Piemonte First Timer Questions

[Kportgrl]

We are planning about 18 days sometime between late April and mid May of2024 to travel to Northwestern Italy. (In no small part due to what I’ve been reading in posts from this group)We have been to Italy several times, but never to this area. We will most likely be flying to and from Milan. Any thoughts, or help on where to go/stay/eat, what to see would be greatly appreciated.

• We love small towns and villages and good food and wine, and enjoy spending the majority of our days walking/easy hiking and sight seeing . We thought we might start in Turin and then go on (likely South first)from there. We prefer staying in each place for at least three days, which would realistically make for a maximum of four stops plus Turin.
• There are so many little towns and villages in the region and it’s difficult to pick a spot to stay.
• For example: I have read people discussing places like Cuneo, Barolo, La Morra, Alba, Guarene, even Saluzzo, as well as Aosta. And wondering is it finding your accommodation that ultimately helps in the final decision making?
• We were also trying to decide if we would head into Liguria at all or just focus on Piemonte and Aosta Valley region. Believe it or not we have been doing a lot of research but it’s almost like information overload. Interested in any itinerary advice that anyone might offer also interested in wonderful guides you might refer us to as well.

 

[Ian Sutton]

Hi Kportgrl
18 days at that time of year should make for a wonderful holiday, in our favourite region of Italy. 4 stops would have been in my mind as well, as 4-5 days in a location makes for a good balance of seeing somewhere well, but also moving onto a new experience.

Starting in Torino certainly makes some sense, as it's a fast direct train away from Milano, but IIRC there's also a direct airport bus service from Milano Malpensa to Torino. As seen in the recent weather thread, there are no guarantees, but it's likely the coolest weather will be at the start, and Torino is no problem whatsoever in cool or even wet weather (those porticoed streets can keep you dry - or out of the sun if it's hot). If you like your food, you should find it very enjoyable, and it's a super-easy city to navigate with its mostly grid-system streets.

Loads of great options for walking, and I'll put in a strong word for the wine region Le Langhe, home to Barolo, Barbaresco and other wines. Shared ownership of vineyards dictates open access, which is superb for us visitors, and there's a good cheap walking map sold in the tourist offices. There is a wonderful criss-cross of paths through these famous vineyards, and not only is the walking superb, but so is the food. The wine needn't be the star! Which village? I find Barolo itself has become rather touristy, but I'd recommend any of the other villages, from the relative quiet of Treiso or Verduno, to the (still quite tranquil) villages of La Morra, Serralunga d'Alba, Monforte d'Alba etc. I've also heard good things of the Barbaresco village called Neive, but have yet to visit it.

Asti and Alba both good little cities, the former perhaps a tad more 'functional', but both with super weekly outdoor market, and both have historic interest. Acqui Terme also interesting, and with the thermal water there, might make a good 'point of difference'. It too has a good weekly market.

Also some superb walking further south: Castino & Cortemilia, plus south-east around Bubbio, but I suspect there are plenty of other great places that are similarly 'under the radar'.

We've enjoyed Cuneo, which is charming in a quirky sort of way (an agriturismo owner shared the joke that the Cunesi are referred to as the cone-heads, partly in recognition of the city's geography, but also as a side swipe about intellect). That and Aosta are as far west as we've got so far, and Aosta itself is rather quirky - surprisingly built up until it registers they simply built on the only flat land available.

Although we've not been there, Tortona looks appealing to us, partly for it's geography, partly for the superb rediscovered white wine made from the Timorasso grape.

We love Ghemme, but it's not really a tourist destination - the agriturismo Il Cavenago is the big appeal, but so is the understated joy of a rather urban village (albeit without the traffic that the streets would suggest). We've met some lovely locals there. Perhaps though nearby Gattinara would make for a more obvious (yet still under the radar) place to interest a tourist. Plus I'm told it's lovely if you head north / up river into the steeper hills.

