Located in northwestern Italy, at the gates of the Alps, the Piedmont region is a true treasure for travelers seeking authenticity. Between snow-capped peaks, majestic lakes, vine-covered hills, and art cities steeped in history, Piedmont offers an extraordinary diversity of landscapes and experiences. Former land of the Kingdom of Savoy and cradle of the Italian Risorgimento, this region has preserved an exceptional heritage that bears witness to its glorious past. From the royal palaces of Turin to the perched villages of Langhe, passing by the romantic shores of Lake Maggiore, each place tells a unique story. Get ready to discover the 11 absolutely must-see things to do in Piedmont for a memorable stay in the heart of Northern Italy.

1. Turin, the royal capital of Piedmont

Impossible to start this guide of must-see things to do in Piedmont without mentioning its magnificent capital. Visiting Turin means diving into the history of a city that was the first capital of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Far from the image of a simple industrial city sometimes attributed to it, Turin is an elegant city with wide avenues bordered by arcades, majestic squares, and historic cafés.

At the heart of the city, Piazza Castello (Piazza Castello, 10122 Torino TO, Italy, rated 4.6/5 on Google with over 11,000 reviews) is the ideal starting point to discover Turin's heritage. You'll admire the Palazzo Reale, the former residence of the Kings of Savoy, with its sumptuous royal apartments and French-style gardens. Not far away, Palazzo Madama (Piazza Castello, 10122 Torino TO, Italy, rated 4.5/5 on Google with 9,800 reviews) now houses the city's ancient art museum.

Download the audio-guided circuit to discover Turin on foot and independently

To explore Turin in a fun and enriching way, let yourself be guided by the Ryo audio-guided itinerary. This 6.5 km route takes you to discover 30 major points of interest in the city, from Piazza Castello to the majestic Mole Antonelliana, passing through historic cafés and elegant baroque squares. Each audio guide tells you the fascinating history of this Piedmontese capital and reveals its best-kept secrets.

Don't miss the Mole Antonelliana (Via Montebello, 20, 10124 Torino TO, Italy, rated 4.5/5 on Google with 25,000 reviews), Turin's emblematic symbol at 167 meters high. This monument houses the National Cinema Museum and offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the city and the Alps from its summit. The Egyptian Museum of Turin (Via Accademia delle Scienze, 6, 10123 Torino TO, Italy, rated 4.6/5 on Google with 25,000 reviews) also deserves a detour: it's the second most important Egyptian museum in the world after Cairo.

For a typically Turinese gourmet break, sit in one of the city's historic cafés like Caffè San Carlo or taste a gianduiotto, the famous hazelnut chocolate created in Turin. The Piedmontese city also offers an exceptional culinary scene where you can savor agnolotti, vitello tonnato, or brasato al Barolo.

2. Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands

Lake Maggiore undoubtedly constitutes one of the most beautiful must-see things to do in Piedmont. With its 212 km² surface area, this majestic Alpine lake extends between Italy and Switzerland and offers breathtakingly beautiful landscapes. Its Piedmontese shores, dominated by Alpine peaks, shelter charming towns and villages that have inspired numerous artists and writers over the centuries.

The pearl of Lake Maggiore is undoubtedly Stresa (Stresa, VB, Italy, rated 4.6/5 on Google with 8,200 reviews), an elegant lakeside resort with Belle Époque charm. Its lakeside promenade lined with grand historic hotels and luxury villas testifies to its glorious past. From Stresa, you can embark to visit the famous Borromean Islands, true jewels of Lake Maggiore.

Isola Bella (Isola Bella, Stresa, VB, Italy, rated 4.5/5 on Google with 12,000 reviews) is the most spectacular with its 17th-century baroque palace and its terraced gardens of rare beauty, decorated with statues, fountains, and populated by white peacocks. Isola Madre (Isola Madre, Stresa, VB, Italy, rated 4.6/5 on Google with 5,300 reviews), the largest of the islands, houses an exceptional botanical garden where rare exotic species thrive. Isola dei Pescatori, the only one permanently inhabited, captivates with its authenticity with its picturesque alleys and lake fish restaurants.

Other lake towns also deserve a visit: Verbania (Verbania, VB, Italy, rated 4.5/5 on Google with 4,100 reviews) with its Villa Taranto gardens featuring more than 20,000 plant species, or Cannobio (Cannobio, VB, Italy, rated 4.6/5 on Google with 2,800 reviews), a charming village with medieval alleys located a few kilometers from the Swiss border.

3. Langhe and the Barolo vineyards

Wine lovers and bucolic landscape enthusiasts, Langhe represents an absolutely essential stop during your discovery of Piedmont. This hilly region located between Alba and Asti is the birthplace of some of the most prestigious Italian wines. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2014, the Langhe hills offer an enchanting visual spectacle with their perfectly aligned rows of vines undulating as far as the eye can see.

