Destination of the Week

Italy's Piedmont

If you're traveling to the French or Italian Riviera - or to Genova - or just heading into Milan on business, you have a chance to experience some beautiful countryside, terrific people and a number of really great wines.      They're all in a region north of San Remo, Piemonte . . . The Piedmont.

The translation, "foot of the mountain", hints at the beauty of the Alpine skiing area including the Sestriere, Bardonecchia, and Limone Piemonte.   There are ranges where you ski with your passport - starting in Switzerland and finishing a run in Italy.   The northern area includes the Valle d'Aosta, a series of ridges and valleys where the Italians speak French - and sometimes Swiss - and you can look to the northern boundaries that include Mont Blanc and The Matterhorn.

Turin is the central city in The Piedmont.   It's industrial, somewhat like Milan but more industry and less "business".   It's the home of Fiat.   Like Milan, it has its "arts" side, too.   In fact, the art here would make most cities of its size envious.   There is one of the best-known Egyptian museum.   The Egyptian Museum (Museo Egizio, in the Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze) of Turin is the second only to the museum in Cairo in size.

There's also the Duomo di San Giovanni.   It's the home of the Shroud of Turin.   There are also significant collections of Italian and European artists at the Galleria Sabauda.   As you travel the wide boulevards, you'll see multiple examples of buildings that run the gamut from Renaissance through baroque to contemporary.   Follow that with a view of the Palatine Gate and Valentino Castle and you'll find the trip more than worthwhile.

To the east, do not miss Lago Maggiore.   It's second only to Lake Garda in size, dwarfing Lake Como, and far more interesting.   At the mouth of the lake is the medieval fort Rocca Angera, the "guard gate" for traffic on the lake for centuries.   The Museo della Bambola (doll museum) at The Rocca offers 12 rooms of dolls from history.   In the middle of the lake are Isola Bella with a huge Italian garden and large baroque palace, Isola Pescatori (island of the fishermen) and Isola Madre, also with a palace and park and featuring and English garden complete with white peacocks and parrots and exotic plants and flowers.   It's a great day trip . . . quick stops at a bakery, butcher shop and wine shop and you're off to the races for a lake-side picnic that's unparalleled.

In the wine arena the hillsides facing south have become famous for delivery of the great Barolo and Barbera.   Barolo is from the Nebbiolo grape as is Barberesco; the Barbera varietal - Barbera d'Alba in this region - is from its own grape and grows either side-by-side with Nebbiolo or at the lower elevations and north-facing slopes where Nebbiolo doesn't do well.   Other varietals include Dolcetto d'Alba, Dogliana, Roero Arneis and Moscato d'Asti .

These wines are rich and complex and, at the same time, just plain fun.   As you taste them you'll find out why they've become so revered.   And if you can, make the 2000 Barolo your choice to fill your quota coming back through customs.   These wines are almost universal in their "100" tasting scores.

The cuisine to experience along the way is different from traditional Italian - even Northern Italian.   White Truffles and butter, polenta, and egg pasta that's almost always home made, Piemontese meals are big and more ornate than simpler meals of the South.   You'll find a definite French influence in the cuisine while the Italian tradition of many courses over a long period - with plenty of great wine - prevails.

You can find hotels easily and there are many bed & breakfasts.   There are plenty of campsites, too, if you're so inclined.   Getting around by train is fairly easy but this is one area where a car is advantageous.   With it, it's much easier to make day trips to Langhe, Roero, and Asti, the major wine producing regions.   You can rent bicycles, too, to get around in the smaller towns.   The spring, summer and fall weather will be beautiful.

Got a destination in mind? Start planning your trip here.