The Langa of Barolo

Landscaped

The most famous hills of the Langhe are a crown decorated with castles and its most precious gem lies in the middle: Barolo.

Starting point of this long tour is Grinzane Cavour, with its Castle, a historical monument of national importance. It is a place that opens the heart and mind and will take you back in time, when Camillo Benso planned a thousand reforms, right from here, and dreamt of a united Italy. Not to be missed, alongside the Museo delle Langhe (Museum of the Langhe), is Piedmont's first Enoteca Regionale (Regional Wine Centre), since 1967, and the In Vigna Open Air Museum.

Next, you go up to an altitude of 500 metres in Diano d’Alba, a superb balcony to enjoy a complete view of the whole area from above. A unique Dolcetto wine, which has earned the DOCG label, is also produced here, and you can taste it in the Cantina Comunale (Municipal Wine Cellar). The route continues to Montelupo Albese (where the Lupus in Fabula walk in the centre is worth a visit) which, with nearby Rodello, is on the border of the wine-growing Langa, to descend through a steep and almost wild slope to Sinio, a beautiful medieval castle village.

The route then goes up over the upper Serralunga d’Alba hill which will seem both unexpected and almost surreal in its timeless charm. A tall medieval fortress overlooks a hamlet with a few houses clustered around its ramparts. The village is intact: you enter on foot through the city gate and walk through it with wonder and without haste. The landscape you walk through fully justifies the UNESCO recognition as the small hamlets of Castelletto and Perno di Monforte d’Alba stand out on the other hillside through castles, Romanesque churches and tiny villages. Below, in the small valley, you will find the royal estate of Fontanafredda, buen retiro of Victor Emmanuel II far away from state affairs. Once you reach Roddino, you have to stop and fill your eyes with the view over the whole DOCG area which looks completely different from here.

The route then descends gently towards Monforte d’Alba, one of the liveliest villages in the whole Langa of Barolo, with its old town restored in every detail, the steep alleyways leading up to the top of the bric where the former castle, whose beautiful bell tower still remains, has been replaced by a magnificent open-air auditorium, summer venue for international Jazz Sessions. Not to miss also the Museo Civico (Civic Museum) “Colonello Martina” to know the history of the first years of the united Italy. From Monforte d’Alba the Langa of Dolcetto (see itinerary Langa of Dolcetto) appears westwards, while southwards you enter the Alta Langa of Belbo (see itinerary Alta Langa of Belbo), whose dark outline is reflected in the snow-white chain of the Alps.

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The Langa of Dolcetto

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Alta Langa of the Belbo

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Since we have nearly covered half the circle of the crown, we just have to pass through Castiglione Falletto (another turreted village with a mighty private Fortress and an efficient Cantina Comunale -Municipal Wine Cellar), cross the famous Bussia hill and finally descend towards Barolo. The Castle of the patron and philanthropist Marquise Juliette Colbert, last heir of the Falletti dynasty, has medieval features and a Juvarra-style façade with a monumental staircase. Today the castle is home to the futuristic Wi-Mu Museo del Vino (Wine Museum), while beyond the entrance arch you will also find the engaging Museo dei Cavatappi (Corkscrew Museum) with unexpected trivia about this essential item. The Enoteca Regional (Regional Wine Centre) of Barolo is another secular temple where you can worship Bacchus. The rest of the village switches easily from the Middle Ages to the 19th century with a typical all-Savoy detachment from the fame which surrounds it today.

The climb that leads up to the top with a few sharp hairpin turns overlooks the Novello-La Morra ridge, another invaluable panoramic viewpoint which can be walked on level ground. You should go to Novello first, to discover a pretty village that has remained suspended between the Middle Ages of its forms and the Baroque of its churches and on which the Castle, a neo-Gothic masterpiece by Schellino, stands out. In its Bottega del Vino (Wine Shop) you will find Nas-cetta, a native grape variety that will surprise you. Then you get to La Morra passing through the small hamlet of Vergne, enjoying the view of the classic local crus. The queen of Barolo features a chequered medieval village sloping towards the famous Piazza del Belvedere and a very lively tourist life. The old town should be explored on foot, with an essential stop at the Cantina Comunale (Municipal Wine Cellar). Of all the many attractions in the hamlets, a stop at the "Cappella del Barolo" by Tremlett and Sol LeWitt, now one of the Langhe's photographic griffes, is a must.

From the village you can easily descend to Cherasco (see itinerary The “secret” treasures of Cherasco), a villanova of great history and nobility, or to Verduno, with its romantic belvedere and the Cantina Comunale (Municipal Wine Cellar). Then, there are the spicy scents of rose, violet and pepper of Pelaverga, another rare native grape variety, but this time it is red and aromatic. A must-see is also the neo-Gothic village of Pollenzo below, with its Università di Scienze Gastromiche (University of Gastronomic Sciences) and Banca del Vino (Wine Bank). Finally, on your way back, you get to Roddi. Its Castle towers over the village nestled at its feet: it houses an area dedicated to truffles and a kitchen especially set up for gastronomic classes and events. From Roddi you can overlook Grinzane Cavour, the final destination of our itinerary.