Piedmont
Situated 66km northwest of Vercelli in northern Piedmont, Varallo guards the Sacro Monte di Varallo, the oldest of Italy's nine Sacri Monti (Sacred…
Must-see attractions in Piedmont
Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio
Turin
A grand backdrop across the Po from Piazza Vittorio Veneto, this church was built in the style of a mini-Pantheon from 1818 to 1831 to commemorate the…
Langhe, Roero & Monferrato
Dating back to the early 1700s, La Morra's stolid bell tower soars 31m above Piazza Castello. Make your way up the narrow staircases for fine 360-degree…
Piedmont
This 6800-hectare park spreads across two valleys – the Valle Pesio and Valle Tanaro – located in an area south and east of Cuneo. It's a great place for…
Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi
Turin
You can take in the hunting-themed decor at this grand Savoy lodge, some 11km southwest of Turi. It also has English-style gardens and grounds, a lovely…
Turin
A sumptuous 17th-century Savoy refit of an 11th-century castle; the 19th-century gardens with lakes, caves and follies are great for rambling. It's…
Alba
There's been a cathedral here since the 12th century, though the current terracotta-brick affair is mostly the result of an almost complete neo-Gothic…
Piedmont
Saluzzo's medieval rulers meted out justice from the 13th-century Castello dei Marchesi – aka the Castiglia – atop Saluzzo's old town. There are guided…
Piedmont
Worth a brief stop is the forbidding Forte di Exilles, overlooking the quiet village of Exilles, 15km west of Susa. Its military role only ended in 1943…
Cuneo
Cuneo has some wonderfully dark and mysterious churches. The oldest is the deconsecrated San Francisco convent and church, which today hosts this museum…
Piedmont
In addition to the unmissable Arco d'Augusto, you can see the remains of a Roman aqueduct and a still-used amphitheatre here, along with a druid well that…
Turin
One of the twin churches on Piazza San Carlo, this Baroque beauty was dedicated to San Carlo Borromeo by Carlo Emanuele I in 1619, although the facade…
Parco Naturale dei Laghi di Avigliana
Piedmont
This nature reserve, a lovely natural amphitheatre, is located on Avigliana’s western fringe and includes protected lakes and marshlands.
Bra & Pollenzo
The sloping main square in Bra contains some stately baroque architecture best exemplified by this beauty, designed by Bernini.
Turin
This ornate marble- and granite-fronted church is one of the pair of churches on Piazza San Carlo and dates to 1639.
Turin
The 12th-century Castello di Moncalieri was the first fortress built by Thomas I of Savoy just south of the centre of Turin, commanding the southern…
Istituto Internazionale di Elicicoltura
Langhe, Roero & Monferrato
Cherasco is home to the Istituto Internazionale di Elicicoltura, which provides technical advice for snail breeders (heliciculture is edible-snail…
