Best Things to Do in Piedmont & Liguria (2026 Guide)

The best things to do in Piedmont and Liguria reward those who take their time with wine and food as much as scenery. The Langhe hills of Piedmont — centred on Alba, La Morra, Barolo village, and Barbaresco — produce Italy’s most celebrated red wines (Barolo from Nebbiolo grapes ages 10-30 years in the bottle). The cellar door culture here is informal by Bordeaux standards — simply visit Vietti in Castiglione Falletto, Bruno Giacosa in Neive, or Gaja in Barbaresco and expect a personal welcome. The Enoteca Regionale del Barolo in Barolo village’s castle has every Barolo producer’s wine available for tasting. The Museo Egizio in Turin — with 40,000 ancient Egyptian artefacts — is the world’s second most important Egyptian collection after the Cairo Museum. The Cinque Terre (five villages — Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore — connected by coastal trail and train) are best visited on weekdays and outside July-August for a less overcrowded experience.

Best time to visit

Piedmont: September-November for the truffle season (white truffles from Alba, the world’s most expensive, are at their best October-December) and wine harvest. May-June for spring wildflowers in the alpine foothills and fewer crowds. Liguria and the Cinque Terre: April-June and September-October for the best coastal trail conditions without summer heat and crowds. July-August the Cinque Terre is extremely crowded; some coastal trails may be closed due to landslide risk after winter rains. Turin is a year-round city — winter has excellent skiing access (Sestriere and Via Lattea resort are 90 minutes away).

Getting around

Turin Caselle Airport connects Piedmont to main European hubs. Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport serves Liguria and the Riviera. High-speed trains connect Turin to Milan (1 hour) and to Genoa (2 hours). The Trenitalia Cinque Terre train (La Spezia to Levanto, stopping at all five villages) is the best way to move between the villages — buy the Cinque Terre Card for unlimited train rides plus trail access. A rental car is essential for exploring the Langhe wine country around Alba and Barolo. The SP 9 wine road through the Langhe is one of Italy’s finest driving routes.

What to eat and drink

Piedmont has Italy’s most complex regional cuisine. Tajarin (thin egg pasta with Barolo ragù or white truffle butter) is the region’s pasta. Bagna cauda (warm anchovy-and-garlic dip with raw vegetables) is the winter communal dish. White truffle shaved over fried eggs or pasta in Alba from October-December is a once-in-a-lifetime eating experience. Cuneo’s Miroglio chocolatier and Turin’s confectionery houses (Pfatisch, Gobino, Venchi) make the finest gianduiotti (hazelnut-chocolate pralines). In Liguria, pesto alla Genovese (made correctly with Pra’ basil, never in a blender) is the definitive preparation for trofie pasta. Focaccia di Recco (thin crispy flatbread filled with stracchino cheese) from Recco village, east of Genoa, is extraordinary. The Ligurian Riviera’s vermentino white wine and Cinque Terre DOC whites are excellent aperitivo choices.

Areas to explore

Turin (Torino) — The Mole Antonelliana (panoramic lift to the top, National Cinema Museum inside), the Museo Egizio, the Royal Palace and Armory, the Porta Palazzo market (Europe’s largest open-air market), and the Quadrilatero Romano aperitivo district.

Langhe Wine Country (Alba, Barolo, La Morra) — Barolo village (Enoteca Regionale in the castle), La Morra viewpoint (best Langhe panorama), Castiglione Falletto (Vietti winery), and Alba’s white truffle market (October-November).

Barbaresco / Neive — The Barbaresco production zone north of Alba. Gaja, Bruno Giacosa, and Produttori del Barbaresco cellar doors. Neive medieval village has excellent small restaurants with Langhe menus.

Genoa (Genova) — The medieval Caruggi (narrow alley network, Italy’s largest surviving medieval urban centre), the Porto Antico (redesigned by Renzo Piano), the Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco fine art museums, and the Christopher Columbus birthplace.

Cinque Terre — Vernazza (the most photogenic village, with a harbour castle and piazza), Monterosso al Mare (the only village with a proper beach), and the Via dell’Amore coastal path. Buy the Cinque Terre Card for rail and trail access.

Portofino — The famous harbour, the Castello Brown fortress above the village, and the San Fruttuoso Abbey (accessible only by boat or 90-minute trail). Day trip from Santa Margherita Ligure by ferry.