Piemonte..preliminary travel question
 

Having just returned from a terrific 10-day trip to northern Italy, I am already dreaming about my next visit. (I will write a short trip report soon).

Our trip from Liguria to Lake Como took us through the Val Curone, in the SW corner of Piemonte, and this brief peek inspired me to think about an all-Piedmont trip next year.

I originally thought of visiting in January, but have almost abandoned that idea because it seems that many places (B&Bs, restaurants) are closed in that month.

Question: What would be the earliest that I could at least hope for optimal weather conditions in the region? When is everything back in full swing after the winter? March?

Thanks!

I personally would not go until May to get the spring flowers, but why not contact Tim at Villa Sampaguita for a better informed opinion.

Thank you. Bob. As much as I like flowers, food and wine and my top priority!! Hoping to go a bit earlier than May..not sure if I can hold out that long! But if there is a reason NOT to go before then, I am "all ears," so to speak!!

We would have 7 days, by the way.

Here is the reason I would not go that early---too cold for me.
http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/w...161&refer=

Myself I would suggest that late March or April are the earliest times to come to Piedmont if you want reasonable weather. April obviously is better, but March can be warm, all depending on the year, and March is the time when the local town festivals start.

Tim I was hoping you would see this. Easter is April 12, so I might plan a trip in the weeks right before that...

are there any festivals in late March/early April that you think would be worth planning around?

Honestly I am not sure what took me so long to work up an appetite (!) to visit this area...but now that I am "hungry," I am very eager....

eks, next years calendar not yet published, the links on the other thread should be updated around February. However in late March and eraly April there are usually spring festivals every weekend somewhere in the area, most of them faeturing of course tastings of local food specialities and wine. But no "big" events that I know of.

Just to chime in, though you already know it, the Piemonte area is wonderful. Last fall, we spent some time there, starting with a business meeting in Milan, then 4 nights days in the more southern area of the Piemonte, in the tiny town of Monforte d'Alba (near La Morra), one of the 12 Barolo villages, before moving on to Turin.

As we visited in October, and haven't been back - yet - I can't help on the weather in the area in the Spring. But I'm happy to pass on all of our food and wine experiences!

Enjoy!

Thanks to both of you! I am pretty well convinced! I will do some reading and come back with more questions..

ekscrunchy,

If you plan to eat the classics of Piemonte, I think you are well advised to go in cooler weather, since the classic dishes are rich and hearty. And if you are big on truffles, obviously the time to do that is truffle season, which I think is December but others will tell you is November. (For me personally, I would rather go in high hazelnut season than truffle season, and I like truffles. it's just that the hazelnuts are fantastic.)

Others may correct me on this but I don't think Piemonte gets difficult snows until late December (with the usual caveats about anything can happen), and that's really only an issue if you plan a driving trip. If you are planning a train/bus based trip (not a bad idea if you like drinking Barolo), I suggest you reconsider January. Piemonte is a business place as much as it is a tourist place and I bet you can find places to stay.

The Ligurian coast gets nice weather almost all year round, so you can also think about breaking up some of your all-Piemonte in Autumn/Winter tour with some days in Imperia or even Menton (France). I think a car is a must unless you plan to stay in Torino the entire time (which I could easily do personally).

Finally, I spent a chunk of time in Torino in April and it was blustery. Perhaps close to what you might get on the east coast of the US in April. But it was fine for walking around. I hope you will spend a nice amount of time in Torino. You might enjoy going here:

http://www.museodellafrutta.it/

Thanks, Zeppole. I would only have one week and would be able to rent a car...my regular travel partner cannot go in October/November so I may have to forego the truffles this time. But then, January is still an option. Oh dear, more difficult decisions!!

I was thinking about two days in Torino and the rest in the Piemonte countryside. The trip would be from Saturday to Sunday, by the way.

I will do some reading and return with more questions..

Well, if you are thinking of driving around the Piemonte countryside, you do need to consider road conditions. If you plan on visiting hilltowns, I would want to know if there are months that get ice and snow on the very steep and winding roads. Other lower elevations that connect the main towns have very modern wide roads, which I'm sure get quickly ploughed, and although fog is always a hazard, that's about it.

