The Langhe, Monferrato and the lakes .

With the river just down the road and the hill just across it, the torinesi are rightly demanding about their trips out of town.
Only 70 kilometres from Torino, between Langa and Monferrato, some of the world's most celebrated wines are grown: Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Asti Spumante and Moscato. This is the centre of a noble and very varied gastronomic tradition. And here you will find some of Piedmont's most beautiful towns, among them Alba, Bra, Casale and Cherasco.
An irresistible temptation, to which it is easy to succumb: the Langhe and Monferrato are less than an hour from Torino. Once just a destination for day-trippers, today the area is visited by tourists from Switzerland, Germany and all of Northern Europe.
And for people who prefer the lakes? There are two close by in Avigliana - a little west of the city. And another in Candia, to the northeast. But only a little further away, just 90 minutes from Torino, there are two of the most famous in Italy: the great Lake Maggiore and the smaller Lake of Orta. Holiday resorts since the beginning of the century, they conserve the architecture of the period in their beautiful villas and many hotels.
The area of Lake Maggiore offers high quality tourist facilities: resorts and historical parks, protected environmental areas as well as water sports centres.