Hello everyone! I'm a longtime lurker and have learned a ton from the folks in these forums. I'm planning a trip to The Piemonte area in mid august. I've never been to that region so I could use some advice from any members that are familiar with the region. Basically all we've done is book the flight and decide on the general area. We're considering Alba or Asti but would be open to suggestions. Like everyone else that vacations in Italy, our interests are very much FOOD and WINE! We'd love to find a nice B&B for a couple of days that is not too far of the beaten path that won't break the bank. We're doing this trip a bit more modestly than in the past. I guess mostly I'd be interested in your opinions on a particular area to stay that isn't touristy, but also accessible enough that we won't be too secluded. Did that make sense? Maybe I should have finished my coffee before I wrote this
Welcome, Steve! I spent two weeks in Piemonte two summers ago, and really loved it. Will you have a car? Take a look at our Piemonte B&B/Hotel Reviews for some wonderful suggestions. also look at our Piemonte Restaurant Reviews. One thing to be aware of is that some restaurants will be closed sometime in August, but you'll still find plenty of places to eat.
Hi Amy! Thanks for the links. I've been checking out the reviews since we decided on Piemonte. A great resource! We were initially thinking of going without a car but it seems like Piemonte is a tough region to navigate without one. Personally, I'd rather be close enough to bike to other towns from our B&B, but that may not be realistic. Thanks so much! Steve
I can highly recommend Villa Sampaguita in Asti. I've stayed with there several times now and I'll be returning there in September for the week of the Asti Palio. It is great place to stay with lovely guest rooms, reasonable rates, and wonderful food and travel advice from Rina and Tim. Although it's in a in the countryside, it's only 5 km from Asti proper and only a few km from the A21 Autostrade. So there's easy access from there to Torino, Milan, Genoa, the Ligurian coast, etc. It's also a very easy and convenient base for visits to the towns in the Langhe and Monferrato areas.
Tery
Posts: 251 | Location: Mission Viejo, CA, USA | Registered: 18 May 2003
Ciao SteveL! For sure through this fantastic website you'll find many recommended accommodations. I would like to suggest you this very nice B&B L'Atelier I stayed there a weekend last May for a travel workshop near there and I loved it. The Signora is very nice and the rooms also are very nice and confortable. It's in Langhe's area and very close to FontanafreddaWineries.
Have a nice stay and enjoy the great wines (and food of course) of that beautiful Region.
Steve A favourite part of the world for me and rest assured, whilst there is tourism, there's nowhere that is in thrall to the tourist dollar.
Alba has IMO more charm than Asti, but Asti is far from charmless. It's also a breeze to get to (30mins on the ES train from Torino Staz. Port Nuova).
Alba is slightly more difficult to get to, either by train (typically changing at Cavalmaggiore, but it varies), or via bus (last time this went from a small square a few minutes walk south of Porta Nuova (Piazza Marconi at the west of Corso Marconi). Tickets from the tabaccheria opposite the stop.
Plenty of other great places, but perhaps better explored with a car - public transport is very thin on the ground.
The tourist office www.langheroero.it is excellent and has a wide range of accomodation. We stayed previously in La Morra (Barolo) with car, and Corneliano d'Alba without car. The latter is pretty convenient for the bus. However no reason not to get somewhere on the outskirts of Alba.
Plenty of fine restaurants, with great wine lists in Alba. I've listed my crib notes below from previous trip to Alba which might be of use.
Torino (Turin) is also a great city, so depending on how long you have, tacking on 2-3 days might be rewarding - though I'm guessing you don't have too long, so maybe Torino awaits another visit.
On our last visit we arranged to visit a few wineries. It's usual in the region to make appointments in advance and I tend to do these either by email, or ask the B&B/agriturismo owner to arrange. Whilst I speak a little Italian, I don't believe it's essential at many places. Plenty of accomodation in the wine regions themselves, some on the estate itself.
There is also some great walking in the region, albeit there are some steep hills in places.
Finally some logistics at Torino airport. The blue Sagem bus runs from outside the nearest exit (look to your right in the centre of the road). Tickets from either the ticket office or tourist info desk. They run (IIRC) every half hour and drop at a number of stops in Torino, but Staz. Porta Nuova is the most likely stop for you. Not to be confused with Staz. Porta Susa a few minutes beforehand.
