Arrival at Turin airport. Delivery of the rental car (if requested) and transfer on your own to a fabulous rural complex in the Langhe, check in and accommodation. Free time in the afternoon to refresh and relax. Accommodation
DAY 2: The Langhe
After breakfast at the resort, departure for a full day excursion to the Langhe and Roero: ancient towers and castles, dating from various eras, dominate the succession of hills covered with vineyards. In this area, the winemakers’ wineries make and age some of the world’s most unique wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Arneis and Moscato, just to name the most important.
This excursion will take you along the trails of Barolo in Monforte d’Alba among the vines that give life to the most precious “cru”. Arrival in Monforte d’Alba and visit of the urban area called “Saracca”, the historic center that welcomed the “Cathar” community in the Middle Ages.
Lunch will be on your own, in a local restaurant, where you can taste the typical gastronomy of the area.
The excursion continues to the towns of Novello and Barolo, visiting the historic center. At the end of the tour, you will be very thirsty and want to try some of these wonderful wines, which is why we have scheduled a Barolo wine tasting in a family winery. With more than eighty wineries, each with its own style, setting and wine history, the Barolo area offers special adventures for everyone. The taste of this unforgettable wine, together with impressive panoramic views and behind-the-scenes tours of wineries and caves, will make you have a unique experience. Return to the resort and accommodation.
DAY 3 : Langhe – Turin (House of Savoy) – Langhe
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Turin and enjoy a half-day tour of its wonderful historic center. Turin, capital of Piedmont, Is a city with grace and charm, featuring magnificent Baroque architecture and excellent museums, set in the splendid landscape of the Pre-Alps. Admire the Royal Palace, the Cathedral, the Piazza San Carlo with its famous cafes. Turin is home to a series of Royal Castles and Palaces of considerable historical and artistic value, which are part of an architectural and urban project aimed at creating an ideal environment in the city. They are known together as a whole as the Crown of Delights of the House of Savoy.
Lunch at a local restaurant where you can taste one of the most famous dishes in the city, the Vitello Tonnato.
This afternoon take the opportunity to visit some of these majestic palaces, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites the grandest and most famous is La Venaria Reale (Turin’s “Versailles”), a monumental complex dating from the mid-17th century. The estate consists of 80,000 square meters, 60 hectares of gardens, 3,000 hectares of fenced and protected park (Parco della Mandria) and the adjoining historic center. Together they form a single architectural and environmental continuum that offers a brilliant example of European Baroque.
Next to the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi, a sumptuous building from 1729, the Savoy family’s favorite hunting and entertainment venue for spectacular parties and solemn weddings, it was also the residence of Napoleon in the early 14th century. Return to the resort. Accommodation
DAY 4: Langhe – Alba – Langhe
Breakfast at the resort. This morning we recommend that you visit the amazing city of Alba with the old town area that is often full of the best chefs and food lovers in the world. Do not forget to visit the Town Hall, which, given its central position and the role played in the history of the city, is one of the main attractions of the town. Built on the site of an ancient Roman building, the town hall has some valuable paintings inside.
The Cathedral of Alba, dedicated to the patron saint of the city, San Lorenzo, with it most likely having been built around the 12th century, to then be repeatedly restored and remodeled over the centuries, until obtaining its current appearance, the result of the works carried out to late nineteenth century.
We also recommend visiting the church of San Giovanni Battista, run for more than three centuries by the Augustinian Fathers and characterized by a medieval layout of which, unfortunately, there are not many traces left, but which preserves paintings of great value inside.
Today we have reserved a delicious lunch for you in a restaurant in the area, where you can taste the quintessential product of the area: the white truffle. At the end of the day, return to the resort. Accommodation
DAY 5: Langhe – Val di Susa – Aosta
After breakfast at the hotel, you will leave Piedmont for the Aosta Valley, one of the smallest regions in Italy. 90% of the area is mountainous and the only road out of Piedmont follows the valley of the river Dora Riparia, making it an extremely picturesque road. Before reaching the valley, you will make a stop to visit the monastery that inspired Umberto Eco’s novel “The Name of the Rose” : The Sacra di San Michele dominates the Val di Susa since 983, houses pilgrims and lost souls, and is a beautiful place for meditation.
To enter the church, climb the Staircase of the Dead, named for the niches along the walls that housed the mummified remains of the monks, and cross the beautiful Portal of the Zodiac, built by the architect-sculptor Nicolao. Inside the church you can find remarkable 16th century paintings and a rarity: the rocky peak of Mount Pirchiriano rising through the pavement. During the special visits on the first Saturday of each month it is also possible to visit the Museum of the Newspaper, the Library with its 10,000 books, the old rooms of the House of Savoy and, again, tombs, arches, portals, and paintings.
