Piedmont means “foot of the mountain” and on a clear day the Alps can be seen to the North from the hill above our house.

The Langhe hills are very fertile and the people proudly agricultural. They are famous for producing three things: wine, hazelnuts and truffles.

Turin, the regional capital and home of Fiat, is about an hour and half drive’s away. Other places worth visiting are Alba (about half an hour north), famous for its ancient towers, food shops and, of course, the truffle market. Also, Asti (45 minutes North East) – once known only for its spumante, it is a small city with a good range of shops and the Northern version of Siena’s palio.

Further afield is the South of France and skiing (both about two hours away to the West) and the Italian seaside at Savona (about an hour and a half) down to the Ligurian coast south of Genoa.

For more on the Langhe (including a usually reliable weather forecast), please visit: www.langhe.net

Click on the map for a close up view