Barolo (12060 Barolo, Province of Cuneo, Italy, rated 4.7/5 on Google with 3,200 reviews) is the emblematic village that gave its name to the famous "king of wines." Perched on a hill, this medieval town houses Falletti Castle which hosts the Wine Museum. A visit to one of the village's many cellars will allow you to taste this powerful and complex nectar, made exclusively from the Nebbiolo grape variety. Enthusiasts can also visit the prestigious Enoteca Regionale del Barolo (Castello Comunale Falletti, 12060 Barolo CN, Italy, rated 4.5/5 on Google with 1,800 reviews) to discover the full diversity of the region's wines.

Not far away, La Morra (La Morra, CN, Italy, rated 4.6/5 on Google with 1,500 reviews) offers one of the most beautiful panoramas over the Langhe vineyards from its belvedere terrace. The village of Barbaresco (Barbaresco, CN, Italy, rated 4.6/5 on Google with 1,100 reviews) produces an exceptional wine rival to Barolo, more elegant and accessible in its youth. Don't miss visiting the Enoteca Regionale and climbing to the top of the medieval tower to admire the wine landscape.

Alba, capital of Langhe, also deserves a thorough visit. This medieval city is world-renowned for its white truffle, one of the most precious products of Italian gastronomy. Every autumn, the Fiera del Tartufo (Piazza Medford, 12051 Alba CN, Italy) attracts gourmets from around the world who come to taste this culinary diamond. Take the opportunity to stroll through Alba's historic center with its medieval towers and lively squares.

5. Lake Orta and the village of Orta San Giulio

Less known than its neighbor Lake Maggiore but equally enchanting, Lake Orta (Lago d'Orta, Italy, rated 4.7/5 on Google with 6,200 reviews) is one of Piedmont's best-kept secrets. This small 18 km² lake nestled at the foot of the Alps offers a romantic and peaceful atmosphere that has inspired many writers, including Balzac and Nietzsche.

The lake's jewel is undoubtedly Orta San Giulio (Orta San Giulio, NO, Italy, rated 4.7/5 on Google with 5,800 reviews), classified among the most beautiful villages in Italy. Its narrow cobbled streets winding between colorful houses with flowered balconies lead to the charming Piazza Motta, the village's beating heart. This lakeside square, lined with cafés and restaurants with terraces, offers a breathtaking view of Isola San Giulio, a mysterious little island that seems to float on the lake's calm waters.

A short boat crossing takes you to Isola San Giulio (Isola San Giulio, Italy, rated 4.6/5 on Google with 4,100 reviews), where time seems to have stopped. This tiny island houses a 4th-century Romanesque basilica dedicated to Saint Julius, the island's legendary founder, as well as a Benedictine monastery still in activity. The meditation path that circles the island in twenty minutes offers a unique spiritual experience, punctuated by panels inviting reflection.

From Orta San Giulio, don't miss climbing to Sacro Monte d'Orta (Sacro Monte, 28016 Orta San Giulio NO, Italy, rated 4.7/5 on Google with 2,900 reviews), inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. This sacred path punctuated by 20 baroque chapels containing frescoes and terracotta statues representing scenes from the life of Saint Francis of Assisi winds through a forest of centuries-old beeches and chestnuts, offering sublime panoramas over the lake.

7. Gran Paradiso National Park

Gran Paradiso National Park (Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso, Italy, rated 4.8/5 on Google with 12,000 reviews) is Italy's oldest national park, created in 1922 to protect the Alpine ibex from extinction. Extending over more than 70,000 hectares between Piedmont and Aosta Valley, this spectacular mountainous territory culminates at the Gran Paradiso summit at 4,061 meters altitude.

The park offers an extraordinary playground for nature and hiking lovers. Dozens of marked trails of different levels wind through breathtaking alpine landscapes, between larch forests, flowering alpine meadows, high-altitude lakes, and eternal glaciers. The luckiest may observe alpine fauna in its natural environment: majestic ibex, agile chamois, playful marmots, golden eagles soaring in the sky.

The valleys that make up the Piedmontese part of the park all deserve exploration. Val Soana and its preserved traditional villages offer an authentic immersion into Piedmontese mountain life. The hamlet of Ceresole Reale (Ceresole Reale, TO, Italy, rated 4.6/5 on Google with 800 reviews), by its turquoise artificial lake surrounded by snow-capped peaks, constitutes an excellent starting point for numerous hikes.

In summer, the park is adorned with thousands of alpine flowers that carpet the high-altitude meadows. In autumn, larch forests take on spectacular golden hues. Winter transforms these mountains into a paradise for ski touring and snowshoeing. Whatever the season, Gran Paradiso National Park offers an unforgettable nature experience in one of the most beautiful massifs of the Italian Alps.

