Whether for alpine friends or lake-lovers, the Piedmont is a confidential tip for travellers who want to explore the original Italy, individually and calmly. Piedmont tastes like Barolo and Barbaresco wines, of cherries and Nutella, is as elegant as a Borsalino hat, glistens like Lake Maggiore, is as exciting as the Winter Olympic Games in 2006, is as technically competent as Fiat and as cultivated as Umberto Eco. There is hardly a more beautiful region in Italy which is so untouched and at the same time so diverse.

You can travel very comfortably to Alessandria, the third largest town in Piedmont. It is an ideal starting point for a trip around the region: in barely an hour, one can reach Turin; you can be equally as quickly at Lake Maggiore and the Alps. Close by lies the town of Valenza which is renowned for its goldsmith artistry and the hot springs of the Acqui Therme. The Romans used them for recuperation and even today there a large selection of Wellness facilities available.

Indulgence in the Italian style

Vineyards shape the landscape around Asti and Alba and entice travellers to walk over those undulating hills. Visitors find a cosy country guest house or a Trattoria with regional specialities or medieval villages with magnificent farmers’ markets behind every bend in the road. Throughout Piedmont there are 50 Michelin restaurants. Visitors can taste the white truffles from Alba, one of the highlights of the Piedmont kitchen.

Tradition and culture

Piedmont is the former seat of the Royal House of Savoy, the home of numerous mansions and castles. Other aristocratic families have also left their stamp in the form of opulent buildings which lie between the picturesque, snow covered mountains and lake landscapes sometimes among the vineyards.

Turin, the capital of the region is not far away, with its baroque centre, the splendidly renovated buildings and mansions are a focus for visitors interested in history and architecture. Walking along the Turin arcades, enthusiasts can find Italian fashion labels as well as a huge choice of boutiques and also naturally many traditional ice salons and cafes.

Lakes and mountains

A must for every visitor to Piedmont is Lake Maggiore, with its blossoming lemon trees and palms, which symbolised Italy for travellers in the 19th century. One maintains the aesthetic Mediterranean lifestyle here. The Borromeo islands create together with the panoramic undulating hills and the Tessiner Alps a kind of comprehensive work of art. The garden playgrounds and richly furnished palaces are some of the most beautiful that northern Italy has on offer.

The dreamlike Lake d’Orta has motivated numerous painters.The alpine region of Piedmont counts among the best ski-slopes in the world; a fact which lead to the selection of this region for the site of the winter Olympic games in 2006. But also in Summer the mountains entice visitors to wander, climb, bike and play golf.