Suddivided into the provinces of Turin, Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Verbania, and Vercelli, the geographical configuration of the region has highlighted certain activities to practice in Piedmont: to the north and west there are the Western Alps which, towards the south, join the Ligurian Apennines.
The alpine landscapes and ski resorts dominate, between snow-capped peaks and enchanted valleys. In Piedmont, you can ski at Limone, Sauze d’Oulx, Sestriere, Claviere, Bardonecchia, locations well known and appreciated by lovers of winter sports. The flora is wonderful, unique and lush, admirable for example in the Gran Paradiso National Park where, during walks, it is very easy to also encounter squirrels, marmots, but also larger animals, such as chamois and ibexes.
This is complemented by the mildness of the Lago Maggiore and Lago d’Orta, notable for housing the island of San Giulio among its waters, located about 400 meters from the shore.
The architectural beauties in Piedmont are no less remarkable: many are the testimonies of Roman, Baroque, Gothic eras, traceable in abbeys (particularly remarkable is the Sacra di San Michele, on Monte Pirchiarano); in castles and fortresses, irrefutable traces of the Savoy dynasty; in museums, truly numerous and rich in works. Piedmont appears, with two sites, in the UNESCO World Heritage List thanks to the Savoy Residences and the Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy.
Regarding the urban dimension, Turin is constantly bustling with attractions. First of all, it is impossible not to think of the Egyptian Museum, the second most important in the world; the Shroud of Turin, kept in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, periodically captures the attention of the entire world, coinciding with the exhibition (called ostension) that occurs about every 10 years.
Turin is also its Mole Antonelliana, the elegant structure on the banks of the Po, the monumental arcades, the Valentino Castle, the Basilica of Superga, the Royal Palace, the Venaria Reale Palace, without forgetting the “modern monuments” such as FIAT, the Automobile Museum, pastry laboratories, and the Turin subway, so design-oriented, artistic, and futuristic. It is impossible not to be drawn by the cuisine, whose delicacies are many, starting from the precious Alba truffles and ending with the fabulous Piedmontese wines, Barolo foremost.
A sunset in the Langhe will poetically conclude a day in Piedmont, a hardworking land that does not give up on fun.