8. Novara and the Basilica of San Gaudenzio

Novara (Novara, NO, Italy, rated 4.4/5 on Google with 2,900 reviews), Piedmont's second city by population, deserves a stop for its exceptional architectural heritage, dominated by the emblematic silhouette of its basilica. Located between Milan and Turin, this historic city harmoniously combines Piedmontese traditions and Lombard influences.

Novara's major attraction is undoubtedly the Basilica of San Gaudenzio (Via S. Gaudenzio, 22, 28100 Novara NO, Italy, rated 4.7/5 on Google with 4,500 reviews), an architectural masterpiece that dominates the city with its imposing 121-meter-high dome. Designed by architect Alessandro Antonelli, the same one who created Turin's Mole Antonelliana, this vertiginous dome is one of Piedmont's symbols. The basilica's interior, richly decorated with baroque frescoes and stuccoes, houses the relics of Saint Gaudentius, the city's patron saint.

Novara's historic center concentrates several remarkable monuments. Piazza della Repubblica (Piazza della Repubblica, 28100 Novara NO, Italy, rated 4.5/5 on Google with 900 reviews), with its elegant arcades, invites strolling among shops and cafés. The Broletto (Piazza della Repubblica, 1, 28100 Novara NO, Italy, rated 4.4/5 on Google with 600 reviews), former medieval communal palace, forms a harmonious architectural ensemble with its four buildings arranged around a central courtyard.

Art lovers won't miss the Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, which presents a rich collection of 19th and 20th century works. The Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, remodeled several times over the centuries, also deserves a visit for its imposing neoclassical architecture and precious artworks.

9. Sacro Monte di Varallo

Sacro Monte di Varallo (Via al Sacro Monte, 13019 Varallo VC, Italy, rated 4.7/5 on Google with 5,100 reviews) represents one of Piedmont's most extraordinary and moving sites. Perched on a rocky hill above the small town of Varallo, in Valsesia, this unique religious complex inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list offers an exceptional spiritual and artistic experience.

Created from 1491 by Franciscan friar Bernardino Caimi, Sacro Monte aimed to recreate the Holy Places of Jerusalem for pilgrims who could not travel there. The site consists of 45 chapels staggered on the hillside, each representing an episode from Christ's life, from the Annunciation to the Resurrection.

What makes this place so exceptional is the artistic quality of the representations. Each chapel contains spectacular frescoes and sculpted groups of life-size figures in painted terracotta, creating scenes of striking realism. More than 800 statues and 4,000 painted figures compose this extraordinary three-dimensional sacred theater. The greatest Piedmontese and Lombard artists of the Renaissance contributed to decorating these chapels, including the famous Gaudenzio Ferrari.

The route through Sacro Monte, which winds through a magnificent natural setting of forests and gardens, takes about two to three hours. At the summit stands the Basilica dell'Assunta, the climax of this path of faith and art. Even for non-believing visitors, the Sacro Monte di Varallo experience remains deeply moving, an emotional testimony to popular devotion and the artistic genius of the Italian Renaissance.

10. Alessandria and its citadel

Alessandria (Alessandria, AL, Italy, rated 4.3/5 on Google with 2,400 reviews), located in southeastern Piedmont, offers a different face of the region, marked by its military past and strategic role. Founded in the 12th century as a fortress city, Alessandria knew its golden age during the Renaissance and Napoleonic era.

The city's most emblematic monument is undoubtedly the Cittadella di Alessandria (Piazza Gobetti, 15057 Alessandria AL, Italy, rated 4.6/5 on Google with 3,200 reviews), one of Europe's best-preserved military fortresses. This imposing six-pointed star-shaped citadel, built in the 18th century on Napoleon Bonaparte's orders, testifies to the military genius of the era. Recently restored and opened to the public, it offers a fascinating journey through European military history. Guided tours allow exploration of its ramparts, bastions, and underground galleries.

Alessandria's historic center also deserves exploration. Piazza della Libertà (Piazza della Libertà, 15121 Alessandria AL, Italy, rated 4.5/5 on Google with 1,100 reviews), a vast rectangular square surrounded by arcades, constitutes the heart of the city's social life. The Duomo (Piazza Duomo, 15121 Alessandria AL, Italy, rated 4.5/5 on Google with 800 reviews), a 19th-century neoclassical cathedral built on Napoleon's orders, dominates the square with its slender bell tower and impresses with its imposing dimensions.

Alessandria is also known for being the birthplace of Umberto Eco, the famous Italian writer and semiotician, and of Borsalino, the hatter whose hats conquered the world. The Museo del Cappello Borsalino traces the history of this legendary company and the art of Italian hat-making.