Alternatively, if you wanted to hire a car, I'd be tempted to do it from the airport, as despite being on the north side of the city, seems a winner compared to the more tortuous route to Alba via bus/train or bus (which I've done before both ways)
Alba Markets Tuesday P.zza Sen. Osvaldo Cagnasso Wednesday Borgo Moretta Thursday P.zza Sen. Osvaldo Cagnasso Friday C.so Europa Saturday - City Centre
Bike Hire Cicli Gagliardini – Alba, Via Ospedale, 7
Wineries Pio Cesare (outskirts of town) ADDRESS Via C. Balbo, 6,12051Pio Cesare (Cn) PHONE +39.0173.440386 EMAIL piocesare@piocesare.it Language spoken: English French Spanish Opening days: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sundey Visits by appointment
Restaurants ** Osteria dell’Arco – Piazza Savona (closed Sundays and Monday lunch, sounds like fair wine prices) Ristorante La Capannina – Locandanda Borgo Moretta, Strada Profunda 21 Il Vicoletto, via Bertero 6 (closed Mondays, classic regional food) 0173 363196
Wine bars (all with food) Vincaffe – via Vittorio Emanuele 12 Enoclub – Piazza Savona (closed Mondays) Enoteca Fracchia – Via Vernazza 7 Osteria Lalibera – via Pertinace 24a (closed Sunday, Monday lunch, bit nouvelle…) Vineria dell’Umberto, Piazza Savona 4 (Closed Mondays) Enoteca Reciate di Gola – via Cavour 11 (8-1pm; 3-8pm closed Mondays) Fuori Orario, Corso Torino 4 (6pm onwards, closed Sundays))
Wine Shops Enoteca Albese Il crutin – via cuneo 3 (Closed Sunday and Monday) Enoteca Fracchia e Berchialla, Via Vernazza 7 (closed Sunday and Monday) Enoteca Grandi Vini - Via Vittorio Emanuele II 1/A (doesn’t look too cheap) Vinolanghe - Via P.Ferrero 8 (no bargains, but seems fairly priced)
Pasticcerie Cheinasso – Corso Langhe 88 (good torta di nocciole) Io, tu e I dolci, Piazza Savona 12 (good torta di nocciole)
Coffee Beans Casa del caffe – via macrino (07:15-12:30; 14:30-19:30 closed mondays)
2 years ago, we were there for the Alba palio in October, and stayed at the bed and breakfast called Cascina Barac, located in a beautiful countryside location outside of Alba. We loved it there and would highly recommend it, but you do need a car!
You really should have a car to get around this area, villages are not too far apart but there a quite a few you will want to visit and it is very hilly.
We have visited Piemonte in 2008 and most recently in June 2009 - we HIGHLY recommend staying in La Morra at Rocche Costamagnas - Art Suites - this is a B&B above the offices of a winery - we stayed in Room # 4 Mistero - which is on the higher end of what we usually pay but it is worth it - the room has two balconies and a terrace that looks down over the Barolo Hills - truly magnificent -probably the nicest place we have stayed at in all of our trips to Italy
For restaurants we have been to Osteria del Vignaiolo in Santa Maria (below La Morra) three times and has great food at fair prices.
While in the area we usually tour villages and wineries, and on this trip we even went to a torrone (candy) factory. If you end up at Rocche Costamagna, Francesca is very helpful in making reservations for wineries and restaurants.
Bob
Posts: 115 | Location: boston, usa | Registered: 19 May 2005
My wife and I were in Piemonte last October, this was a first trip to Italy for me. You didn't state how long your trip will be - rest assured that it will be too short - but this would help in giving you advice. We spent eleven days in the region, and had a great experience.
Without a doubt I would include Torino in your itinerary - this is a beautiful city, completely under-rated in my opinion, with much to see and do. If your interests are food and wine, this city is a showroom of all that the area has to offer. While public transportation is good, the interesting sections of the city are all conveniently accessed by foot - just strolling through the city is extremely enjoyable. We took the bus from Malpensa airport - two and a half hours and crowded, but a car at this stage is an expense that is better to avoid. We booked a hotel that was very close to one of the bus stations in Torino, so it was just a few minutes walk with the luggage. The Torino Municipality runs a very helpful tourist service, both online and in the city : http://www.comune.torino.it/to...s/english/index.html I received brochures and maps by mail before our trip, free of charge.
We also visited Alba and Asti - about half a day in each - but I would advise you to reserve time for the smaller towns and countryside. At this stage a car can add a lot to your experience, if you have more than a day or two to while away. Even all the small back roads are in excellent condition. If not, just being in the near vicinity of your B&B can be very satisfying.
