Where to go on holiday in Italy: 4 Slow ideas

I’m always looking for something unusual. I create personalized tours for my clients where the common thread is the local experience. I live in Piedmont, but over time I have built a network of friends/colleagues who have the same way of thinking about travel.

Holidays in Italy are a mine of sensations, opportunities for recreation and culture. The country has a network of wonderful itineraries. A heritage of art that make it an open-air museum. And then what? Wine and food without equal in the world, which besides being unique always tell the story of the places we meet. Word of gourmand.

And so in this year where the invitation is to stay in Italy and discover our beauties, I felt the need to illustrate some of them choosing among the less known ones, where it is easier to live a slow holiday in harmony with the place and the people met.

LET’S START TRAVELING IN ITALY!

• Turin will amaze you. Great city but with an easy and squared architecture. Forget Fiat’s Turin, which grew up a bit unregulated. Today Turin is an elegant city that has opened up more and more to tourism and offers countless opportunities to spend one or more very interesting days. A walk in Via Roma and Via Po, with historic shops and cafes, protected by long arcades. The Mole Antonelliana with the Cinema Museum. The famous Egyptian Museum that conquers young and old with its halls. I also recommend the Church of San Lorenzo to discover its secret!

In the evening a walk along the Lungo Po, at the Murazzi and maybe a good beer at Open Baladin. You’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to sleep.

I recommend a “special” guided tour: get to know Turin through its historical food, for example (breadsticks, gianduiotti, bicerin…).

• From Turin you can head to the Ricetto di Candelo: find yourself immersed in medieval life. An incredible jump into the past! I recommend a guided tour to learn more about the customs and traditions of the time and project them into the buildings you will visit.
• Still in the north of Turin you will find Lake Maggiore. Stresa and the islands of the lake are well known and very popular. My advice? Lose yourself in the gardens of Villa Taranto. In any season you’ll find flowery and well-kept expanses. The history of the Villa is very interesting!
• If you’re not from the area, maybe you don’t know the Burcina Park. The expanses of rhododendrons that colour the hill. Wanted by the visionary founder of the Piacenza family. A trip to the company store in Piacenza could give you a few moments of shopping!
• If you love bucolic landscapes, if you have already heard of Via Francigena, it could be very satisfying and relaxing to visit the small town of Novalesa. A stop for lunch in a trattoria in the village will certainly be a nice prize for the palate.
• I can only conclude with Lake Orta. A day strolling around the town, a quick transfer by boat to visit the Island of San Giulio and learn about the stories of the monastery.

We at SlowDays love the Langhe (we live there!) and can therefore advise and guide you in choosing a holiday in these fantastic places.

• Alba, capital of the Langhe. You can’t miss a holiday in these areas. Visit the Saturday market, a showcase of small producers of fruit, vegetables, hazelnuts, cheese. Sitting in Via Maestra (it’s called Via Vittorio Emanuele but nobody calls it that way) to taste an aperitif, mostly a glass of excellent wine. Have dinner in one of the trattorias or in a starred restaurant. Go shopping in one of the many shops that overlook the main streets. Have a day in a beautiful SPA. Stroll or rent an e-bike to explore the hills.
• Barbararesco and Barolo. Joined by their famous wines and the Bar to Bar path for those who love walking.
• The castles of the Langhe: Many, majestic and scenic! The Castle of Grinzane, the Castle of Serralunga, the Castle of Barolo. A walk or a ride in the Langhe are the ideal way to get to know them!
• The Langhe benches are now 100! It’s hard to see them all but they are once again a beautiful game of discovery that accompanies the walks and rides.
• The Alta Langa and its wonderful and open landscapes. A visit to Bossolasco, the land of roses. The discovery of the world of bees. The taste of sheep’s cheese illustrated by those who produce it.
• An Enogastronomic Tour in the Langhe will introduce you to the excellence of this territory!

To sleep in this area you can choose Alba, with many accommodations of all levels. You will be comfortable to walk around in the evening and reach several restaurants without needing a car. Or you can decide to stay in the hills, in farmhouses or small hotels, with the possibility of swimming pool and with a view of the Langhe guaranteed. The Alta Langa can be a very interesting choice if you love the quiet, cool summer evenings!

If you love the mountains and are wondering where to go on holiday in Italy, Piedmont is an excellent choice. Here I will introduce you to the mountains of the province of Cuneo, although the region is full of magnificent resorts that also hosted events during the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.

Limone Piemonte

The mountains in every season

If you are looking for a place where you can enjoy the mountains throughout the year, discover Limone Piemonte. It offers the appealing Riserva Bianca ski area, a lovely village in both winter and summer, good accommodation, excellent restaurants and numerous seasonal events. Limone is the favourite mountain destination of people from Cuneo and Alba; many own a second home here and take advantage of even short breaks to enjoy the Alps.

Its well-marked network of trails is increasingly popular with hikers from other Italian regions and with international groups who come to follow the long Via del Sale.

The Alta Via del Sale is a former military road connecting the Piedmontese and French Alps with the Ligurian Sea. It runs at an altitude of between 1,800 and 2,100 metres.
The unpaved route links Piedmont with Liguria and ends at Monesi di Triora. The complete road is approximately 30 km long and can be travelled on foot or by bicycle. Some motor vehicles are permitted, although on certain days it is closed to motor traffic. Naturally, it is accessible only after the snow has melted.

Prato Nevoso and the Mondolè area

This resort is also close to Alba and Cuneo and has become very popular with skiers from Liguria. Prato Nevoso, Artesina and Frabosa combine to offer an attractive destination for mountain lovers in both summer and winter.

The largest ski area in the province of Cuneo lies in the heart of the Ligurian Alps, offering excellent skiing for every ability level.

In summer, a large adventure park, concerts, events and miles of well-marked trails complete the area’s attractions.

The Maira Valley

I dedicated an article to this valley and to the wonderful, tenacious people who live there: Elva, the Maira Valley and young people who love history and nature

If your answer to the question “where should I go on holiday in Italy?” is a collection of destinations and a touring holiday, take a look at these ideas.

One possibility is an itinerant cycling holiday. We created one for two clients from Alaska—how did they ever think of the Langhe?—with every detail designed for them through a long and enthusiastic exchange of emails.

Or discover the honeymoon itinerary we created for Laura and her husband:

• Arrival at Turin airport
• Two nights in a Turin hotel with a spa
• A food itinerary discovering Turin’s culinary specialities
• Transfer to the Langhe and a hotel in the hills
• A day exploring Barolo with a driver-guide and several tastings
• A day hiking in the Barbaresco area, followed by tastings
• Transfer to Alba during the Truffle Fair
• A progressive lunch with tastings and a discovery tour of Alba
• A traditional Piedmontese dinner
• Transfer to the airport

I could also tell you about the minibus-and-bike journey and truffle experience we arranged for our friends from Iceland. Read the story here: From Iceland to the Langhe

As you can see, Piedmont offers countless possibilities. It is never an obvious destination: it is truly a region to discover and savour!

I hope I intrigued you with my descriptions. Holidays in Italy are not a fallback!

I can’t wait to leave, you too?

Note: Turin is easy to reach by air via Turin Caselle Airport. By train, arrive at Porta Susa or Porta Nuova station. From Turin you can easily reach Alba by train, with services every hour. If you need airport parking, convenient and affordable parking is available nearby.