Piedmont is a food lover’s paradise and home to some of the most world renowned cheeses and wines. Piedmont's signature dish, "bagna cauda," is a delicious fondue made of garlic, anchovies, olive oil, butter and milk and served with a whole host of vegetables, bread and grissini (bread sticks). Dishes of pasta, prized beef and truffles are always high on the menu.
The local cuisine is elegant, with a French influence and is always freshly prepared. Indeed food lovers from Milan and Turin flock to the region on a weekend to enjoy the sumptuous and rather lengthy menus, so booking a table is always a good idea.
South of the region is the home of the treasured white truffle, a much rarer version than the more commonly found black truffle. Look out for the truffle market in Alba, every Saturday morning during the season
| | Outdoor markets are some of the most interesting in Italy and Piedmont is no exception. Across the region you will always find a market full of antiquities, priceless art and knick knacks, and then there’s the fantastic choice on offer at the food markets. If you’re in the city of Turin, the daily market in Piazza della Republica is said to be Europe’s largest open air market and is a must see for all tourists on the hunt for a one-off purchase.
Shopping in Turin is a typical Italian city full of the most popular brands, alongside unusual shops selling the local Piedmontese produce. | | Piedmont is often called the ‘Burgundy of Italy’ as it is most famous for its boutique wines. In certain areas of the region, villages dedicate their lives to the vine with families inheriting the wine production business. The world famous wines of the region are the DOCG Barolo and Barbaresco wines, named after the villages in which these grapes are grown. Both fantastically rich heavy bodied wines made with the native Nebbiolo grape.
Luckily, there are a whole host of public and private enoteche (wine exhibition centres) and botteghe del vino (wineries) which invite visitors to taste and learn all about Piedmontese wines.
| | Rich in art and architecture, Piedmont offers a whole host of castles, palaces and prized works of architecture to admire. Amidst the classic architecture of the Italian city of Turin, stands the unusual and rather striking design of the Mole Antonelliana. Dominating the city’s skyline its dome at 160m high was designed by Alessandro Antonelli and now houses the National Museum of Cinema. The famous Residences of the Royal House of Savoy are scattered throughout the province and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Most noteworthy is the Royal Palace restored numerous times and now a museum housing art and furnishings belonging to the past sovereigns. In the centre of Turin there is also the Palazzo Madama housing the civic museum of ancient art. Also worthy of a visit is Cherasco, the town with star-shaped walls and the most famous abbey in the province Staffarda, a most impressive example of gothic architecture.
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