In the afternoon visit Susa, one of the most important historical centers in Piedmont, rich in Roman and medieval remains. Access to the historic center is through the imposing Porta Savoia (or Porta del Paradiso) from the III-IV century: it was part of the robust walls that surrounded Susa to defend it from frequent barbarian invasions. From here we go to the Arch of Augustus, built in 9-8 BC. You cannot leave without visiting the Cathedral of San Giusto with its towering bell tower. Continue to Aosta, a little gem sometimes called the “Little Rome of the Alps”, with its striking Roman ruins, medieval towers and churches, and cozy cafes and boutiques. Accommodation.
DAY 6: Aosta – Gran Paradiso National Park – San Bernardo Valpelline Valley – Aosta
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, we will stop to admire a Roman aqueduct before following the Cogne valley to its main town of the same name. Cogne sits on a stretch of green grass surrounded by majestic mountains. It is a beautiful tourist center and serves as the gateway to the Gran Paradiso, the oldest National Park in Italy. The park was once a hunting ground for the king, but paradoxically it has now become a sanctuary for chamois and ibex, native to this area. We recommend a leisurely walk to Lillaz, a small mountain town, where you can admire its splendid series of waterfalls.
We recommend that you go to Saint-Rhémy, where you can visit the Jambon de Bosses curing plant, a delicate local cured ham that has been awarded the D.O.P. The local climate and the particular seasoning give this ham its typical aromatic flavor. The products can also be tasted and bought in the specialized shop “Jambon De Bosses depuis 1397”.
On the way back to Aosta, stop at the “Cooperative Producers of Milk and Fontina cheese” in Valpelline, also known as the “Museum of Fontina cheese”. Here you will find several areas where educational panels and objects related to the history and world of Fontina are exhibited, as well as a projection room where a video of the production phases of Fontina DOP is shown, a multimedia station and a store that sells cheese., butter, fontina, and fondue.
Next to the Fontina Museum there is a gallery excavated in the rock that is used for the maturation of this delicious cheese: the maturation room can be visited at certain times, it is located in an old copper mine and offers a suggestive show with hundreds of wheels, of cured cheeses, each individually cured by hand.
Tonight, we have reserved a local restaurant for you where you can taste typical local cheese dishes, including the famous fontina. Accommodation
DAY 7: Aosta – Pont St. Martin – Issogne Castle – Fort Di Bard – Aosta
After breakfast at the hotel, departure to the Renaissance castle of Issogne, one of the most evocative in the area, but not before having made a stop to visit the high Roman bridge of Pont St. Martin, used until the 1880s by motor vehicles.
Continue to Issogne and visit the Castle, considered the richest and best preserved in the Aosta Valley, richly decorated with Gothic murals. Visitors are particularly impressed by the frescoes depicting scenes from everyday life: the tailor’s shop, the pharmacy, the butcher’s shop, the guardhouse, the fruit and vegetable market, the baker, the grocer and the gastronomy, which give a glimpse clear of everyday life dating back more than 500 years.
Continue along the “Strada Romana delle Gallie”, which dates back to the 1st century BC. This communication route was the first public work that the Romans carried out in the Aosta Valley, replacing the waterproof roads that crossed the Alps. Although the road section is only 223 m long, it is quite surprising that it is cut almost entirely into the live rock at a height of more than 12 m. There is also an arch over the road, always carved out of the rock by Roman workers. The road, more than 4 meters wide, is marked by deep furrows made by the old cars that traveled it.
In the afternoon, on the way back to your resort, visit the nearby imposing Bard Fort, an imposing fortress famous for keeping Napoleon’s Grand Army at bay for more than a month. Inside the huge complex, with futuristic funiculars to take visitors to the top, is the ultra-modern Multimedia Museum of the Alps, opened in 2006. Return to the resort and accommodation.
After breakfast at the hotel, departure to Turin airport. Return of the rental car (if previously requested). ARRIVEDERCI Piedmont and Aosta!
Inclusions:
– 4 nights in the Langhe area in a country house (Agriturismo Da Mamma or similar) in standard rooms bed and breakfast
– 3 nights in the Aosta area in a 3-star hotel (Hotel la Bicoque or similar) in standard rooms bed and breakfast
– 1 Barolo wine tasting at a local winery
– 1 lunch at a local restaurant in Turin (3 courses – without drinks)
– 1 lunch at a local restaurant in Alba (3 courses – without drinks)
– 1 dinner at a local restaurant in Aosta (2 courses – without drinks)
Operating until 31st October 2024
Contact Us at 800-621-2259 or info@tourcrafters.com to book today!
*Package descriptions and pricing are subject to change without notice.
TourCrafters Blog 