# Langhe

Wine hills in southern Piedmont where Barolo and Barbaresco are made from the nebbiolo grape; the vineyard landscape has been a World Heritage Site since 2014. In autumn Alba holds its white truffle fair.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/piedmont/langhe · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How do you get there from Spain?

Fly to Turin Caselle or Milan Malpensa. Alba, the capital of the Langhe, has a train from Turin, but the wineries and hill villages (Barolo, La Morra, Serralunga, Grinzane) are scattered and the bus doesn't reach everything. The practical thing is to hire a car at the airport.

## How do you get around the hills?

By car, along narrow roads from ridge to ridge, over short distances: the distances between Alba, Barolo and Serralunga are counted in a few kilometres. If you're going tasting, have someone who doesn't drink do the driving or hire a transfer with a driver. Alba is the base with the most services; the wine villages are quieter.

## What do you need to book in advance?

Wineries are visited by reservation, and weekends have few places. In truffle season, from October to early December, book a table and accommodation weeks ahead too: the Alba fair fills the area. Truffle hunts are confirmed by email, not on the spot.

## Where to eat and sleep?

For eating, the Osteria dell'Arco serves tajarin and plin in the centre of Alba at osteria prices; the Trattoria della Posta, in the countryside near Monforte d'Alba, has been in the same family since 1875 and opens on Sunday lunchtime; and La Ciau del Tornavento, in Treiso, is the MICHELIN-starred table for the special meal.

