With some of Italy’s best wines, truffles, beef, and chocolate, the northern Italian region of Piedmont offers a plethora of exhilarating tasting experiences. The capital Turin’s palaces and post-industrial warehouses are home to edgy contemporary art and world-class DJs, while friendly Alpine ski resorts and tranquil hiking trails are just an hour away.
Elegant and cultured, rustic, real, and wild: Piedmont pleases on all fronts.
Wander the Vineyard Trails of the Langhe
From a gentle morning ramble around the Nebbiolo-lined hills that circle Barbaresco to a dedicated four-day circuit taking in Alba, Barolo, and villages in between, walking is one of the best ways to experience the sublimely pretty landscapes and taste the sought-after wines of the bucolic Langhe region. Multi-day routes will also take you through hazelnut groves and the wilder, forested Alpine foothills. Accommodation ranges from simple farm stays and village B&Bs to grand palazzos or modern-luxe mini-resorts like Arborina Relais. Route maps are available from the tourist office in Alba, as well as from the Enoteca Regionale (wine co-ops) in each village.
Explore Rivoli’s World-Class Contemporary Art Collection
The soaring, frescoed reception rooms of the Castello di Rivoli form a unique and breathtaking backdrop to a collection of artworks that inspires the envy of curators in Milan, Rome, and Venice. The hilltop Savoy stronghold features exceptional examples of Italy’s own Arte Povera as well as pieces from the edgier 20th-century movements like Transavanguardia, Minimal, Body, and Land Art. Local contemporary artists Maurizio Cattelan and Francesco Vezzoli are prominently displayed, while a more traditional white cube extension houses temporary shows. Rivoli’s latest acquisition is the near-mythical Cerruti collection, with many works showcased in the castle, while others remain at the collector’s nearby villa, including remarkable di Chiricos and notable pieces by 20th-century Italian masters like Boccioni, Balla, and Fontana, along with significant paintings by Renoir, Modigliani, and Kandinsky.
Surrender to Truffle Fever in Alba
Celebrity chefs, giddy gourmets, and high-rolling restaurateurs, along with enthusiastic truffle-loving locals, descend upon the otherwise laid-back town of Alba during October weekends. Officially known as the Fiera Internazionale di Tartufo Bianco d’Alba, visitors come from near and far to seek out the largest and finest musky white truffles at weekly auctions, while the town’s numerous alimentari stock smaller, more affordable truffles, truffle oil, honey, pasta, and sauces. Truffle-laden dishes are prevalent at restaurants, such as the stylish and friendly La Piola, located on the cobbled square beside the Duomo. During truffle season, their famous tajarin pasta is served with a slick of butter, ready for truffles to be shaved fresh to order (priced by weight – it’s up to you to moderate your own truffle enthusiasm).
Meet the Mummies at Turin’s Egyptian Museum
Turin’s Museo Egizio – housing the most significant collection of Egyptian treasures outside Cairo – dates back to 1824 and marks the birth of modern archaeology. Its most recent incarnation, however, offers a dramatic museum experience where contemporary interpretive techniques enhance an incredible number of priceless artifacts. Highlights include a statue of Ramses II, one of the world’s largest papyrus collections (which even includes millennia-old erotica), and funerary and domestic items from the 1400 BC tomb of royal architect Kha and his wife Merit. The gold-leaf and glass representation of Merit’s portrait on her cartonnage sarcophagus is arguably the world’s most beautiful.
Power Across the Powdery Slopes of Via Lattea
Seven resorts share approximately 400 km of runs on the ‘Milky Way’, a gentle Alpine wonderland just over an hour from Turin. While Sauze d’Oulx has long been a destination for après-loving Brits, families from Turin and serious skiers, especially those seeking long distances, often favor Sestriere and Mota. These areas are known for their challenging red and black runs, with heli-skiing and guided off-piste skiing available in the Upper Susa Valley. Snowboarders head to Sestriere too; however, Bardonecchia typically offers better facilities for them. The valley town of Susa, while largely a supply stop for skiers, boasts historical significance and is worth a visit to explore its handsome 1st-century BC gate, not far from the center. You can also venture into France where Montgenèvre’s reliable snow and family-friendly runs are also included in the Via Lattea pass.
