Elegant Piemonte Cycling

Throughout our blogs, we’ve always tried to give you a flavour of the regions we cover with our cycling tours all over the north of Italy.

But there’s one significant region we haven’t really touched on yet, and it really does deserve some love. Situated in the far northwest of Italy is the famed region of Piedmont.

The second-largest region in the country, Piedmont has its own unique feel thanks to its close proximity to France and Switzerland. And it’s because of these outstanding characteristics that make it a memorable place to visit, not only for its rolling, undulating landscape, but also its world-famous food and wine.

Piedmont’s history is only one of the amazing things about this region, and that’s saying something in a country dripping with significant history and culture. Piedmont was the centre of the unification movement back in the mid-19th-century, so you could argue that without this area (and the House of Savoy) there would be no modern Italy at all.

Sandwiched between Lake Maggiore to the northeast and Provence in France to the west, the region is also known for being a powerhouse of industry and innovation – especially its auto industry. Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia call the region’s capital, Turin, their home.

But journey out of the cities with their regal palazzi, and Piedmont turns into something different…. and very special.

The name Piedmont literally means ‘at the foot of the mountains’, and with the Alps looming to the north, the countryside is a rustic wonderland full of fertile valleys, rolling hills and magnificently evocative landscapes. Throw in vineyards and medieval castles and it truly is a feast for the eyes.

As well as the bellies...

This fertile land produces some outstanding ingredients that are the envy of the rest of the world.

Piedmont is known for its rice growing, and you’ll see paddies in fields all over the region. Named after the town of Arborio, the short-grained rice grown here is used to make risottos all over the world. 

The region is also famous for its outstanding and succulent meats like veal, beef and rabbit. Meat is popular two ways here – raw meats like cruda (tartare), and unctuous slow-cooked dishes using Piedmont’s world-famous wines (more on those later).

There’s one other famous product that you’ll find in the region… truffles. The coveted and earthy funghi is one of Piedmont’s true defining elements. A whole culture and way of life have grown around the hunt for these luxurious morsels, with truffle hunts through the forests with specially trained dogs a common sight in woodland near to the town of Alba, one of the region’s epicurean epicentres. 

Part of a UNESCO World Heritage network of wine-producing areas in Piedmont, it’s the place where we base our Elegant Piedmonte tour. (The town is also famous for its chocolate-making).

January to April is the time to search out the winter black truffle, May to November the summer black truffle grows, and from September to January is the season for the region’s famous white truffle.

On our Perfect Piedmont tour, we work with the Pressanda family who offers up its La Torricella agriturismo and spa to our customers. Near to Alba and truffle country, it’s a spectacular place in which to be based, and provides endless views of vineyards and hills, an on-sight spa to help ease those muscles after long days in the saddle and some utterly fabulous food and wine.

And how can you forget the wine….

Piedmont is home to some serious players on the world stage. Think Barolo, think Barbaresco (both from the Nebbiolo grape), and think Asti spumante (from the Moscato grape). If you love wine, Piedmont is absolutely the place for you. 

Want something a bit different but no less spectacular? Why not take a hot air balloon ride around the region? It’s a unique and unforgettable journey that IBT can deliver, to see this storied land from a vantage point that has to be seen to be believed.

If you want to know more about Piedmont or our Perfect Piedmont tour, get in touch today – our friendly and knowledgeable team will be happy to chat about what it can offer, as well as how our tour gives you a true flavour of a place that has its own unique characteristics.