For sleeping, Palazzo Finati is a bed and breakfast in a small palace in the centre of Alba, useful if you arrive by train; Cà San Ponzio is a country house with a pool among the vines five minutes from Barolo, closed from December to February; and Il Boscareto, in Serralunga d'Alba, is the resort with a spa, open from the end of March.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Gran Paradiso (a 114.1 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Alba International White Truffle Fair** (3 h · Everyone): The fair is the excuse, but truffle is everywhere in Alba during these weeks: on the menus, in the shops and in the air of the centre. If you want to buy, judges at the market will help you choose and look after you after the purchase too.
What it is and why go
The Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d'Alba has been held every autumn for almost a century and is the leading event for white truffle. Alba owes a good part of that fame to Giacomo Morra, a hotelier and restaurateur who in the 20th century turned the truffle into an international draw; in 1933 The Times called him the king of truffles.
The heart of the fair is the Mercato Mondiale del Tartufo Bianco d'Alba, right in the old town. There the trifolao, the truffle hunters, and the traders sell truffles fresh from the woods, with a quality commission overseeing sales. Around it, over eight weeks, there is a succession of wine tastings, cooking courses, dinners, markets and local festivities.
Who it suits
Anyone who enjoys food and wine, and anyone who wants to see up close a product that is almost never seen outside a plate. You don't need to buy truffle to enjoy the fair: the smell of the market, the shops and the restaurant menus are the experience in themselves.
For families, the fair has its own children's programme, Alba Truffle Bimbi. If you want some peace, a weekday is better: at weekends the centre fills up.
How to buy truffle without getting it wrong
White truffle is sold by weight and its price changes every week depending on the harvest. At the market, the judges from the National Centre for Truffle Studies are there to help you choose and to look after you after the purchase as well: don't be afraid to ask them. Ask to smell the piece and buy only what you will eat within a few days, because fresh truffle quickly loses its aroma. Carry it in a closed container: its smell permeates everything.
Dates and when to go
The 96th edition runs from 10 October to 6 December 2026, with most activities at weekends. The white truffle harvesting season runs from 1 October to 31 January, so there is fresh truffle throughout the fair.
November is the month with the fullest programme. Every autumn the world white truffle auction is also held at Grinzane Cavour Castle, a few kilometres from Alba; in 2026 it took place on 8 November. If you want fewer people, weekdays in October are the best option.
Getting there
Alba has a train from Turin. The reference airports are Turin Caselle and Milan Malpensa. To get around the Langhe and visit wineries or villages at the weekend, a car is almost essential.
What it costs
Strolling around Alba is free. The market has a paid entrance, bought online. The MUDET costs €5 and is free for under-10s. The tastings, courses and dinners in the programme are paid separately. And the truffle itself, if you buy, is what weighs most on the bill.
If it rains
The market and the museum are indoors, as are the workshops and tastings in the programme.
- **Truffle Hunt with a Trifolao and Dog near Alba** (2 h 30 · Families and adults; groups of 6 to 50): Truffles are not farmed: they are hunted. The trifolao knows his trees and the dog does the rest, sniffing until it digs in exactly the right place. Seeing that work up close explains why Alba's white truffle costs what it costs.
What it is and why do it
The white truffle of Alba, Tuber magnatum, lives underground in symbiosis with certain trees, and what reaches the market comes from the woods. Each piece is found by a trifolao, the truffle hunter, with a dog trained for years. It is a trade that is inherited and kept secret: nobody tells where their good trees are.
This outing is run by Tartuflanghe, a truffle-products company in Piobesi d'Alba, in the Roero, at the gates of Alba. It combines three things: a visit to its workshop, where you see how the truffle is selected and pastas, sauces and chocolates are made; a walk through the woods with the trifolao and their dogs; and a tasting of truffle products with wines from a local winery. It is a way of understanding in one morning why the truffle drives the whole autumn economy of the Langhe and the Roero.
Who it suits
Couples, groups of friends and families with children who can manage two and a half hours. Children love the dogs and the search, and the walk is along paths among vines and hazel trees, without difficulty. The staff speak English, French, German and Spanish, so you will have no language problem.
It is not the experience you want if you are after a real night-time hunt, alone with a trifolao: this is an organised outing, designed for groups of 6 to 50 people. If you are travelling alone or as a couple, ask when booking whether they can add you to a group.
Which version to choose
There are three formats. The workshop visit with tasting, an hour and a half to two hours, indoors and without a hunt. The visit with truffle hunt and tasting, of two and a half hours, which is the one this page describes. And the full experience, of four hours, which adds lunch or dinner at Pico Bistrot. The website does not publish prices: they give them to you when confirming the booking.
Getting there
Tartuflanghe is at Località Catena Rossa 7, in Piobesi d'Alba, very close to Alba. The practical way is to go by car: by public transport the area is poorly connected. If you are sleeping in Alba, a taxi is the other option.
When to go
The experience runs all year, and in the woods different truffles are sought according to the season: summer, autumn and white. If you want it to be the white, come between 1 October and 31 January, when its harvest season is open. October and November are the peak months, when it coincides with the Alba fair.
Book in the morning: the slots are from 9:00 to 12:00, which leaves you the afternoon for Alba or a winery.
If it rains
If the day is very rainy, ask whether they keep the woodland outing; the workshop and tasting version is indoors. Another option in Alba is the MUDET, the truffle museum, open every day except Tuesday from 10:30 to 18:00, for €5.
- **Fontanafredda's Historic Cellars in Serralunga d'Alba** (1 h 30 · Adults; the tasting is not for minors · Desde 35 € per person): Fontanafredda is a vineyard estate between Alba and Serralunga d'Alba, founded in 1858, with historic cellars reached by stairs and an underground tunnel. The basic visit, Scopri Fontanafredda, lasts an hour and a half and ends with three wines, one of them a Serralunga Barolo. It costs €35 per person and is booked beforehand.
What it is and why it matters
The estate began as property of the royal house of Savoy: King Victor Emmanuel II bought it for Rosa Vercellana, the Bela Rosin, his companion, and his son began making wine here. Today the estate works like a small village, the Villaggio Narrante, with vineyards, woodland, restaurants and accommodation.
On the visit you walk through the old cellars, with the great wooden casks where Barolo ages, go down stairs and cross the tunnel that links the halls underground. The explanation centres on nebbiolo, the Barolo grape, and on the Serralunga vineyards that surround the estate.
Visits and prices

Scopri Fontanafredda: €35, 1 h 30 min. Visit to the historic cellars and tasting of an Alta Langa Limited Edition, a Nebbiolo d'Alba Marne Brune and a Barolo from the Comune di Serralunga d'Alba.
Il Barolo di Serralunga: €45. The same visit with three Barolos.
Le Vigne del Barolo: €50. Visit and three Barolos from the estate's most historic vineyards.
L'Alta Langa: €45. Visit and three traditional-method Alta Langa sparkling wines.