Drink in Turin’s Unique After-Dark Mix
It comes as no surprise that the home of vermouth – the herbal fortified liquor invented in Turin in 1786 – also embraces the Italian aperitivo tradition. Origin stories aside, the city’s vibrant pre-dinner scene is diverse and bountiful, from traditional snack buffets at historic cafés like Caffè San Carlo or Caffè Torino, to an upscale sit-down spread at moody Bar Cavour or the student-friendly, carb-loaded bars of San Salvario or Piazza Filiberto. However, Turin’s thriving natural-wine and small-plate dining scenes provide good reasons not to fill up too soon. Establishments like Gaudenzio and Banco vini e alimenti are reinventing dishes and menu formats with creativity and deep respect for their ingredients. After midnight, the neighborhoods of Vanchiglia, Aurora, San Salvario, Dora, and Lingotto become vibrant with bars, clubs, and live venues. Turin is a hub for Italy’s dance music scene, and these industrial or largely residential areas showcase the best of it. The annual Club to Club festival held in November at the Lingotto Fiere highlights both international and Italian New Wave acts.
Savour the Savoy Splendour at the Reggia di Venaria Reale
Although it is a hunting lodge, this sprawling, ostentatious baroque beauty, constructed in 1675 for the Duke of Savoy, Carlo Emanuele II, rivals Versailles with its royal splendor, architectural ambition, and sheer scale. Wear comfortable shoes, as the main exhibition, aptly named ‘Theatre of History and Magnificence’, spans 2 km and takes visitors through an audio-visual journey created by Peter Greenaway and Brian Eno, narrating the millennia-long history of the Savoy family within their former residential quarters. The palace’s expansive gardens offer a fantastic spot for a picnic in warm weather and are additionally enchanting cloaked in winter’s snow.
Gaze Across the Glassy Waters of Lake Orta
Surrounded by deep woodlands, Lake Orta is a supremely tranquil destination for a day trip. Visitors can swim in or sail on the lake, hike the surrounding spruce and chestnut forests, or simply relax lakeside. In the picturesque medieval town of Orta San Giulio, you can wander narrow, steep streets or take a ferry to Isola San Giulio, where you can experience the incense at the tiny island’s 12th-century basilica. While nearby Lake Maggiore attracts Hemingway fans (parts of A Farewell to Arms were set there), Lake Orta possesses its own literary claims to fame: Nietzsche may or may not have kissed Lou Salome at Sacro Monte di San Francesco, and Robert Browning penned ‘By the Fire-Side’, one of his most cherished poems, here.
Hike the Craggy, Wild Terrain of the Maritime Alps
Embark on an adventure through the moody and majestic peaks and valleys that straddle the border with France. Old mule trails, military paths, and dedicated hiking paths weave through limestone canyons, grasslands, high-altitude lakes, and perennial snow fields. The Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime offers an amazing variety of botanical life, as well as opportunities to spot ibex, chamois, wild sheep, and numerous eagles and other birds of prey. While many grey-stone and dark-timber villages in the valley have seen depopulation since the 1960s, historic Aisone has transformed into a cross-country ski center and is a keeper of local Occitan music traditions.
Tempt Your Sweet Tooth in Cuneo
Centuries ago, a clever Piedmontese innovatively combined the plentiful local hazelnuts with cocoa, an expensive and sometimes scarce import, giving birth to the delectable gianduiotto chocolate, as well as the soft and spreadable gianduja, which would eventually become the world-renowned Nutella. The province of Cuneo, Italy’s largest chocolate producer, has a rich chocolate heritage. However, artisan traditions remain alive in the region’s charming capital of the same name, Cuneo. This city delights visitors with breathtaking Alpine views, exceptional steak restaurants, an autumn chestnut festival, and a progressive green ethos. Yet, no one would blame you if your main mission here is to indulge in its signature cuneesi al rhum chocolates, a dark, rum-scented truffle still made to the original recipe at the piazza-side Pasticceria Arione.
