps, and the architecture, cuisine and culture have a distinctly Franco-Italian character. Drive: 30 min drive to Cuneo valleys
MIDDAY
THE CUNEO VALLEYS AND THE OCCITAN CULTURE
The Cuneo valleys (Valle Stura, Valle Gesso, Valle Maira) run south from Cuneo directly into the Maritime Alps. The mountain villages retain an extraordinary Occitan cultural identity, with their own language, music and traditions brought by medieval Provencal settlers. The Valle Maira is the most beautiful and least visited, with extraordinary stone villages perched on Alpine ridges. Drive: 1.5 hours drive to Sacra
AFTERNOON
SACRA DI SAN MICHELE, THE MONASTERY ON THE SPUR
The Sacra di San Michele is one of the most dramatic monastic sites in Europe. A Benedictine abbey built directly on a rocky spur of Monte Pirchiriano at 962 metres, visible from the entire Po valley below. The extraordinary Zodiac Door, carved in 1135 with signs of the zodiac and monsters, is the finest Romanesque portal in Piedmont. Umberto Eco used the abbey as the model for the monastery in The Name of the Rose. Entry approx 8 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Abbazia di Staffarda near Saluzzo is one of the finest Cistercian monasteries in northern Italy, founded in 1135 and remarkably intact. The Romanesque cloister and church are extraordinary. Entry approx 4 euros and almost entirely unvisited by international tourists despite being one of the most beautiful medieval buildings in Piedmont.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Cuneo under the arcades Coffee under the extraordinary kilometre-long colonnade. The finest arcaded street in Piedmont. | Lunch: Ristorante Bove's, Cuneo Most celebrated traditional restaurant in Cuneo. Local agnolotti, braised veal and Nebbiolo wine. | Dinner: Return to Turin for final dinner One last Piemontese feast: bagna cauda, tajarin with truffle, and a glass of Barolo Riserva.
Where To Stay
Turin, Nights 1 and 2 Hotel Principi di Piemonte, finest historic hotel in Turin. Approx 150 to 250 euros per night. Langhe, Nights 3 and 4 Agriturismo in the UNESCO wine hills near Alba. Approx 100 to 180 euros per night. Cuneo area, Night 5 Agriturismo in the Cuneo valleys or near the Sacra. Approx 70 to 120 euros per night.
Top Tips
1. Turin aperitivo from 6pm: every bar serves extraordinary free food with drinks. Best in Quadrilatero.
2. Bicerin is Turin's own hot drink: layered espresso, chocolate and cream. Order it at Caffe Al Bicerin.
3. White truffle season is October to December. Book restaurants in Alba months ahead during this period.
4. Barolo requires at least 3 years ageing. Buy current releases directly from small Langhe producers.
5. The Langhe vineyard road from La Morra to Castiglione is best driven at sunrise or sunset.
6. Piemontese cuisine: always order tajarin (thin egg pasta), agnolotti del plin and bagna cauda.
Total Budget
85 to 140 euros/day