Visits are in Italian and English, with start times that vary by season and language, roughly between 10:00 and 17:15. At weekends there are fewer places. It is closed on 25 and 26 December.
How to book
You book on the Villaggio Narrante website, using the booking button for each experience, or by phone on +39 0173 626 481. If you cancel four days or more ahead you can change the date; with three days or less, there is no change or refund. They are also sold as gifts, valid for 18 months.
Getting there
The estate is at Via Alba 15, in Serralunga d'Alba, on the road between Alba and Serralunga, a few minutes by car from Alba. If you are going to taste, have someone else drive: the tasting includes three glasses and the Langhe roads are full of bends.
It is very close to Grinzane Cavour castle, so they combine in a morning.
Accessibility, children and dogs
The route has stairs and an underground tunnel; wheelchair access is only guaranteed for the first part. The tasting is not served to minors: if you are with children, ask when booking. Dogs are welcome on the estate, but in the cellars they only enter carried or in a crate; assistance dogs, without restriction.
Inside the cellars the temperature is low all year: bring a layer even if it is hot outside.
When to go
All year. In autumn, with the grape harvest and Alba's white truffle fair, the area fills up: book a week or two ahead. In winter there are fewer people and more places.
- **WiMu, the wine museum in Barolo Castle** (1 h 30 · All ages · Desde 9 € per adult): The WiMu is an interactive wine museum spread over the floors of the Falletti castle, in the centre of the village of Barolo. It is not a museum of winemaking technique: it tells the story of wine through history, art and myth, as an interactive journey. Entry costs €9, and for €3 more you can have a glass of Barolo at the Regional Enoteca, in the cellars of the same castle.
What you see and why it matters
The Falletti castle was the home of the marquises who ruled Barolo and whom village tradition links to the birth of the wine that bears its name. Today it houses two things: upstairs, the WiMu, an interactive journey through the culture and tradition of wine; downstairs, in the cellars, the Enoteca Regionale del Barolo, where you can taste and buy Barolo from different producers in the area.
Opening hours

General hours: every day from 10:30 to 19:00, last entry at 18:00.
From 16 November: 10:30 to 18:00, last entry at 17:00.
Closed on 24 and 25 December.

Tickets

Adults: €9; with the Wine Experience, a 25 ml tasting of a Barolo DOCG at the Regional Enoteca, €12.
Over-65s: €7, plus €3 if you want the tasting.
Ages 6 to 14: €1 for the first child accompanying an adult paying full price; €3 from the second child.
Up to age 5: free.
Families, on the second Sunday of each month: €18 for two adults and one child, or €21 for two adults and two children, with the Giocamuseo included.

Tickets are bought at the castle's ticket office. For groups or questions, the museum can be reached on +39 0173 38 66 97 and at info@wimubarolo.it.
How long it takes
Allow an hour and a half for the museum at a relaxed pace, and a little longer if you go down to the enoteca to taste or buy.
Getting there and parking
The castle is at piazza Falletti 1, at the top of the old part of Barolo, a few minutes' walk from anywhere in the village. Barolo lies south-west of Alba, among vine-covered hills; the practical way is to arrive by car and leave it outside the old centre, which has narrow streets. If you are going to taste, let someone else drive.
With children
It works for families: the museum is interactive and children aged 6 to 14 pay €1 for the first one. On the second Sunday of each month there is a family rate with the Giocamuseo. The tasting, of course, is for adults only. If you have a pushchair or wheelchair, ask at the ticket office about access to the floors.
How it fits into your day
Right opposite the castle are the Marchesi di Barolo cellars: do the museum first and then the cellar visit. On the way from Alba you can stop at Grinzane Cavour Castle, with its regional enoteca, or at the Fontanafredda cellars, in Serralunga d'Alba. In October and November, the white truffle fair fills Alba and the villages around it at weekends.
- **Grinzane Cavour Castle and its regional wine shop** (1 h · All ages · Desde 8 € per adult): An 11th-century castle with a tower on top of a vine-covered hill between Alba and Barolo, where Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, was mayor for 17 years. Inside are the Langhe Museum, the historic rooms and the Enoteca Regionale Piemontese Cavour, where you can taste and buy local wines. Entry costs €8 and the visit takes an hour.
What you see and why it matters
The central tower dates from the early 11th century, built on an old lookout point. In 1546 Pietrino Belli bought the castle and the following year had the coffered ceiling of the Hall of Masks made, with 156 painted masks. In the 19th century the property passed to the Benso family, and in 1832 the young Camillo Benso, aged 22, was appointed mayor of Grinzane: he held the post for 17 years, before becoming the politician who led the unification of Italy. In 1932 the last owner donated the castle to the city of Alba.
The Langhe Museum fills the rooms: the rural life of the hills, ethnographic displays and mementoes of Cavour. Among the rooms, the Hall of Masks, the Hall of Frescoes and the renovated Alba white truffle room stand out. Around the castle there is an open-air museum that is always open.
Downstairs is the Enoteca Regionale Piemontese Cavour, opened on 27 November 1967 as the first regional enoteca in Piedmont and the second in Italy. It brings together wines from the Langhe and the Roero and runs tastings and seminars.
Opening hours

