Holiday in Piedmont

What makes Piedmont special as a destination?

Piedmont is Italy's culinary insider tip, which is no longer a secret — a region at the foot of the Alps, where Barolo wine matures in foggy hills, white truffles from Alba fetch record prices, and the world's first Slow Food movement originated. The Langhe, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2014, are the heart of Piedmontese viticulture: Gentle hills with Nebbiolo vines, crowned by medieval castles, stretch south of Alba. Here, Barolo — the king of Italian wines — and Barbaresco mature in cellars that have been run by the same families for generations. The grape harvest in October and the truffle fair in Alba in November attract gourmets from all over the world. Turin, the elegant capital, was Italy's first capital after unification and surprises with a grandeur reminiscent of Paris: Baroque squares, 18 kilometers of arcades, the Egyptian Museum (the second most important in the world after Cairo), and the Mole Antonelliana with the National Cinema Museum offer a cultural experience that surpasses many major cities. Turin is also the birthplace of Italian chocolate culture — Gianduia, Bicerin, and the historic cafés under the arcades are legendary. Lake Maggiore offers a fairy-tale landscape with the Borromean Islands — Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and Isola dei Pescatori — nestled between baroque gardens and the backdrop of the Alps. To the north, the ski resorts of the Monte Rosa massif and the Aosta Valley with its Walser houses border Switzerland. Piedmontese cuisine is among the best in Italy: Agnolotti del Plin, Vitello Tonnato, Bagna Cauda, and the hazelnut cake Torta di Nocciole prove that enjoyment is a tradition here.