You might consider another night in Torino -- the food there is really fabulous and it's a fun town with eclectic attractions.

Piemonte is a small place with generally good roads -- and not an overabundance of sightseeing "must sees" to distract you from the eating. I think a compact week would be enjoyable almost anytime of year -- but like I said, about the only time of year I like eating like the Piemontese is when it's cold.

PS: Actually, I shouldn't say Piemonte is "small" because, as Italian regions go, it is one of the heftier ones in terms of square miles. But a gastronomy tour of Piemonte doesn't have to be sprawling.

Just an update: We have all but shelved the idea of traveling to Piemonte in January due to possible bad weather and closings.

Now that my time-frame has shifted to early spring (just before or just after, Easter) I am thinking about a base. I thought we could fly into Turin or Milan.

Question: Museums and shops in Turin appear to be closed on Mondays. Is this true? (Our trip will be Saturday to Sunday, with arrival on Sunday morning. I thought of 2 nights in Turin, Sunday and Monday, but if we will face many closings, I may have to shift Turin to the end of the trip. This makes the flights slightly more problematic but not impossible)



This leaves 5 nights in the countryside. Do you all think it makes sense to have two bases? I have done some reading but am still finding it difficult to discern the differences between the Langhe, Monferrato, etc.


Our usual m.o. is to do some light driving around, hopefully some nice walks, town visits, markets,with emphasis on finding good food in non-fancy settings (no Michelin-starred places need apply!) We will visit a couple of wineries but wine is not a primary reason for visiting.

I am finding many well-regarded B&Bs (many more than in any other region of Italy--the reviews are quite astounding!) but am concerned about the rural location of many of many of these. My partner does not like to drive at night, especially after sampling wine. So I would like to be within walking distance, or a very short drive, of good restaurants. This narrows down the field a bit.

So: Help with selecting a base in Piedmont, please!

I would stay at either Villa Sampaguita near Asti or Villa Favorita near Alba as your base. See Torino as a day trip from there.

We stayed at a fantastic B&B (see my review on tripadvisor) in Monforte d'Alba, Le Case della Saracca, http://www.saracca.com/Default-en.htm. The website is accurate, but the reality is even better. And Guilio, the owner, is really helpful. I received an email from him several weeks ago, which said that his enoteca is now open.

The B&B is on the edge of the village of Monforte, and there are several good restaurants within walking distance (we ate at il Giardino del Felicin one night). Trattoria della Posta is about 3 km down the road, and while it does have a Michelin star, wasn't too fancy and was better-priced than Felicin. There's also a very welcoming enoteca in town, with great complimentary antipasti, Barolo Bar, just off the main square. (Our third night there, we did drive further to dinner.)

This location worked for us because most of our dinners were walking distance or close by (I have the same concern you do about driving in the dark, and drinking, or not, during dinner). Also, our group of 4 was VERY interested in wine, particularly Barolo, so the Barolo area worked better for us. We visited two vineyards, which were wonderful. My favorite was Podere Ruggieri Corsini, run primarily by Loradona Corsini. It's a very small producer, and it was like visiting her house; she was great!

If you want to stay close to where you eat, then maybe two bases would work out better for you. The distances aren't huge, and the drives are so beautiful, but it will expand your dining choices. You could stay part of the time further south, and part further north.

We were going to be in Turin on a Monday, and in researching beforehand, found that yes, many places were closed that day.

Thanks to both of you! The delle Saracca looks gorgeous. I simply cannot believe the wealth of hotels and B&Bs in this area and the amazing reviews they each receive! there are so many that I would like to experience. Maybe the idea of two bases is the best option..

BobNavigator: Would you please expand on why you think Turin ought to be a day trip and not an overnight?
Also, can you tell me a bit more about La Favorita, since that looks to be within walking distance of Alba.

My comment on Torino as a day trip is just to emphasize the fact that it is very doable from those Piemonte locations--the train from Asti is only about :45. I hate to change hotels. If you have the time then go for it. All I know of Villa Fovorita is from their web site and a clients comments. I have stayed at Villa Sampaguita and can surely recommend it. Tim and Rina are two very good reasons why.

Thank you, Bob: Villa Sampaguita does sound wonderful and Tim is most helpful here. My concern is the location; I think I would rather be closer to Alba and also able to walk to restaurants at night.