Until 31 October: every day from 10:00 to 19:00, last entry at 18:00.
From 1 November: 10:00 to 18:00, last entry at 17:00.
Closed on Tuesdays.

According to the castle's website, on Sunday 8 November the museum closed for the world white truffle auction of Alba, which is held at the castle every November; that day the enoteca opened from 10:00 to 18:00. In 2026 the museum also closed from 7 January to 13 February: check the castle's website if you are travelling in winter.
Tickets

Standard: €8.
Reduced: €6 for over-65s, students and groups of more than 25 people.
Ages 6 to 14: €3.
Under 6s: free.
Audio guide: €3.

Holders of the Abbonamento Musei and the Torino+Piemonte Card get in free, as do people with disabilities and their companion. Guided visits are available for groups of 15 to 35 people, lasting about 45 minutes, if you book a week ahead: €50 in Italian and €60 in English or French, on top of the entry fee.
Getting there
The castle is at via Castello 5, in Grinzane Cavour, on the road between Alba and Barolo, a few minutes by car from Alba. The practical way is to drive: public transport through the hills is scarce. For any questions, call +39 0173 262159 or write to info@castellogrinzane.com.
With children and accessibility
It is a one-hour visit that works with children if you tell them the story of Cavour or keep them busy with the truffle room and the masks on the ceiling. Under-6s get in free and children aged 6 to 14 pay €3. Ask at the ticket office about access to the different floors if you are travelling with a wheelchair or pushchair.
How it fits into your day
Grinzane is halfway between Alba and Barolo, so it works as the first stop of a day in the Langhe: the castle and the enoteca in the morning, then the Fontanafredda cellars, very close by, or the village of Barolo with the WiMu. In October and November, the truffle season, combine it with the Alba white truffle fair or a truffle hunt.
- **Marchesi di Barolo's Historic Cellars, in the Village of Barolo** (Adults): The Marchesi di Barolo cellars are in the centre of the village of Barolo, opposite the castle that gives the wine its name. They open every day from 10:30 to 18:00 and are visited by reservation: you walk through the old halls, with their great casks, and finish with a tasting. As the castle houses the WiMu, the two visits can be done without moving the car.
What it is and why it matters
The house claims that Barolo was born here, in the village that gives it its name, more than two hundred years ago, in the time of the Falletti marquises, the lords of the castle. It is the wine that in Piedmont they call the king of wines, made only from nebbiolo.
The historic cellars are on Via Roma, opposite the castle. The visit walks through the halls where the wine ages and ends in the tasting room.
Visits, tastings and booking
The winery opens every day from 10:30 to 18:00. Visits and tastings are booked on its booking website, linked from the visits page, where you choose day, time and type of experience and see the price. The visits page does not show prices: you see them when choosing the experience.
For queries, reception can be reached on +39 0173 564419 and at reception@marchesibarolo.com. In autumn, with the grape harvest and Alba's white truffle fair, book with room to spare: the village fills up at weekends.
Getting there and parking
Barolo is a small village among vine-covered hills, south-west of Alba. The practical way is to arrive by car, along winding roads between vineyards. Leave the car outside the old town and walk in: the streets in the centre are narrow. The winery is at Via Roma 1, a step from the castle square.
If you are going to taste, have someone else drive: the Langhe roads do not forgive the second glass.
How it fits into the day
Barolo can be seen in a long morning or an afternoon:

