TURIN, LE LANGHE AND LE TERRE D’ASTI

1° Day Turin

You will arrive in your hotel in Turin late in the afternoon. Evening meal and accommodation.

2° Day Turin

Breakfast in hotel then departure for the city of Turin: Piazza Castello opposite the Teatro Regio, then you will visit the city centre on foot. From Piazza Castello you can see the numerous ancient Baroque buildings: above all Palazzo Madama, where you will visit the Medieval court with is glorious and elegant stairway; the Palazzo Reale, once the major governing headquarters, and the Palazzo Chiablese, the Armory and the Royal Library. You will also visit the Dome of San Giovanni that looks onto the archaeology site of Turin, with its Porte Palatine and ancient theatre; the Church of San Lorenzo, the chapel of the Savoia family that is considered one of the three hundred most beautiful churches in the world; Palazzo Carignano with its majestic wavy façade that is one of the most elegant squares in the city, and is so rich in history and traditions that it is considered a “Risorgimento Assembly”; Count Cavour used to come out of Parliament every day and go to the famous Ristorante del Cambio for lunch. Your walk will continue through the Galleria Subalpina, built in Liberty style, where you will be told about the “bicerin” drink made from cream, coffee, chocolate and hazelnuts from Piemonte. Absolutely delicious!. Lunch in a restaurant. Visit to the Egyptian Museum in the afternoon where you can admire the second largest collection of significant objects in the world after the one in Cairo. The Egyptian Museum in Turin has thousands of objects brought into Italy by Drovetti and Schiapparelli at the beginning of the XX century. Here you will see mummies, statues, ampoules, precious and everyday objects that belonged to Deir el Medina. Return to hotel for evening meal and accommodation.

3° Day Alba - The Serralunga Fortress

Breakfast in hotel then departure for a scenic tour of Langa where you will visit the Fortress of Serralunga d’Alba in the heart of the Barolo area. Lunch based on typical, local products from the Langhe in a restaurant, then arrival in Alba. The polygonal shaped network of roads that goes round the city walls encircle a Medieval, neat old part is rich in tower houses and Romaneque-Gothic , Lombard style houses built during the Baroque period. The low Langhe area, rich in vineyard covered hills, runs along the banks of the Cherasca nel Tanaro river. Gourmet experts know the region thanks to its high class wines, its white truffle and its peaches. The industrial development has helped the town expand even more. You will visit: the Dome, San Giovanni Battista, San Domenico and the Civic Museum. Next destination will be the lands of the great wines with a stop for some wine tasting at a local wine producing farm. Return to hotel for evening meal and accommodation.

4° Day Asti – Monferrato - Terre Del Barbera

Breakfast in hotel then departure for Asti, home town of Vittorio Alfieri: the Cathedral, Collegiata di San Secondo. Lunch based on typical products from Monferrato in a restaurant out in the country. In the afternoon visit to a wine distillery where you will be given the chance to taste some of the finest grappas from Asti. Excursion along the hills of the Barbera area. Return to hotel for evening meal and accommodation.

5° Day Turin - Venaria

Breakfast in hotel then departure for Venaria with a guided tour of the Reggia di Venaria Reale, a huge building where the members of the Royal Family stayed when they went hunting, or simply wanted to relax and enjoy themselves. Venaria is an excellent example of Baroque art, and shows just how the aristocrats loved beauty and how keen they were to have Turin and the region of Piemonte added to the list of the most important European cities that were part of the Olympus. Next a relaxing walk wherever you wish to go along the gardens of Italy, then lunch in a restaurant. Return to Turin in the afternoon for you to do some shopping if you wish, then transfer to hotel for evening meal and accommodation.

6° Day Turin

Breakfast in hotel.