11. The salt route from Cuneo to maritime Piedmont

To finish this tour of Piedmont's must-sees, head to the region's south with Cuneo (Cuneo, CN, Italy, rated 4.4/5 on Google with 3,100 reviews), gateway to the Maritime Alps. This elegant city, built on a triangular plateau at the confluence of two rivers, offers a remarkable historic center organized according to a characteristic grid plan.

The long Via Roma, lined with arcades for over a kilometer, constitutes the city's backbone and one of Europe's longest porticoed streets. On Tuesdays, it hosts one of Piedmont's largest markets, vibrant with colors and scents. Piazza Galimberti, a vast space surrounded by beautiful palaces, is Cuneo's beating heart with its lively cafés and cultural events.

Cuneo serves as an ideal starting point to explore the surrounding Alpine valleys that harbor true treasures. The village of Ostana (Ostana, CN, Italy, rated 4.7/5 on Google with 400 reviews), perched at 1,300 meters altitude in Valle Po, ranks among Italy's most beautiful villages. This Occitan hamlet, long abandoned then remarkably restored, offers a moving example of traditional Alpine architecture with its stone houses covered with stone slabs. The cobbled streets wind between carefully restored old houses, offering spectacular panoramas over Monte Viso and surrounding peaks.

The Cuneo region is also the starting point of the ancient salt route, the historic road that once connected the Mediterranean Sea to Piedmont through Alpine passes. This route today offers magnificent hiking itineraries through the Maritime Alps. Parco delle Alpi Marittime (Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime, CN, Italy, rated 4.7/5 on Google with 1,900 reviews), which borders the French frontier, preserves exceptional Alpine nature where wolves, ibex, and golden eagles live.

In conclusion, Piedmont reveals itself as a multi-faceted region, where the urban elegance of Turin dialogues with the majesty of Alpine lakes and the authenticity of medieval villages. Between the renowned Langhe vineyards that produce some of Italy's best wines, the snow-capped peaks of Gran Paradiso National Park, and the artistic treasures of Savoy palaces, each place tells a unique story. A land of refined gastronomy, ancestral traditions, and breathtaking landscapes, Piedmont well deserves several stays to discover all its riches. Whether you're an art and history lover, wine enthusiast, experienced hiker, or simple epicurean seeking beauty, this Northern Italy region will seduce you with its preserved authenticity and gentle way of life. Don't hesitate to let yourself be guided in your exploration of Turin thanks to the Ryo audio-guided itinerary, which will allow you to discover the Piedmontese capital in a fun and enriching way.

Frequently asked questions about Piedmont

What's the best time to visit Piedmont?

Piedmont can be visited year-round, but the ideal periods are spring (April-June) and autumn (September-October). Spring offers verdant landscapes and pleasant temperatures for discovering lakes and cities. Autumn is the harvest season in Langhe and white truffle season in Alba, with magnificent colors over the vineyards. Summer can be hot in cities but pleasant in the Alps. Winter suits skiing enthusiasts in Piedmont's Alpine resorts.

How many days are needed to visit Piedmont?

To discover Piedmont's main must-see sites, plan at least 5 to 7 days. Allow 2 days for Turin, 1 to 2 days for Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands, 2 days for Langhe and vineyards, and 1 to 2 additional days to explore other sites like Venaria Reale, Lake Orta, or Alpine valleys. For an in-depth discovery of the region, two weeks won't be too much.

How to get around in Piedmont?

The car is the most practical means to explore Piedmont, especially for visiting Langhe villages and lakes. The road network is excellent and landscapes magnificent. However, Turin and main cities are well served by train from major Italian cities. Regional trains also connect Turin to regional cities like Asti, Alessandria, or Novara. For lakes, navigation services allow moving from one shore to another and visiting islands.

What are Piedmont's gastronomic specialties not to be missed?

Piedmont is a gastronomic paradise. Among the must-tries: Alba white truffle (in autumn), agnolotti del plin (traditional ravioli), vitello tonnato (veal with tuna sauce), brasato al Barolo (beef braised in wine), bagna cauda (anchovy and garlic fondue), Turin grissini, gianduiotto (hazelnut chocolate), and of course cheeses like Castelmagno or Toma Piemontese. For wines, taste Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera d'Asti, and Moscato d'Asti.

Is Piedmont suitable for family vacations?

Absolutely! Piedmont offers numerous family activities. In Turin, the Cinema Museum in Mole Antonelliana captivates children, as does the Egyptian Museum. Lakes offer water activities and beaches. National parks offer easy hikes suitable for families. The medieval village in Valentino Park in Turin is also much appreciated by children. In autumn, truffle hunting with dogs can be an unforgettable experience for the whole family.