WiMu. The wine museum in Falletti castle, which explains wine through history, art and myths, with the Enoteca Regionale del Barolo in the cellars.
Marchesi di Barolo. Visit and tasting in the cellars opposite.
Walk through the village. The streets around the castle, with wine shops and viewpoints over the vines.

If you have another half day, the Fontanafredda cellars, in Serralunga d'Alba, and Grinzane Cavour castle are a quarter of an hour away by car.
Children and accessibility
The tastings are for adults. If you are with children, the WiMu interests them more; ask when booking whether they can accompany you on the cellar visit. If you use a wheelchair, ask about the accessibility of the halls when booking.
Inside the cellars the temperature is low all year: bring a layer.

## Dónde comer
- **Osteria dell'Arco** (Restaurant, Alba, €€). Qué pedir: La Tradizione to start (Russian salad, knife-beaten raw meat and vitello tonnato), the tajarin "40 tuorli" and the bunet for dessert.
- **Trattoria della Posta** (Restaurant, Monforte d'Alba, €€€). Qué pedir: The veal rotondino with old-style tonnata sauce, the 30-yolk tajarin cut by knife with ragù and the roast kid or rabbit.
- **La Ciau del Tornavento** (Restaurant, Treiso, €€€€). Qué pedir: The agnolotti del plin ai tre arrosti (€30), with truffle in autumn, or the surprise menu of the day's market (€140) if the whole table goes.