I have never researched any European trip before this where there appear to be so many inviting hotels and B&Bs--each with fantastic reviews.

Villa Favorita, however, got a less-than-good review in this report but it is on my list..


http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34842057

Here's a link to some reviews of Villa La Favorita:

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/hotels...ita&s=alba

Note that the Villa appears to be (report #1660) a 3 minute drive or 20 minute walk to the historic center of Alba. But, I think that is downhill. If so, you would obviously need to add some time for the return walk. Why don't you email Roberta to be sure?

I've never stayed at La Favorita, but I do remember the road that it's on, which goes uphill from Alba toward Neive (we had lunch at a wonderful restaurant in Treiso, which is on the way to Neive). It's the usual windy, narrow Italian road up the hillside. I don't know exactly how far La Favorite is from the middle of Alba (mappy.com's pedestrian feature might help you there), but I would hesitate to walk along that road. There may be, of course, a separate, more direct path into town.

Those reviews are great..many thanks for posting them. The first review mentions a 5-minute walk to town and another review mentions as easy drive to free parking..

many thanks..I will try to settle on some dates now..

Did you all see this:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/10/19...tml?ref=travel

ekscrunchy,

I have seen many of your posts over the years and would be delighted to have you stay with us but if you want to be in walking distance of a town, then thats not us. and if you want a B&B just outside Alba then VF is probably your best choice, I don't know the exact location, but it looks like an easy downhill walk into town on the map and you could catch a taxi back at night if you have overindulged!

My I ask what makes you choose Alba for your central location?

Tim: Just from your posts here, I can see that the reviews lauding you and Rina are true! I am looking at Alba or around because of the accessibility not only of places to eat at night but also because it appears to be closer to the other towns of interest in the Langhe. I am envisioning drives to places like La Morra, Bra, (one day for Serravalle outlets?) etc. and it looks like this is a good location. Please give me your thoughts!

If I fly into Malpensa, I might even stay overnight someplace closer to there than Alba...I looked at Lake Orta. Then we could continue on to Alba or around and finish up with 2 days in Turin. IF I can find good flights home from Turin. The flights are one of the defining issues as far as the exact itinerary goes.

It would be a lot simpler to just fly in and out of Malpensa, but I am concerned that the drive is too long from there to Piemonte after flying all night..

Ekscrunchy,

Alba is a pretty town, but I rather prefer Asti, and not just because I live close to the latter. Alba’s medieval centre is quite compact, and easily walk-able, but Asti was a much larger and important medieval republic city and has a bigger historical centre (and more sprawling). I also tend to find Alba somewhat touristier and also pricier then Asti, plus I think Asti has a bigger selection of restaurants and shops then Alba.

As for location although Alba is closer to the famous (Langhe) Barolo and Barbaresco wine areas, the recent expansions and new roads have created somewhat of a mess in traffic getting in and out of this town, and its not much longer to get to say Barolo from Asti, then it would be from Alba: 20 minutes from Asti to Alba down the new SS231, which bypasses the traffic mess and goes directly to Barolo or Bra – another 15 minutes (although I prefer going the back road via Canale and the Roero wine area, its more scenic and only a few minutes more). Barbaresco is halfway between the two cities and easily accessible from both (if you stay at V Favorita you can take the back road via Treiso). But for me what clinches Asti’s central location is that it’s much closer to Turin (30 minutes to Eataly via autostrada, a bit longer by train), and its central to the whole Monferrato as well as close to Langhe. You should at least take in a trip to Nizza Monferrato, Acqui Terme and the Southern Monferrato while you are here, and the Northern Monferrato is so often overlooked, but a land of scenic rolling hills studded with hilltop towns and castles, mixed vineyards, orchards, pasture and grain fields, very tranquil after the hills completely covered by vineyards in the more famous areas. But just as good wine and food and some of Piedmont’s most beautiful Romanesque churches.

Serravale outlet is on the main A7 autostrada between Milan and Genoa, it is a bit out of the way, unless you plan to visit the nearby Gavi area or en-route to Genoa, about 50 minutes from Asti, 75 from Alba.