Yes, accommodation can be a strong influence e.g. Ghemme for us. I'll also throw in travel logistics, as we like short transfers, of 1-3 hours, and are happy to take a chance on somewhere that's practical logistically, but also looks like it might appeal. It can also be a case of looking to ensure places feel different, so each has a chance to shine.

Liguria does indeed have charm, and perhaps the amazing train journey from Cuneo to Ventimiglia might tempt you into including both locations, and flying out of Nice or Genova/Genoa might be an option?

 

[braindoc]

Neive is a charming, small hilltop town. It has been our base on 2 trips. Some nice wine bars and several good restaurants, so it is comfortable to stay in town for the evenings if you stay here. In that regard, highly recommended is Borgese Camere e Suites.

​

 

[joe]

Hi @Kportgrl - good luck with the planning, you indeed have some "heavy" work ahead!
Ian and braindoc have given great advice, I'll add a bit of my perspective :

In 2008 we were in your situation : I planned a first-time visit to Piemonte (also around 18-21 days, can't remember exactly), and actually a first-time visit to Italy generally. Didn't know a thing. Because I wanted to "sample" as much of the region as was reasonable, while still adhering to a relatively slow pace, I included parts of Liguria as well, and stayed away in the meantime from northern Piemonte. Our accommodations were 2-3 nights in each place, starting in Torino, working across and down to the Monferrato and Langhe areas, including Asti, Alba, and the Alta Langa, driving around in the countryside and stopping at various villages we found scenic, and then continuing to Liguria : Genoa, Camogli, Levanto and the CT. Our interests were much the same as yours : food, markets, small producers, easy hiking, and strolling in the villages.

We enjoyed ourselves so much that we have travelled there another two times since then, and are planning an additional trip next spring (postponed from this autumn). Each trip got smaller with respect to the area explored, and we indeed appreciated the more in-depth exploration and slower pace. The only area we haven't toured in is the Aosta Valley - we've made it to just north of Biella.

What I learned, that might be useful to you :

1) Like you mentioned, the wealth of info and choices is overwhelming. So consider a "tasting menu" for the first trip, so that you might not feel regret afterwards that you missed something that you would perhaps have liked to see. That means indeed spreading the trip around a relatively larger region, and spending between 2-3 nights in each place. In your case, as you are going in the spring, one way to do it might be to start in the south and work your ways north, finishing the trip in Aosta. This might be logical with respect to the weather (we have never been in the spring, and I am trying to get a grip on the spring weather in Piemonte in another thread that I guess you might have seen - so I'm not completely sure on this point).

2) Both Piemonte and Liguria have excellent resources for tourists - don't be afraid to do very specific searches on the web, and if you don't succeed for some reason, just ask here. I have tons of bookmarked resources, and others have as well.

3) There are so many gems located off the beaten track, but you can't go wrong with all the better-known places, as well - everything is really stunning, at least in my eyes. Torino is a must. Some lesser known villages/towns that you might not see mentioned, but that we liked (for Piemonte) : Savigliano, Saluzzo, Cuneo, Dronero, Dogliani, Moncalvo, San Damiano d'Asti, Cocconato, Bobbio, Roccaveranno, and probably others that I can't recall right now. Just driving around in the countryside is very rewarding. You can use the designated "scenic routes" on a Michelin road map.

4) In this latter respect do consider using agriturismi for at least part of your accommodations. Being on a working and active farm gives a whole different perspective on the locality, hospitality is sky-high, and you get to enjoy home-grown/home-produced foodstuffs. We stay only in agriturismi while not in a big city, and most of the families that run the places we stayed at have become our friends. I posted a list of resources that could help do a search : scroll down here.

5) Piemonte places a great emphasis on its local artisans and small food producers - there are so many to check out, and it's quite easy to find them. Quite a while back I put up a resource here on the forums, which might be out-dated but can still give you an idea of the huge range of small producers you can find. You can read it here.
It's hard to know this much in advance what seasonal fairs there might be next May, but these certainly merit attention, if you hear about them, or search for sagre di Piemonte as the time approaches. Some repeat themselves annually at much the same date.

