Why Choose Piedmont?

Geography

One of Piedmont’s greatest strengths is its geography.

I’ve had clients in the past choose the region almost by putting a pin in a map — perhaps not literally, but you understand the point. Its location alone makes it incredibly attractive.

We have the Alps surrounding us to the north, west, and south, meaning a trip into the mountains is wonderfully easy. Within one or two hours, you can be standing among some of Europe’s highest peaks. From behind my own house, I can see Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, the Klein Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, and Monviso — the mountain famously used in the Paramount Pictures logo.

And once you get properly into the mountains, the scenery becomes breathtaking.

Personally, I love the Colle del Nivolet. It was even featured in the 1969 film The Italian Job, which automatically makes it cooler.

So Much to Discover

Piedmont is incredibly diverse.

We have vineyards stretching across the hills, hazelnut orchards, sunflower fields, and even lavender fields in certain areas. The landscape ranges from dramatic 600-metre hilltops to gentle rolling countryside at 200 metres that rivals anything Tuscany can offer.

And then there are the towns.

Everyone knows the famous Barolo villages:

• Monforte d’Alba
• Serralunga d’Alba
• Grinzane Cavour
• Castiglione Falletto

And if you visit Castiglione Falletto, make sure you stop at Bar Renza.

But some of the lesser-known places are equally beautiful.

In the Roero area, for example, we have Canale — genuinely one of my favourite towns in the entire region.

In Monferrato, places such as Montemagno and Cella Monte are absolutely wonderful, and there are countless other villages waiting to be discovered.

There are literally thousands of wineries to visit, endless cafés, and enough excellent restaurants to keep you busy for years. And all of this is still just Piedmont.

What’s Nearby?

This, for me, is where the region becomes truly exceptional.

Last weekend we went to Lake Como and stayed in Cadenabbia, directly opposite Bellagio.

What an incredible place. And the best part? It’s only about three hours from our home near Alba — and an easy three-hour drive at that.

The Ligurian coast is roughly 90 minutes away.

Provence in France can be reached in around four hours, and the drive itself is spectacular.

Last month we drove to the Dolomites. We lowered the roof on the car and spent the day driving through mountain passes, stopping for coffee, wine, and simply admiring the scenery. The peaks there are astonishing. And again — it’s only around four hours from Alba.

If you go, stop in Vicenza on the way. It’s beautiful. Wonderful cafés, elegant piazzas, stunning villas… and perhaps most memorable of all, impossibly glamorous Italian women flying through the ancient streets on bicycles.

Free Advice

Here’s some free advice: Forget Venice, Verona, Florence, and Rome.

Now, before people get upset — yes, they are historically extraordinary places and absolutely worth seeing once. But today they are overwhelmed by tourism. Crowded streets, overpriced restaurants, tourist traps, impossible parking, inflated coffee prices.. after a while, it can become exhausting.

Some American friends recently returned from Venice and honestly hated the experience.

Here’s the important point: Those places are not the “real” Italy anymore. In many ways, they’ve become giant tourist machines.

The real Italy is found elsewhere. Visit the smaller towns. Talk to local people. Eat where workers eat lunch. Sit in cafés where nobody speaks English. Discover the rhythms of normal Italian life.

And as a general rule: if the restaurant menu has photographs of the food on it… walk away immediately.

Seriously.

That said, we’ve just returned from Lake Como ourselves, and yes, you could argue that it too has become touristy.

But we visited in October, which made all the difference.

There were still visitors around, but the atmosphere was relaxed and enjoyable. People were friendly and happy to chat, the cafés were lively, glamorous girls were creating Instagram content everywhere, the food was excellent, and the whole experience felt elegant rather than stressful.

And remember — all of this is just three hours from Piedmont. I could go on, but I won’t.

Instead, I challenge you to open a map — or simply search for Alba on Google Maps — and see what lies within a few hours of this remarkable region.

Owning a home here starts to make an awful lot of sense.