Its not too bad to get from Malpensa to Asti or Alba, (one hour 40 minutes to Asti on the autostrada) our guests do it all the time, but a chilling out day at Stresa or Orta San Giulio can also be very nice in or out bound, allow about one hour to either.

Anyway, I am not trying to change your mind about location, but just wanted to present the case for Asti, which sometimes get lumped in with Asti Spumante in people’s minds! (However funnily enough the fizzy stuff is actually not made in Asti city at all). Asti is perhaps not as famous because of the association in people’s minds for Alba with Barolo and white truffles, however Asti is the most important centre in the region and white truffles tend to be scarcer in Langhe nowadays as they knocked down all the woods to plant vineyards. Our trifulau swears that Asti area has better truffles (and cheaper). And the many wines of the Monferrato, most famously Barbera must be given serious attention (and are a great deal compared with overpriced Barolos).

Enough PR for now, (after all I am an Astigiano) I am sure you will enjoy your stay, only 4 days, 2 in wine country and 2 in Torino, just not long enough!!

Sometimes pictures tell the story--see if this helps. But, our week at Sampaguita was during the Palio d' Asti festival. If you can wait until Sep then do not miss this fabulous event.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=4172

Tim: You are very persuasive!! But the real issue for us will be the ability to walk to dinner. I will do some more reading and may come back to badger you with more questions! I do know that the ubiquitous sparkler is not actually made in Asti but in Canelli. (See, I am doing my homework!)

Last year, I went to a tasting of brachetto d'Acqui and liked it very much! And now I can figure out where THAT wine comes from..

Bob: We cannot go in September. And I would prefer to be there in the off-season anyway..

ekscrunchy,

I'm not sure I'd want to go to one of the lakes in April (certainly not Stresa). If you are going to chill out (figuratively, not literally I hope) after landing in Malpensa, bear in mind that there are some marvelous eating destinations in Lombardia very close to Malpensa (like Novara, which produces Gorgonzola), as well as some terrific sightseeing destinations (like Pavia) that might be better in early Spring.

Also, bear in mind that there is a direct bus from Malpensa to Torino -- 90 minutes.

Here is a link you might find useful in planning the Torino portion of your trip:

http://www.extratorino.it/ENG/index.php

I had a lovely meal at Trattoria delle Poste, but I would not want to be walking on the steep and winding roads near it any time of day, as I recall, especially not for 3km. Also, for reasons of my own, I was paging through Piemonte section of Gambero Rosso the other night, and I was struck by the multiplicity of restaurants it recommends in the town of Bra, birthplace of the Slow Food movement. I have never heard anybody say Bra is a gorgeous place -- maybe it is! I just don't know -- but I might consider a trip where I bed down in Bra, but use public transportation to eat lunch in a different town outside Bra every day, but come "home" to Bra to eat dinner there. Just a thought.

Do you know this website?

http://www.piemontefeel.org/en/come-spostarsi/index.php

PS: I think day tripping into Torino would be an exercise in frustration. And I would rather shop on the delightfully quirky, porticoed via Po than any large fabricated outlet like Serravalle. I suspect with all of Torino's unusual museums and eateries and shopping, you could cobble together an interesting Monday in Torino, or take a quick train or bus elsewhere for the day, and return in plenty of time to barhop and sample the city's legendary stuzzichini.

And you might find this useful:

http://www.otranto.biz/news/2006/feb...-in-turin.html

Zeppole those are great websites. I am saving to look at in more details later.

I really am not a huge fan of daytrips and think I would rather spend a few days in Torino than just go for the day. There are several reasons for this, one of which is that I like to have a hotel to return to before dinner.

Funny that you mentioned Bra. Although it does not get rave reviews here, I also was paging through the SlowFood guide and noticed the many eating places in the town. I wonder if anyone can chime in here with an opinion...

It looks like travelers to Piemonte are spoiled for choice. Obsessive types like me are set on finding the "best" place to stay but in this case it appears that there are so many options, and so many great places to stay.

So maybe we should meet there for dinner!!

I'm certainly up for a trip back to Piemonte!

I'm always ready to pick up and go back to Torino because the Palazzo Madama was closed for renovations when I was there, and I want to see its collection, and I've always regretted I didn't go to the Auto Museum and the contemporary art museum. And there is more than that I'd like to see.

