Barolo gourmet's paradise no.1!
Piemonte is Italy’s paradise for true connoisseurs of mouth-watering food, truffles and fabulous wines. The Langhe region is set between the Alps and the Apennine mountains and is blessed with the fertile lands that produce the Tuber Magnatum - a prized white truffle - and some of Italy’s most prestigious red wines: the Barolo and Barbera. Discover a spectacular array of local specialties including gourmet cheeses, pastries and chocolates that are appreciated the world over. This walking trip takes you amidst a magnificent landscape of rolling hills dotted with small picturesque villages, elegant castles and feudal towers, walking through vineyards and hazelnut forests and staying in small rural villages where the accommodation is charming and welcoming.
Highlights:
♦ Novello - the wine capital of Barolo
♦ Vineyard walks and carefully groomed hazelnut forests
♦ Spectacular views of the snow capped alps on clear days
♦ An infinite selection of incredible wines, cheese, sweets and chocolates to taste along the way
Itinerary:
Day 1. Alba
Arrive in Alba, the heart of Piedmont wine country, a captivating medieval city of a “hundred towers” and a treasure chest of flavours and aromas. After checking in, go out for a walk to explore the town and why not stop in one of its many divine pastry shops to tempt your palette. Treat yourself to the sweet tastes of Italy.
Day 2. Roddi - Barolo
Today’s itinerary starts with a transfer to Roddi. Crossing several hills, you reach the rustic hilltop village of La Morra from where you continue to the hamlet of Vergne. On route you have several wine tasting options. On clear days you can see the Alps and Mt. Monviso that stay snow-capped till the beginning of summer. In La Morra you can visit the Ratti Museum to learn history, tradition and the art of the good wine. Stop at Cantina Comunale (closed on Tuesdays) that has a wide selection of wines to taste and buy, and a lot of videos on local wines and gastronomy. The walk can be shortened by about 4 km when starting in Verduno instead of Roddi.Depending on where you have been booked, you may end your walk in Vergne or Barolo.
Ending in Vegne. Distance:15 km , +522m/-426m, 5h.
Ending in Barolo: Distance:13km, +446m/-409m., 3.5h.
Day 3. Barolo - Monforte d’Alba
Passing by the old village of Novello, with its Middle Aged tower you reach the wine capital of Barolo, where the famous wine is produced. Spend some time exploring the recently opened WiMu Wine Museum located in the Castello dei Marchesi Faletti snf lunch at one of the great local trattorias. From here on the walk passes through vineyards and forests and takes you to Monforte d’Alba, a nice hill top village.
From Vergne - Distance: 11km, +440m/-415m , 3h.
From Barolo - Distance: 8km, +440m/-200m , 3h.
Day 4. Monforte d’Alba - Cissone
The landscape is far more varied than on the previous days as you leave the vineyards behind and climb through tidy hazelnut forests and wild woods surrounding the ancient hamlet of Serralunga d’Alba. From here a steep climb brings you to Roddino from where a long descent takes you to the final climb up to Cissone.
Distance: 15km , +806m/-665m , 6h.
Day 5. Cissone
A glass of local wine from a traditional cantina in the centre of the village is a lovely way to celebrate this day of relaxing and taking it easy. After a short circular walk in the surroundings of Cissone, unwind and admire the splendid views from the farm. The scenery is a unique spectacle, embroidered with vineyards and dotted with towers and castles.
Distance: 8km, +300m/- 300m , 3h.
Day 6. Cissone - Cravanzana
The landscape of the high Langhe area around Cissone is characterised by hazelnut forests and those slopes that are too steep to be cultivated are covered by oaks. This is also the area where you find the most precious of the local treasure: the ‘Tuber Magnatum’, also known as ‘the white truffle of Alba’ and, if you don’t find it underground, you are sure to find it at the local restaurant.
Distance: 17,5km , +650m/-870m , 6h. ,shorter version: 13km, +370 / -550m. , 6 h.
Day 7. Cravanzana - Cortemilia
Today the landscape is as varied as the walk itself. You visit the villages of Torre Bormida and Bergolo that you reach crossing hazelnut plantations and dense chestnut woods using broad forest paths, small grassy trails and narrow cobbled streets until you reach the town of Cortemilia. On clear days the view on the hills and the Alps is breath-taking.
Distance:12km , +485m/-755m , 5h.
Day 8. Cortemilia
The trip and our services end after breakfast.You need to reach Alba (no buses on Sundays) or Asti where you take the train to Turin or Milan airports.
This walking tour in the heartland of Barolo - in the backdrop of vineyards, hazelnut plantations, chestnut forests and through the fields of the white truffle is also available in shorter versions with resp. 5 or 3 nights - contact us for a good offer!
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►Getting there
Turin International Airport is served by both major and low cost carriers.
Milan’s Linate and Malpensa Airports are further away but served by many more flights.
There are several daily trains from Turin to Alba and you must change either in Asti or in Cavallermaggiore. Travel time is approximately 1,5 – 2 hours.
It is possible to book a transfer from Turin and Milan to Alba and vice versa. If you arrive by car it is possible to park the car in Alba at a hotel parking lot against a fee paid on spot.
►Activity characteristics
The walks are along vineyards, uneven footpaths, mule tracks and small gravel roads (strade bianche). The trails through the vineyards can get slippery, muddy and heavy-going when wet or after it has rained. The trails do not always have markings.
►Luggage transfer
Luggage transfer is included in your package; this is normally provided by the accommodation itself or by a local taxi.
Please clearly mark all your belongings with your name and put a small note with the name of the next accommodation in order to indicate where the bags should go to next (check your accommodation list). Also ask the accommodation owner where the bags should be left in the morning. Labelling your belongings prevents mix ups, delays and loss. Bags should be ready and at the reception or store room by 9:00 hrs.
If you are unable to walk, you can always ask, if the luggage transporter can take you with him when transporting your baggage, but this is not always possible and sometimes you have to pay a small fee locally. In some countries there are special insurances for transporting peoples and sometimes the car is not suited for transporting persons. When you travel with public transport you always take your luggage with you unless specified differently.
Travel Insurance MAde Easy with Penguin Travel and IATI.