Piedmont & Valle d'Aosta

The Piedmont region is in the north-west corner of Italy, from the border with Liguria to the south and climbing up into the Alps towards the north of the region. The Valle d'Aosta is to the northern edge of Piedmont.

The most famous city in the region is Turin, centrally placed within Piedmont. To the south of Turin the landscape is largely flat, while to the north it is the high Alpine mountains.

The Matterhorn,  Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa mountains are all found in the Valle d'Aosta region (see also Aosta), and also the Great Saint Bernard Pass and the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso - this is truly a region of stunning mountain landscapes.

The north-east of the Piedmont region includes the pretty towns of Domodossola, Varallo, and Novara, and also the lovely Lake Orta.

Further south within this part of the region is Vercelli, Italy's rice capital. The Oropa Sanctuary is also in this region.

The centre of the region, around Turin, includes several interesting highlights. Susa and Avigliana (and the nearby abbey at Sacra di San Michele) are attractive towns to the west of Turin. The town of Pinerelo, the renowned villa at Stupinigi and the basilica at Superga are other noteworthy attractions.

 

The town of Asti, best known for its sparkling wine, is to the east of Turin.

To the south of the Piedmont region, don't miss the remarkable caves at caves at Bossea and the interesting town in a lovely setting at Cuneo.