As for the countryside, there is a town called Dogliani near Cuneo with a bakery famed for its hazlenut creations, and I'm inclined to make a pilgrimage. When I tasted a hazlenut in Piemonte, I felt as though I'd never really tasted one before. In general, my zone of interest is around Cuneo, but its not the normal choice.

I, too, would be interested in hearing more about whether Bra has any more charms than just its name.

Here are some pictures.

http://images.google.it/images?q=bra...a=N&tab=wi

And you might find this amusing, ekscrunchy:

http://theshot.coffeeratings.com/200...rino-piemonte/

Talk about obsessed (or overcaffinated), but I do agree with what he says about bicerin.

One more, and I'll quit -- but this one is seriously useful:

http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2000/08/kummer.htm

GREAT articles! Thanks, Zeppole!

Thought I would add this truffle-centric link from a few years back that covers upscale restaurants in Piemonte:


http://www.gastroville.com/archives/italy/000002.html

We had a wonderful time at Villa La Favorita - Roberta was more than helpful and we would return in an instant. The location is very close to Alba and we had a great time visiting it (very quick 5 minute drive). I don't think I would walk it though, since it is such an easy drive.

As far as other towns if you can find something right in one of the smaller towns like Barolo, La Morra or Monforte d'Alba I would look at those as each town is wonderful. Alba is fairly large which has its pros and cons due to it being a bigger town/city.

We went in early May 2007 and the weather was awesome. The red poppies were blooming everywhere and the vines were just starting to leaf. One of the best parts was the clear view of the Alps with the snow on them and the vineyards and towns like Barbaresco in the foreground.

We are planning a return to the area and think about it all the time.

Monty: Many, many thanks for your input. I am having a difficult time making up my mind!

One of the reasons I was leaning toward Alba was that it seems bit bit larger than, for example, Cherasco and La Morra, two other towns I was looking at. So I could, for example, wander around on my own after lunch without having to drive everywhere..

I don't mean to be so persistent, but would you be able to list a few of the pros and cons of staying at La Favorita and in/outside Alba?

We will certainly be renting a car, but from past experience I would like to spare my partner too much driving in and out of tiny, one-way streets, especially at night..

This (more expensive) place has an on-site restaurant and got some good reviews:


http://www.cardinalmazzarino.com/


This one also has a restaurant:

http://www.barac.it/uk/home.htm

Alba itself is medium sized city or town (aprox 30,000 people) - not a village like Barolo, Barbaresco, La Morra etc...

The pros of this means more shopping, more choices for food, theater, people, supermarkets, gas etc...

Cons - Larger means parking and driving around are a bit more difficult. Alba has a restricted center district with a ring of roads around it - it can be confusing at times depending on which road you come into town on, but once you figure out which roundabout to turn off of it is pretty easy. It also doesn't have the small town feel which could be a con. It is similar to a town like Lucca or Siena in my opinion - not like a small hill town or beach town.

Villa La Favorita is just on the edge of town, so it is quiet. The road to the B&B is on the way to Barbaresco and has great veiws and a nice private feel to it - plus you are close to many wineries. The best thing for us was Roberta - she went out of her way to make dinner reservations, winery reservations, told us about festivals, when where and what was going on plus more. She also offered cooking classes which some of the guests were doing while we were there. One other plus, the breakfast food was amazing - some of the best we have had in Italy.

We would do 2 trips per day to different regions and it was very easy to get around. Many places are just minutes away - both restaurants and wineries.

My only change I am thinking of when we go back will be if we are planning 7+ days in Piemonte and wanted more of a house to rent (with other family members) - then we would choose differently and would skip staying with her or we might just stay for a night if we have an extra day (due to the Sat-Sat rentals that seem the norm for most houses).

Monty that is excellent information. Many thanks for taking the time to write. I think I am a bit overly worried about the car situation. I try not to drive in Italy and I cannot help remembering the time when we were attempting to find our hotel in Montepulciano (after an overnight flight and drive from Florence airport) and my partner, the driver, got so fed up with the narrow one-way streets and my lack of skillful navigating that he stopped the car and refused to drive one more inch. I need to banish those memories and have more confidence, I guess! Anyway, thanks again!