I believe that once you've worked out a more definite itinerary, you'll be able to get more specific help here. Like many say here, you really can't go wrong in any case.

 

[Ian Sutton]

Yes, despite me leaning towards the slow concept, I certainly can see merit in a 'tasting' / 'scouting' trip, especially for a first exploration of the region. That could absolutely be 2-3 night stops, or alternatively using day trips to grab a taste of somewhere else e.g. Alba with a day trip into Barbaresco wine region, and another day trip to Asti (especially if that's on its market day). Or a day trip from Torino up into the hills/mountains out east, or (as we've done ourselves) up to Ivrea.

 

[BEERMAN]

I wrote about the area, including Guarene, last year and will be included in my current slowly ongoing report. We planned last minute last year and we had just a few Airbnb options and yes the Airbnb Luisa’s Smile did ultimately choose our town for us. Any hill town in the region would be awesome, Guarene is tiny with fewer amenities, no shops to speak of, but we loved the peace and quiet and the people are so nice, we are now on group chats on WhatsApp with several of our new friends!.I liked Barolo, it has more to do and that brings more people of course, Neive is smaller and it was wonderful as well, we did a hike to Barbaresco from there, awesome! Good luck planning!

 

[Kportgrl]

I wrote about the area, including Guarene, last year and will be included in my current slowly ongoing report. We planned last minute last year and we had just a few Airbnb options and yes the Airbnb Luisa’s Smile did ultimately choose our town for us. Any hill town in the region would be awesome, Guarene is tiny with fewer amenities, no shops to speak of, but we loved the peace and quiet and the people are so nice, we are now on group chats on WhatsApp with several of our new friends!.I liked Barolo, it has more to do and that brings more people of course, Neive is smaller and it was wonderful as well, we did a hike to Barbaresco from there, awesome! Good luck planning!

Hi Beerman. Yes, I definitely read your report. You had such great luck booking at the last minute. We are somewhat following the ideas from your itinerary. In fact, I am looking at accommodations in Camogli based on your description of what you liked. (I know you just briefly passed through.) we will likely stay in Milan the first night, and then take the train south, like you did. Have found several accommodations we like in the town of La Morra, so I think that will be the one for us to spend four or five days. Turin, and somewhere in the Aosta valley region will also be stops for us on this trip. Can’t begin to tell you how much I value and appreciate the information that I have received and read from you and Ian and others in this forum.

 

[BEERMAN]

I am fairly new to this board and I appreciate all the contributors, they are a wealth of knowledge! I am heading home today and should have 1 or 2 more reports done by the weekend. Ligurian coast is coming up. Camogli is a wonderful town, we almost stayed there this time but very last minute planning parked us in Rapallo.

 

[Ian Sutton]

La Morra a good choice IMO, with a wide range of wineries, more of a 'centre' than most (though it's still very much a village), and some superb vineyard walks, with the advantage (!?!) that La Morra is very much perched on a hill, so you can easily find the route home. Some good eating as well, and we luckily seemed to avoid the major blip La Belvedere was reported as having. Osteria Veglio is very good, including good home made pasta, plus it's got good views.

There's even a weekly (morning) market.

In terms of winery visits, I'd recommend Mauro Molino in Annunziata, even though they lean a little more towards the modern style (fruit forward, french barrique oak) than we prefer, but not excessively so. The younger generation approach the whole thing very professionally (yet also are friendly). I have previously recommended Cascina Ballarin, though be aware it's now split into two: Alberto Ballarin and Gianni Ballarin. Their langhe nebbiolo used to be a lovely 'mini barolo'.