## By car: By car, from hill to hill
The Langhe are explored by car: Alba, Barolo, Serralunga, Monforte and Treiso are less than half an hour from each other, along narrow ridge roads. Turin is an hour away by motorway. Without a car you reach Alba by train, but not the wineries or the vineyard villages.
Presupuesto orientativo: 110–220 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Palazzo Finati** (Small hotel): A 19th-century townhouse in Alba's old town
Palazzo Finati is a bed and breakfast in a stately house from the early 19th century, on Via Vernazza, in Alba's historic centre. It was renovated while keeping the original architecture, and the common areas and rooms display work by local artists. It is accommodation for those who want to sleep in the city, walk out to dinner and have the hill wineries a quarter of an hour away by car.
From the door, the website reckons about three minutes' walk to Piazza del Duomo and to the entrance of Alba Sotterranea, the visit to the Roman and medieval remains beneath the city; about five to the Teatro Sociale and six to the Maddalena courtyard.
The rooms
There are nine, in two categories, Comfort and Junior Suite, and each has its own name. The smallest, La Terrazza and Il Bambù, are 19 m²; I Ventagli e Il Drappo, 24 m²; Azzurra, Il Sogno, Liberty and La Faretra, 30 m². The largest is La Romantica, at 47 m², with a four-poster bed, a decorated ceiling and a lounge with armchairs: the one you would ask for on an occasion. The website's photos show wooden floors, rugs, period furniture and standard lamps, more old house than designer hotel.
The website lists as services internet, television, a coffee bar, laundry and tourist information. It does not publish check-in or check-out times, the pet policy or whether there is a lift or air conditioning: if you need it, ask when you book.
Breakfast
It is served as a buffet in a room with exposed brick vaults, where archaeological finds from the Roman period are preserved. Alba is built on Roman Alba Pompeia, and it is not unusual for houses in the centre to keep remains in the cellar.
Getting there and parking
By train, Alba is connected to Turin and the station is a walk from the centre. By car, bear in mind that Alba's historic centre is a limited-traffic zone: the B&B's website does not indicate private parking, so ask when you book where to leave the car and do not enter the centre without permission. To get around the hills, Barolo, Serralunga and Grinzane Cavour are between 15 and 25 minutes away.
- **Cà San Ponzio** (Country house, desde 120 € / night): The grandparents' house, among vines and hazelnut trees
Cà San Ponzio is a cascina, an L-shaped country house, which belonged to the grandparents of the current owners: they played there as children. They renovated it with original materials, terracotta, stone and iron, and kept the floors, beams, furniture and old windows wherever they could. It is in Vergne, a hamlet in the municipality of Barolo high in the hills, and looks over the Tanaro valley and the Alps, with Monviso in the distance.
Barolo, La Morra and Novello are about five minutes by car; on foot, in five minutes you are in the centre of Vergne, with a restaurant and a bakery. From the garden, trails lead off between the vines.
The rooms
There are twelve doubles, all with a balcony, private bathroom with shower, independent heating, fan, satellite television and wifi. The largest have a mezzanine and sleep three or four: a good option for families. The website publishes these rates per room per night, with breakfast: double for single use, €90 to €120; double, €120 to €150; triple, €140 to €180, and quad, €160 to €200. Rooms are allocated according to availability, and for the double you can ask for a double bed or two beds. The tourist tax is paid separately, €1.50 per person per night.
Check-in is from 14:00 to 19:00; if you arrive after 20:00 there is a €20 supplement per room. Check-out is at 11:00, and can be extended to 19:00 for €40, subject to availability. Cancellation is free up to seven days before.
Breakfast, pool and spa
Breakfast is a buffet with local cured meats and cheeses, homemade cakes and jams, in a room with an old fireplace or, in good weather, in the garden. The pool, about 14 by 7 metres with slightly salty water, is among vines and hazelnut trees, with sun loungers, parasols and a snack bar; it is used only by guests of the house and the adjoining campsite. The small spa has a Finnish sauna, Turkish bath, hydromassage tub and showers, and is booked: from €50 for two people for a 120-minute circuit.
There is a lounge with a fireplace and a library, private parking partly covered and a laundry with washers and dryers.
- **Il Boscareto Resort & SPA** (Spa hotel): A resort among the vineyards of Serralunga
Il Boscareto is on the Roddino road, in the hills of Serralunga d'Alba, the village of the castle and the Fontanafredda wineries. It is the luxury accommodation in this selection: 49 rooms and suites, all with panoramic views, a large spa, two restaurants and even a helipad. It is for a special getaway or for those who want the hotel to be part of the trip.
It closes in winter. The website announces that it receives guests again from 27 March, so in late truffle season and in the cold months you will have to look for another option.
The rooms
There are six categories. The Classic rooms are the most intimate, with warm fabrics and natural colours; the Deluxe have large windows towards the vineyards and the hills. The Junior Suites gain space and light, and the Junior Suites with terrace look onto the nebbiolo hills and, on clear days, Monte Rosa and Rocciamelone. Above are the Suites, with large glass walls, and the Suite Terrazzo, with a panoramic terrace. All have an entertainment system, the resort's own fibre optic and room service, and give access to the spa.
The website does not publish prices or check-in and check-out times; rooms are booked on its booking engine or by phone.
Spa and restaurants
La Sovrana SPA has a Sala delle Acque with a stone and mosaic pool at 28 °C and glass walls that open to the outdoors, and a hot tub at 33 °C. On the ground floor there is a Finnish sauna with a window onto the landscape, an aromatic Turkish bath, sensation showers, frigidarium, treatment rooms, a relaxation room with fireplace and a Technogym gym. The pool room opens from 8:00 to 20:00 and the wellness circuit from 10:00 to 20:00. The circuit is for adults and over-14s accompanied; children under 14 may use only the pool, from 8:00 to 14:00 and with an adult.
There are two tables. La Rei Natura, the fine-dining restaurant of chef Michelangelo Mammoliti, which the website's home page presents with three MICHELIN stars; and Il Sunsì, a bistro run by chef Alessandro Capalbo, for a simpler dinner without leaving the resort.
Getting there
Serralunga is about 20 minutes by car from Alba and a little over an hour from Turin. The resort has covered parking for 62 cars with three electric charging stations.

