Grinzane Cavour Castle and its regional wine shop

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 [email protected].

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.