"And we're supposed to stay here for a whole week?!" was one of the first thoughts we had when we arrived at our B&B in the sleepy town of Novello, Piedmont, Italy. Not because we didn't like the area. On the contrary! It is surrounded by vineyards, green and beautiful, nothing to complain there! But as we are a traveling couple who loves to hop from place to place and the action while traveling, we were a bit scared that we could get bored very fast and that we are 30 years too young for these kind of holidays.
Fortunately, we were proven wrong, because this region in Italy has much more to offer than wine and truffles: exciting mountain landscapes, mountain passes and little rivers to jump in, for example!
Here is a little report about our week in the Piedmont region (with a little side trip to Liguria), which was not at all as boring as we feared.
How to get to Piedmont and how to get around
The Piedmont region is situated in the northwest of Italy, squeezed between France and Switzerland. We took the train to Torino and took a rental car from there. This was a good decision, as it is probably difficult to get around by local busses or trains.
Exploring Torino
The capital city of the Piedmont region is Torino, probably most famous for Fiat and Juventus. We didn't have much time to explore, but it would be worth to spend some more time there. It offers beautiful baroque arcades (18 km in total!), lovely cafés, great shops, museums and much more!
The Piedmont region
As a wine enthusiast, I loved the Piedmont region - especially the Langhe-Roero & Monferrato region - for its vineyards and the beautiful little towns whose names I had already often seen on wine labels: Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba or Asti just to name a few. Since 2014, this region is on the UNESCO world heritage list.
The region is also well known for it's slow food culture - and this is a blessing! We found some amazing restaurants and always ate really good!
For those who don't want to spend their whole holidays in wine cellars, there are good options: for example a visit to the market in Cuneo or the villages of Alba and Acqui Terme (famous for its hot springs).
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| Cuneo |
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| Alba |
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| Acqui Terme with the fountain which offers 75 °C hot water |
One of our favourite regions was the valley Maira (Val Maira). It was dreamlike to drive through this valley, uphill, downhill, past small old villages where only a few people still live. We probably saw more marmots than people there.
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| Badalucco |
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| A nice little river to jump in, located in Badalucco |
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| The bizarre rocks called "Ciciu" in Villar San Costanzo |
After a few days in the Piedmont region, we noticed that our feet got itchy again - and we heard the sea calling us. That's why we took a little trip to another part of Italy: Liguria, about 2h drive from Barolo. Our first stop was Portfofino, a small, picturesque - but to be honest also quite touristy and snobby - village.
We couldn't get enough of the beautiful coast and decided spontanously to look for a hotel to spend the night. Well... I'm not sure if you can find a hotel in Portofino that costs less than 500 Euros a night. At least we didn't. We drove back to our B&B in the evening. But the next day, we explored the Ligurian coast again - there are so many nice villages and beaches to explore! - and this time found an affordable hotel next to Cervo. We enjoyed every single ocean breeze before we headed back to our B&B in the hills of the Piedmont.
Conclusion
The Piedmont region is really picturesque and I enjoyed the beautiful landscapes, the small villages and of course the good food and wine. A paradise for wine enthusiasts, foodies, hikers and bikers.
The next time, I would probably change the hotel once or twice as the region is big and there is so much to do and see. For those travelers who seek relaxation and tranquility, a week in Piedmont is ideal. For those who have an itchy feet: An Italy roundtrip would surely be amazing! :-)
Some recomendations for a trip to the Piedmont
Restaurants:
- For amazing food: Restaurant L'angolo di Rosina in Novello, Piazza Cadutti 5 --> Link
- For the view over the typical Piedmont landscape: Restaurant Nas-Cetta Vineria in Novello, Piazza Cadutti 1
- For amazing food and good wine: Ristorante Buon Padre & Cantina Viberti Giovanni, Via delle Viole 30 in Barolo --> Link
Where to stay:
- Abbazia delle Sorelle B&B in Novello, Via Roma 40. An old monastery that now serves as a B&B. Located in the middle of the Langhe region in the quiet village of Novello. Host Marianna is wonderful and we felt very welcome. Maybe not the place if you're looking for action and party, but great if you want to find your peace and quiet! :-)
What to do:
- Explore the villages in the Langhe-Roero region and taste the local wines!
- Postpone your diet - this region is too good not to enjoy eating!:-)
- Val Maira - a magical mountain landscape where you'll find more marmots than inhabitants. The drive is adventurous!
- Daytrip to the Ligurian coast - enjoy some sun and fun and the beaches!