 

[Kportgrl]

Hi Kportgrl
18 days at that time of year should make for a wonderful holiday, in our favourite region of Italy. 4 stops would have been in my mind as well, as 4-5 days in a location makes for a good balance of seeing somewhere well, but also moving onto a new experience.

Starting in Torino certainly makes some sense, as it's a fast direct train away from Milano, but IIRC there's also a direct airport bus service from Milano Malpensa to Torino. As seen in the recent weather thread, there are no guarantees, but it's likely the coolest weather will be at the start, and Torino is no problem whatsoever in cool or even wet weather (those porticoed streets can keep you dry - or out of the sun if it's hot). If you like your food, you should find it very enjoyable, and it's a super-easy city to navigate with its mostly grid-system streets.

Loads of great options for walking, and I'll put in a strong word for the wine region Le Langhe, home to Barolo, Barbaresco and other wines. Shared ownership of vineyards dictates open access, which is superb for us visitors, and there's a good cheap walking map sold in the tourist offices. There is a wonderful criss-cross of paths through these famous vineyards, and not only is the walking superb, but so is the food. The wine needn't be the star! Which village? I find Barolo itself has become rather touristy, but I'd recommend any of the other villages, from the relative quiet of Treiso or Verduno, to the (still quite tranquil) villages of La Morra, Serralunga d'Alba, Monforte d'Alba etc. I've also heard good things of the Barbaresco village called Neive, but have yet to visit it.

Asti and Alba both good little cities, the former perhaps a tad more 'functional', but both with super weekly outdoor market, and both have historic interest. Acqui Terme also interesting, and with the thermal water there, might make a good 'point of difference'. It too has a good weekly market.

Also some superb walking further south: Castino & Cortemilia, plus south-east around Bubbio, but I suspect there are plenty of other great places that are similarly 'under the radar'.

We've enjoyed Cuneo, which is charming in a quirky sort of way (an agriturismo owner shared the joke that the Cunesi are referred to as the cone-heads, partly in recognition of the city's geography, but also as a side swipe about intellect). That and Aosta are as far west as we've got so far, and Aosta itself is rather quirky - surprisingly built up until it registers they simply built on the only flat land available.

Although we've not been there, Tortona looks appealing to us, partly for it's geography, partly for the superb rediscovered white wine made from the Timorasso grape.

We love Ghemme, but it's not really a tourist destination - the agriturismo Il Cavenago is the big appeal, but so is the understated joy of a rather urban village (albeit without the traffic that the streets would suggest). We've met some lovely locals there. Perhaps though nearby Gattinara would make for a more obvious (yet still under the radar) place to interest a tourist. Plus I'm told it's lovely if you head north / up river into the steeper hills.

Yes, accommodation can be a strong influence e.g. Ghemme for us. I'll also throw in travel logistics, as we like short transfers, of 1-3 hours, and are happy to take a chance on somewhere that's practical logistically, but also looks like it might appeal. It can also be a case of looking to ensure places feel different, so each has a chance to shine.

Liguria does indeed have charm, and perhaps the amazing train journey from Cuneo to Ventimiglia might tempt you into including both locations, and flying out of Nice or Genova/Genoa might be an option?

Hi Joe. Thank you so much for your response and the resources you have posted. We have re-looked at our itinerary, and indeed decided to venture to Liguria and adopt the tasting approach, or at least add a course or two. after spending our first night in Milan we plan to head to the Liguria. (We’re looking at Camogli). And based on accommodation we will likely plant ourselves in La Morra for a few days. Will venture to Torino as well for a few days and then maybe Cogne? That part hasn’t crystallized yet. But we’ll keep researching and reading.

 

[Kportgrl]

La Morra a good choice IMO, with a wide range of wineries, more of a 'centre' than most (though it's still very much a village), and some superb vineyard walks, with the advantage (!?!) that La Morra is very much perched on a hill, so you can easily find the route home. Some good eating as well, and we luckily seemed to avoid the major blip La Belvedere was reported as having. Osteria Veglio is very good, including good home made pasta, plus it's got good views.