## By plane: Fly to Turin and hire a car to Alba
Turin is the airport for the Langhe for those leaving Spain: there are direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Seville and Málaga, and from Caselle airport to Alba it is about 90 km, a little over an hour by motorway. Milan Malpensa has more routes from Spain, but is about two hours by car. Hire the car at the airport: the wineries and vineyard villages do not have good public transport.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Palazzo Finati** (Small hotel): A 19th-century townhouse in Alba's old town
Palazzo Finati is a bed and breakfast in a stately house from the early 19th century, on Via Vernazza, in Alba's historic centre. It was renovated while keeping the original architecture, and the common areas and rooms display work by local artists. It is accommodation for those who want to sleep in the city, walk out to dinner and have the hill wineries a quarter of an hour away by car.
From the door, the website reckons about three minutes' walk to Piazza del Duomo and to the entrance of Alba Sotterranea, the visit to the Roman and medieval remains beneath the city; about five to the Teatro Sociale and six to the Maddalena courtyard.
The rooms
There are nine, in two categories, Comfort and Junior Suite, and each has its own name. The smallest, La Terrazza and Il Bambù, are 19 m²; I Ventagli e Il Drappo, 24 m²; Azzurra, Il Sogno, Liberty and La Faretra, 30 m². The largest is La Romantica, at 47 m², with a four-poster bed, a decorated ceiling and a lounge with armchairs: the one you would ask for on an occasion. The website's photos show wooden floors, rugs, period furniture and standard lamps, more old house than designer hotel.
The website lists as services internet, television, a coffee bar, laundry and tourist information. It does not publish check-in or check-out times, the pet policy or whether there is a lift or air conditioning: if you need it, ask when you book.
Breakfast
It is served as a buffet in a room with exposed brick vaults, where archaeological finds from the Roman period are preserved. Alba is built on Roman Alba Pompeia, and it is not unusual for houses in the centre to keep remains in the cellar.
Getting there and parking
By train, Alba is connected to Turin and the station is a walk from the centre. By car, bear in mind that Alba's historic centre is a limited-traffic zone: the B&B's website does not indicate private parking, so ask when you book where to leave the car and do not enter the centre without permission. To get around the hills, Barolo, Serralunga and Grinzane Cavour are between 15 and 25 minutes away.
- **Cà San Ponzio** (Country house, desde 120 € / night): The grandparents' house, among vines and hazelnut trees
Cà San Ponzio is a cascina, an L-shaped country house, which belonged to the grandparents of the current owners: they played there as children. They renovated it with original materials, terracotta, stone and iron, and kept the floors, beams, furniture and old windows wherever they could. It is in Vergne, a hamlet in the municipality of Barolo high in the hills, and looks over the Tanaro valley and the Alps, with Monviso in the distance.
Barolo, La Morra and Novello are about five minutes by car; on foot, in five minutes you are in the centre of Vergne, with a restaurant and a bakery. From the garden, trails lead off between the vines.
The rooms
There are twelve doubles, all with a balcony, private bathroom with shower, independent heating, fan, satellite television and wifi. The largest have a mezzanine and sleep three or four: a good option for families. The website publishes these rates per room per night, with breakfast: double for single use, €90 to €120; double, €120 to €150; triple, €140 to €180, and quad, €160 to €200. Rooms are allocated according to availability, and for the double you can ask for a double bed or two beds. The tourist tax is paid separately, €1.50 per person per night.
Check-in is from 14:00 to 19:00; if you arrive after 20:00 there is a €20 supplement per room. Check-out is at 11:00, and can be extended to 19:00 for €40, subject to availability. Cancellation is free up to seven days before.
Breakfast, pool and spa
Breakfast is a buffet with local cured meats and cheeses, homemade cakes and jams, in a room with an old fireplace or, in good weather, in the garden. The pool, about 14 by 7 metres with slightly salty water, is among vines and hazelnut trees, with sun loungers, parasols and a snack bar; it is used only by guests of the house and the adjoining campsite. The small spa has a Finnish sauna, Turkish bath, hydromassage tub and showers, and is booked: from €50 for two people for a 120-minute circuit.
There is a lounge with a fireplace and a library, private parking partly covered and a laundry with washers and dryers.
- **Il Boscareto Resort & SPA** (Spa hotel): A resort among the vineyards of Serralunga
Il Boscareto is on the Roddino road, in the hills of Serralunga d'Alba, the village of the castle and the Fontanafredda wineries. It is the luxury accommodation in this selection: 49 rooms and suites, all with panoramic views, a large spa, two restaurants and even a helipad. It is for a special getaway or for those who want the hotel to be part of the trip.
It closes in winter. The website announces that it receives guests again from 27 March, so in late truffle season and in the cold months you will have to look for another option.
The rooms
There are six categories. The Classic rooms are the most intimate, with warm fabrics and natural colours; the Deluxe have large windows towards the vineyards and the hills. The Junior Suites gain space and light, and the Junior Suites with terrace look onto the nebbiolo hills and, on clear days, Monte Rosa and Rocciamelone. Above are the Suites, with large glass walls, and the Suite Terrazzo, with a panoramic terrace. All have an entertainment system, the resort's own fibre optic and room service, and give access to the spa.
The website does not publish prices or check-in and check-out times; rooms are booked on its booking engine or by phone.
Spa and restaurants
La Sovrana SPA has a Sala delle Acque with a stone and mosaic pool at 28 °C and glass walls that open to the outdoors, and a hot tub at 33 °C. On the ground floor there is a Finnish sauna with a window onto the landscape, an aromatic Turkish bath, sensation showers, frigidarium, treatment rooms, a relaxation room with fireplace and a Technogym gym. The pool room opens from 8:00 to 20:00 and the wellness circuit from 10:00 to 20:00. The circuit is for adults and over-14s accompanied; children under 14 may use only the pool, from 8:00 to 14:00 and with an adult.
There are two tables. La Rei Natura, the fine-dining restaurant of chef Michelangelo Mammoliti, which the website's home page presents with three MICHELIN stars; and Il Sunsì, a bistro run by chef Alessandro Capalbo, for a simpler dinner without leaving the resort.
Getting there
Serralunga is about 20 minutes by car from Alba and a little over an hour from Turin. The resort has covered parking for 62 cars with three electric charging stations.