I have written reviews of the places we stayed, but the options are endless. If you're looking to be on a budget, we found that we didn't have to pay more than 60-80 Euros for a double room per night , in order to get completely adequate (and even more) accommodation.
Have a great time, Joe
Posts: 171 | Location: Israel | Registered: 21 July 2007
Steve, here's a collection of prior Piemonte threads from over the years. I put it together two years ago, but there's still a lot of helpful information.
Another possibility would be Podere Luciano which is a wine growing agriturismo with two new vacation rental apartments directly outside of Acqui Terme (about 5 minutes by bike into town). Acqui Terme is a really beautiful town, as many here can attest (there is lots of info here about it, including an article which I wrote for ST), and you are very well positioned to enjoy much of both the Monferrato and the Langhe. I have personally not needed to stay at the Podere but of course know many people who have. Guido and Marina are very wonderful people, and the place is lovely. I know the place and people well. It is in one of the most scenic parts of the hills above town. There is also a pool which can be nice after a bike ride.
Steve your e-mail makes plenty of sense and I'm not going to add any more data to the pile already posted here. Just bear in mind many restaurants will be closed in mid-August as required by law (or they pay their employees overtime for working in holiday season) but also each community requires them to stagger closings so some are open all the time. Many wineries are also closed as August is the last time we winemakers can take off before the busy time starts, but we can always find some open. Where to stay in the Asti/Alba/Acqui triangle is a matter of personal choice, some folks are more charmed by one area over others, but they are all so close that visiting another is quite easy, but I would highly reccomend a car if you want to get around the hilltowns, little osterie and wineries, otherwise you will be stuck in the bigger towns and miss part of Piedmont's real charm. Check for good deals on-line at the airport you fly into.
By the way in recent years August has not been as hot as July and it seems it may be the same this year, it's been cooling down already.
Hello Steve, We have many friends who live in the Ovada/Tagliolo area , which is very beautiful and accessable to many different areas. Excellent wineries and food that will not break your budget. We go to this area every trip and are not disappointed..
Posts: 8 | Location: United States | Registered: 23 March 2009
For mathematical geeks, here is THE formula for Piemonte (which Pedalforte might remember was first theorized over several bottles of Piemonte vino and derived from a political formula which I used to bore guests at dinner.
(Asti x Alba x Acqui) + (Barbera x Barolo x Barbaresco) = (Cucina x Cantina x Contenti).
Sorry folks I have copyrighted this with the international federation of (re)tired punsters, but I will allow public use with proper credits. If you infringe, Mr B's lawyers (thats the political version) will be set on you!
Ah its all too much math this early AM, off the beach today before the maddening crowds of August.
Originally posted by Tim in Piemonte: Sorry folks I have copyrighted this with the international federation of (re)tired punsters, but I will allow public use with proper credits.
You can own the copyright ONLY if you lowercase the "b" in Barbera! (Barbera is not a town, as are Barolo and Barbaresco. This is a private joke, or, bone of great contention!) That is, I'm lobbying for joint ownership -- or creative ownership of at least the "B-cubed" part of the equation. Or my own lawyers are going to pedal on over to my "sent email" archives to find the newspaper clip I wrote using the phrase about 10 years ago! But I do love that finished equation .. Cucina/Cantina/Contenti. Nice.
SteveL: Opinions are mixed above, but I actually like Asti better and Alba. To each their own, of course. But I do love Alba too. And we visited Acqui for our first time last visit and really loved that town also. There's a public pool about the size Rhode Island! I'm easy to please, I suppose.
Do consider staying at Sampaguita. It's just outside of Asti (10 easy minutes into the middle) and offers easy access to everything north, and only 20 minutes by fast road to Alba. The place is really relaxing, beautiful and the hosts are perfect (don't let Tim get into math equations).
There are many great things to do in Piemonte -- in all the areas of the A-cubed (Asti, Acqui, Alba). Pick one. Did I see somewhere that you are interested in cycling in the area? I've cycled there a few times and know a lot of routes if you are interested. Gagliardini in Alba is a cool, small shop. Cicli Giorgio in, hmmm, San Damiano? also is friendly and does rent bikes.
Good trip!