There's even a weekly (morning) market.

In terms of winery visits, I'd recommend Mauro Molino in Annunziata, even though they lean a little more towards the modern style (fruit forward, french barrique oak) than we prefer, but not excessively so. The younger generation approach the whole thing very professionally (yet also are friendly). I have previously recommended Cascina Ballarin, though be aware it's now split into two: Alberto Ballarin and Gianni Ballarin. Their langhe nebbiolo used to be a lovely 'mini barolo'.

Thank you so much, Ian. Putting all of us into my notes on the area.

 

[Penn251]

If you are interested in an Agriturismo in La Morra, consider Il Gelso. https://www.agriturismoilgelso.it/en/ Marisa and Franco, with their daughter Martina, are fabulous hosts. The property overlooks the town of Barolo and surrounding hills and vineyards. For fun, they have a couple of new Vespa's for rent. The Bassa Langa is perfect for explorling that way.

 

[joe]

Hi Joe. Thank you so much for your response and the resources you have posted. We have re-looked at our itinerary, and indeed decided to venture to Liguria and adopt the tasting approach, or at least add a course or two. after spending our first night in Milan we plan to head to the Liguria. (We’re looking at Camogli). And based on accommodation we will likely plant ourselves in La Morra for a few days. Will venture to Torino as well for a few days and then maybe Cogne? That part hasn’t crystallized yet. But we’ll keep researching and reading.

Hi @Kportgrl - Camogli is a good choice. We were there in November, so not sure about the tourist situation in May - but a very lovely town in any case. Our hotel there wasn't the greatest, so I won't mention it.
Another town we stayed at in that area and would choose again for sure is Levanto. We used that as our base for the CT.

La Morra is beautiful. Just to add another option that we stayed at close by, and would return to : the agriturismo and organic winery Erbaluna, just under La Morra.

 

[Kportgrl]

If you are interested in an Agriturismo in La Morra, consider Il Gelso. https://www.agriturismoilgelso.it/en/ Marisa and Franco, with their daughter Martina, are fabulous hosts. The property overlooks the town of Barolo and surrounding hills and vineyards. For fun, they have a couple of new Vespa's for rent. The Bassa Langa is perfect for explorling that way.

Wow. Thankyou Penn251. This place looks Ahmazing!!! I haven’t looked for our dates yet but I’ll definitely see if it works!

 

[Kportgrl]

Hi @Kportgrl - Camogli is a good choice. We were there in November, so not sure about the tourist situation in May - but a very lovely town in any case. Our hotel there wasn't the greatest, so I won't mention it.
Another town we stayed at in that area and would choose again for sure is Levanto. We used that as our base for the CT.

La Morra is beautiful. Just to add another option that we stayed at close by, and would return to : the agriturismo and organic winery Erbaluna, just under La Morra.

Oh my goodness. Definitely an embarrassment of riches in this area. I took a quick look at the place and it looks lovely. I love the fact that it’s organic too. Thankyou so much for this.

 

[joe]

Oh my goodness. Definitely an embarrassment of riches in this area. I took a quick look at the place and it looks lovely. I love the fact that it’s organic too.

What also attracted us to the place was that there was a small communal kitchen, for those who wanted to snack or prepare a meal outside the regular eating hours. The ability to prepare meals independent of an accommodation's regular schedule (or to not have to be dependent on eating out) has become a top priority for us, and since then we have always chosen to use AirBnB for stays in cities, while in the countryside to prefer agriturismi that offer this option (or a private kitchen in one's room).
I don't know if they still offer this option - we were there in 2008 - but just adding another point that might be relevant to you.

 

[Kportgrl]

Yes. Definitely the ability to be on our own schedule (as much as possible) is key for us too. I didn’t realize that Agriturismos offered these kind of options and I’m very glad to hear of this! Thankyou for the information.

