Piemonte (Piedmont)

Sauze d’Oulx is in Piemonte, a region of Italy bordering France and Switzerland. Piemonte’s name means “foot of the mountain” and, true to the meaning of its name, Piemonte is a land of mountains, surrounded on three sides by the Alps, with the highest peaks and largest glaciers in Italy.

Piemonte is known for sophisticated cuisine and wines such as Barolo and Barbera. Turin, the capital, has abundant baroque architecture and the monumental landmark Mole Antonelliana, with its soaring spire. The Automobile Museum is devoted to Turin’s main industry. The Egyptian Museum displays archaeological and anthropological collections.

The spectacular mountains in the region create incredibly beautiful landscapes and wonderful skiing opportunities.

Elsewhere, the Langhe and Monferrato are hilly but just as beautiful, a succession of cultivated hills and vineyards that are dotted with small towns and castles. The area is home to some of Italy’s finest wines.

Expanses of water and rice paddies, long rows of poplars and old farmhouses make up the typical scenery of the plains around Novara and Vercelli.

Lake Maggiore, including Stresa and the Borromean Islands, are charming lake resorts with their ancient villas surrounded by beautiful lawns and gardens.

The region has many other places of interest from Turin – the Italian car manufacturing capital – with its history and remarkable cultural heritage, to other cities such as Cherasco, Alba and Ivrea.

Medieval castles abound – like the imposing fortress at Ivrea – and prized works of architecture – the famous Residences of the Royal House of Savoy and the Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) certainly deserve to be mentioned.

The famous spa resorts of Acqui Terme and Vinadio offer treatments and therapy for a relaxing, reviving holiday.