Posts: 627 | Location: Logan, Utah, USA | Registered: 02 June 2006
I don't know how we can only stay for a week with all the great advice we've been getting. We decided on the main base for our trip. We are going to be staying for 5 nights at http://www.castellodirazzano.it/. We got a great deal and it comes highly recommended from a friend. It also had great reviews on elsewhere. It's a little further off the beaten path than we were planning but I think we'll be fine. I think it might get us biking and walking more to burn off some extra calories we'll be takiing in on this trip! Pedalaforte, I would love to take you up on your cycling route suggestions. I'm not an experienced rider but my gf is and I'm bullheaded enough to convince myself I can keep up with her!
Thanks again to everyone who shared their suggestions! I'm sure I'll be referring back to this thread many times between now and our return!
Here is the gameplan (Subject to some minor tweaking): Castello di Razzano for 5 nights Torino for 2 nights Milan for 1 night
We really want to take things slow which is why we want to have a home base for the majority of the trip. We have to go to Torino for Eataly if nothing else! Although I keep hearing what a wonderful city it is.
Now comes the REALLY fun part. Deciding where to eat!!!
I wanted to see how much you were on your toes this morning
First IMO Il Barbera,the wine should be spelt with a cap, the grape is in lower case.
Second you can't copyright as you first heard about the 3 "B"'s at our table, albeit in a different context (the political joke). But I will give you an "A" for the a section
Third, in fact it should be cantine, cucine e contenti, all plural!
BTW we had a perfect day today, on the beach at Noli one hour and 10 minutes after leaving Asti, and the sea was so clear plus it was not too hot, nice breeze and a bit cloudy, the baby loved it.
the Northern Monferrato is a wonderful area of Piedmont often overlooked by visitors in their quest to be near the famous Langhe wine areas. You must check out the Ruche wine which comes from close to where you are staying and a trip to the nearby Sacra Monte di Crea is a must.
Lopts of wonderful hill towns with little trattorie, I am sure your host's will be able to guide you and let you know who is open, and its not far to Asti where some restaurants will also be open. Eataly in Turin will not be closed in August.
Originally posted by SteveL: Pedalaforte, I would love to take you up on your cycling route suggestions. I'm not an experienced rider but my gf is and I'm bullheaded enough to convince myself I can keep up with her! ... Now comes the REALLY fun part. Deciding where to eat!!!
Cycling: Perfect area.
-- Point #1. Bury the bullheadedness -- you canNOT keep up with gf. She will kill you on the hills! Try it anyway; a good ego-wash is good for every man's soul.
-- We were on that exact road to Alfiano Natta, on our way to Moncalvo. Great road to ride. We then skirted east to Casorzo and Vignale Monferrato then through Ottiglio and on to Sanctuary di Santa Crea (go see this, as Tim suggested, even if just driving). This was a fairly long ride, but you can shorten it. -- Another great ride (shorter) would be to loop down through Tonco then up to Zanco and even Villadeati and back. If you want to extend the loop, add Murisengo (great trattoria in the town center). -- Out there more distance: Head to Cocconato for along day. But it would be a reasonable day (for your girlfriend, at least!) We did a loop from Tonco south to Frico then NW to Cocconato along an amazing ridgetop road to Cocconato itself. Then we continued through Murisengo and on. Beautiful, but steeeeeep into Cocco -- like 19 percent! Cocconato is worth a visit; if you drive, visit the sanctuary at Vezzolana.
To Eat: I'm certain your hacienda can recommned places. IN Asti, we loved Pompa Magna. Closer to you, perhaps, in Mombarone is Ai Binari -- low-key,nice. In Zanco/Villadeati I hear Maria? is great. IN Asti again, I really love the lunch place Tacabanda -- cheap and great wines everywhere.
Posts: 627 | Location: Logan, Utah, USA | Registered: 02 June 2006
Pedalaforte, Thanks so much for the cycling routes (and everything else.) We're excited to try some of them. You're right, she'll kick my butt on the hills ... but only because I'll have drank way more wine than her the night before we ride!
Thanks again everyone for the great advice. I've kept coming back to this thread over and over again to add to my notes.
im ... the Sacra Monte Di Crea looks absolutely amazing. That's definitely on the list!
Ian... thank you so much for all that great info. So many great things! it really gave us a great starting point for Alba.
Thanks so much for all the help! Our trip to Italy has come and gone. I have to say that the Monferrato area was just amazing. The scenery was breathtaking and the people were wonderful. we had the pleasure of meeting several slowtravel/EG friends during our trip. We loved everything but meeting so many special people was definitely the highlight. The trip report is in the works but I wanted to say thanks to all the people that helped with our planning.