 

[Ian Sutton]

Fully agreed on apartments and/or agriturismi with kitchen available. When we're on holiday, we don't want to be held down to a schedule, as that acts as a break on relaxation / breaking the normal routines. Plus as we'd both spent far too long travelling for work and living out of hotels, the appeal of a hotel is very much diminished.

... and yes there is an embarrassment of riches in terms of this sort of accommodation in the region.

The only catch is that there are relatively limited options for buying food: with villages maybe having a small supermarket or alimentari, maybe a specialist shop or 3, a weekly market (I know La Morra and Monforte d'Alba have them, though the latter's is a very small farmer's market). Other options include day-tripping into Alba which has a wealth of good food shops, plus there are some hypermarkets (including a Bennet IIRC) on the Alba-Bra superstrada near Santo Vittoria d'Alba / The Cinzano factory. If driving, that can be a useful detour on arrival, as the hypermarket will be ~ 30 mins drive from La Morra, so any cold food will still be fine on arrival. EDIT: yes - here's its address https://goo.gl/maps/qNgXoo65qG46AQT78

 

[Kportgrl]

Fully agreed on apartments and/or agriturismi with kitchen available. When we're on holiday, we don't want to be held down to a schedule, as that acts as a break on relaxation / breaking the normal routines. Plus as we'd both spent far too long travelling for work and living out of hotels, the appeal of a hotel is very much diminished.

... and yes there is an embarrassment of riches in terms of this sort of accommodation in the region.

The only catch is that there are relatively limited options for buying food: with villages maybe having a small supermarket or alimentari, maybe a specialist shop or 3, a weekly market (I know La Morra and Monforte d'Alba have them, though the latter's is a very small farmer's market). Other options include day-tripping into Alba which has a wealth of good food shops, plus there are some hypermarkets (including a Bennet IIRC) on the Alba-Bra superstrada near Santo Vittoria d'Alba / The Cinzano factory. If driving, that can be a useful detour on arrival, as the hypermarket will be ~ 30 mins drive from La Morra, so any cold food will still be fine on arrival. EDIT: yes - here's its address https://goo.gl/maps/qNgXoo65qG46AQT78

Thanks for this information Ian. It’s very much appreciated. We normally just think about grocery stores when we arrive somewhere. But of course, it makes sense that there would not be a wide variety of choices in these smaller villages. We had this happen a few weeks ago when we were in Orta San Giulio. We realized when we got there we should have gone shopping before hand. And now I have started looking at accommodation in the Aosta Valley for that portion of our trip, and it definitely seems like we will have to do some shopping before hand there as well. In a related question, I have been looking at accommodation in Cogne, and most of the reviews for places are quite dated. The first time we visit an area we place a lot of stock in reviews and do tend to worry if we don’t see anything recent. But it seems to be a common theme with places in that area that either people don’t post reviews or it’s just a really quiet area that doesn’t see a lot of visitors??? I have searched this site and I don’t believe I have seen any specific accommodation recommendations for Cogne and if I remember correctly you said you had not gotten there yet? Anyway, just wondering if you had any thoughts on the lack of reviews on Google, TA etc? Thanks as always.

 

[joe]

The only catch is that there are relatively limited options for buying food: with villages maybe having a small supermarket or alimentari, maybe a specialist shop or 3, ....

I think that might indeed be a catch in some instances, but in others (at least for us) that's plenty good. Maybe in the EU people are used to seeing Italian brands at their grocery stores/supermarkets, but I suppose that for anyone outside of Europe, these small grocery shops are almost like exotic delicatessens. Give us even one grocer like this in the village we're staying in, and we feel like we're in paradise!

For La Morra, here is a screenshot of 3 grocery stores and one bakery, all on the same main street, and all with great reviews....that's plenty of options for self-catering for a three-day stay (and I am prevented from mentioning the butcher, as I'm a vegetarian... ) :