Piedmont (Summer)

Piedmont is best known for skiing, food, wine and the city of Turin. The Slow Food movement began here, celebrating the joys of the region's locally grown and produced wines, cheeses, meats and fruits - and the legendary white truffles from the area around Alba. Piedmont was the home of the Savoy family (later kings of Italy) and they determined to build their capital at Turin to rival Paris. The broad avenues, gracious arcaded squares and elegant architecture remain today, spiced by the best of later periods, including the contemporary works of Renzo Piano. The 2006 Winter Olympics gave the city a face lift, with stunning new buildings and ...

Piedmont is best known for skiing, food, wine and the city of Turin. The Slow Food movement began here, celebrating the joys of the region's locally grown and produced wines, cheeses, meats and fruits - and the legendary white truffles from the area around Alba. Piedmont was the home of the Savoy family (later kings of Italy) and they determined to build their capital at Turin to rival Paris. The broad avenues, gracious arcaded squares and elegant architecture remain today, spiced by the best of later periods, including the contemporary works of Renzo Piano. The 2006 Winter Olympics gave the city a face lift, with stunning new buildings and a state-of-the-art subway system. West of the city are the Alps, where the ski competitions brought attention to some of Europe's finest winter sports venues. Piedmont's best-kept secret, perhaps, is in the narrow section jutting northward to the shores of Lake Maggiore, encompassing gem-like Lake Orta with its medieval island town, and Italy's best manufacturer's outlet shopping at Alessi, Lagostino and others.

About the Expert

Barbara Radcliffe Rogers has written or coauthored more than 30 guidebooks, including The Portugal Traveler, Drive Around Portugal, City Spots Munich, City Spots Helsinki, City Spots Stockholm, Eating New England, and the Maine section of Thomas Cook's Independent Traveller USA.