Property in Piedmont

Piedmont has a splendid and varied landscape with its mountains, valleys, hills (the Langhe provide the backdrop for stories by famous local writers Cesare Pavese and Beppe Fenoglio), the lakes (Maggiore, d'Orta, di Viverone), and the Valgrande National Park.

Turin is the regional capital of Piedmont and well known by the ski set as one of the more convenient gateways to the Alps. The city became the first capital of modern-day Italy between 1861 and 1865, and today is considered to be the capital of Italian heavy industry with one of the biggest automobile producers Fiat based here. Turin is also known for many tourist attractions including its 15th-century white marble Cathedral which houses the Holy Shroud, the Egyptian Museum containing an extraordinary collection of art from Ancient Egypt, and the Sabauda Gallery showing masterpieces by the great European artists.

The Northern borders of Italy are formed by the 'Alpine arc' and Piedmont has developed as a prime destination for mountain holidays including skiing as well as a wide variety of after-ski and other winter activities. The well known Milky Way ski areas boasts c. 53 ski resorts, 1,300 kilometres of slopes and more than 300 means of transportation to go up and across the mountains including funicular railways, gondolas, chair lifts and ski lifts. Sestriere, located at an altitude of 2,035 m and which hosted downhill skiing at the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games, overlooks the Chisone and Susa Valleys and was the first truly modern Italian ski resort set up in 1937.

For golf enthusiasts, Piedmont is home to more than 40 golf clubs satisfying the needs of its visitors from beginner to the most expert. Some of the better known courses include the Turin Golf Club which was founded in 1957 on the grounds of “La Mandria” once the hunting estate of the House of Savoy. Within the club grounds there are two different 18-hole courses set in the ancient woods. A few kilometres from Lake Maggiore, the Castelconturbia Golf Club is considered a “must” by Italian golfers. It is one of the most admired courses and has a reputation as the most challenging in Italy. From Sestriere to Lake Maggiore, there is a wide selection of greens, and according to the most prestigious golf magazines, five of Italy’s ten best courses can be found in Piedmont.

Finally, don’t miss the wonderful native fine wines of Piedmont where each province is proud to produce its own variation on the classics. This northwest Italian region has a long history as home to the rich Barolo and Barbaresco red wines, as well as the Barbera, a ruby and more delicate red.

How to Get There
From the UK, the most popular flights to Turin depart from London Gatwick with British Airways, London Luton with Easyjet or London Stansted via Ryanair. The major European carriers including Alitalia, Air France, Iberia and Lufthansa also fly to Turin, though you may need to connect via their capital city hubs.