## As a family: Vineyards, castles and truffle dogs

The Langhe may seem like a destination for adults because of the wine, but with children it works if you alternate: a winery for the grown-ups and a castle, a museum or the woods for them. Distances are short and almost everything is less than half an hour by car.

### What works best
The truffle hunt with a trifolao and dogs in Piobesi d'Alba

The WiMu in Barolo, with a family rate on the second Sunday of each month

Grinzane Cavour Castle, €3 for ages 6 to 14 and free for under-6s

The Alba fair, with activities for children on autumn weekends

### Where to sleep
Alba, with more services and a train station

Farmhouses among the vineyards, with a garden and room to run around

### Where to eat
Tajarin and agnolotti in any osteria: almost all children like them

Picnics with views at the villages' viewpoints

### Keep in mind
Tastings are not for minors: have a plan B for them at every winery

The roads have lots of bends: watch out if anyone gets carsick

In November it is cold and foggy in the morning

### Qué hacer as a family
- Alba International White Truffle Fair
- Truffle Hunt with a Trifolao and Dog near Alba
- WiMu, the wine museum in Barolo Castle
- Grinzane Cavour Castle and its regional wine shop

## Consejos

### Two wineries a day, not four
Each visit lasts an hour and a half. With two a day you have time to eat unhurried and see the villages.

### Barolo in a single stroll
In the village of Barolo you have the WiMu and the Marchesi di Barolo cellars a few steps apart. Park once.

### November, for the truffle
The Alba fair, the weekends with the fullest programme and the world auction at Grinzane Cavour all coincide.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How many days do I need?
Three nights: one day for Alba and the truffle, another for Barolo and Grinzane Cavour, and another for Serralunga wineries.

### Can you visit without a car?
Alba yes, by train from Turin. For wineries and villages you need a car, a taxi or an organised tour.

### When is the truffle fair?
In 2026, from 10 October to 6 December, in Alba. The world auction is on 8 November at Grinzane Cavour castle.

### Are there activities for children?
Yes. The WiMu in Barolo has a family rate, Grinzane Cavour castle costs €3 for children and on the truffle hunt they follow the dogs through the woods.

### How much does a winery visit cost?
From about €35 per person with a tasting of three wines, for example at Fontanafredda.