3 Best Sights in Piedmont and the Valle d'Aosta, Italy

A few minutes beyond the French-speaking village of Pont St. Martin, you pass through the narrow Gorge de Bard to reach the fortress that has stood guarding the valley entrance for more than eight centuries. Take a series of funiculars up the mountain to see the fort's five fascinating museums: Museo delle Alpi, dedicated to the history and culture of the Valle d'Aosta region; Le Prigioni, an interactive walk through the former prisons; Museo delli Fortificazioni, which looks at defense techniques (fortifications) over the centuries; Museo delle Frontiere, which examines the political, economic, and cultural meaning of borders; and a children's museum, Le Alpi dei Ragazzi. The fort also hosts regularly changing exhibitions featuring contemporary Italian artists. There's also a restaurant with well-prepared local foods, and a hotel if you want to extend your stay.

No visit to this motor city would be complete without a pilgrimage to see the perfectly preserved Bugattis, Ferraris, and Isotta Fraschinis at this museum. Here you can get an idea of the importance of Fiat—and cars in general—to Turin's economy. There's a collection of antique cars from as early as 1896, and displays show how the city has changed over the years as a result of the auto industry.

Spread over three floors of the Barolo Castle, this quirky wine museum looks at the emotions behind the region’s top tipple. The entertaining interactive exhibits explore such themes as the moon in harmony, the geometry of life, and the history of wine, through films, displays, and art—just don’t expect a glass of Barolo at the end.