CASTLES AND TRUFFLES -
TURIN
Castle Hotels in Piemonte Italy
Want to stay in the style of
age old royalty on your travels, especially if drawn by wine and gourmet
food,
the area around Turin, Italy in the
northwest Piedmont (Piemonte) region, the land of truffle sniffing hounds
and full bodied red wines provides several former castles and old farm
houses
turned into romantic and stylish hotels of old world atmosphere. The
Piedmont bordering France and the Swiss Alps with the city of Turin
(Torino) as its center is not as well trampled by tourists as some of
the other areas like Tuscany and Venice.
You may remember Torino and
nearby ski resort town Sestriere from the winter Olympics, and as where
they keep the Shroud of Turin, but pretty much locked away while they
keep cutting little samples off the corners for testing. The high season
in the area is October to December for the wine harvest
and when the white Alba truffle is the main attraction for the restaurants
full of diners looking to savor the exotic and elusive delicacy. The
other seasons you’ll find it much easier to find a table to try
the local wines and cuisine and in spring the beautiful hillside herb
flowers for which the area is also well known are as fresh as the food.
These Italian castle hotels are all part of the “Charme & Relax” network of hotels, which is an Italian based consortium of unique hotel properties (See also Villa Kinzica in Franciacorta and Splendid del Mare in Liguria).
Castello di Razzano
Located
in Casarello east of Turin in the Monferrato area a few kilometers
from Asti, famous for the sparkling Asti Spumante. The Hotel is a centuries
old rural residence with 8 suites furnished with a lounge, bedroom, ensuite
bath,
balcony and
tea
area.
The hotel’s wine cellars produce their own Castella de Razzano
label wine and forty surrounding vineyards supply Barbera d'Asti, Chardonnay,
and red and white Pinot varieties. From the hotel can be taken mountain
bikes excursions and nature walks in the green rolling hills, or
a little sport at the tennis court or golf course. In nearby Costigliole
d'Asti, you can go on your own truffle hunt at the “House of
Truffle Hunting” - La
Casa del Trifulau.
Razzano, 2 15021 Casarello, Alfiano Natta IT
0141 922124
Castella di Razzano
Castello di Santa Vittoria
Located
in Alba from where Alba White Truffle – reputed the world’s
best tasting delight - gets it name is about 60 km from Turin. The hotel
sits on a promontory dominating the medieval village of Alba, with ancient
walls hiding quiet interiors with antique style furnished rooms with
panoramic views of the woodland valleys. The hotel’s elegant “Al
Castello” restaurant (ok, it just means “of the castle”)
is a local favorite offering ageless recipes of truffles, mushrooms,
cheese and noble wines. Alba and the surrounding hills provide numerous
historic and gastronomic sight-seeing and tasting adventures.
Via Cagna
4 12069 Santa Vittoria d’Alba
0172 478198
Castello
di Santa Vittoria
Castello di Pavone
The
most physically impressive and exclusive of the Torino castle hotels
the shear stone walls built between the 9th and 14th centuries set
around the courtyard and gardens, stand above the medieval village
of Pavone 30 kilometers north of Turin. The hotel’s public and
private rooms have seen the deeds of knights and damsels as depicted
in the frescoes and paintings which adorn the walls. Wide panoramas
of the country can be seen from the battlements and towers. The restaurant
offers romantic candlelit dinners in its coffered wood beamed restaurant
with regional cuisine dishes.
Via Ricetta, 1 10018 Pavone Canavese
0125 672114
Pavone
La Locanda Della Maison Verte
Among the beeches and chestnut trees of the Pinerolo hills between Turin
and Sestriere the La Locanda della Maison Verte is not quite a castle
but a finely restored 14th Century country manor farm house set in
a surrounding green park. The intimate restaurant serves local dishes
with service on the garden terrace in summertime. The wine cellar offers
a wide choice of local Piemonte renowned wine labels. Cultural, sports
and gastromic tours of the area can be arranged through the hotel for
guests and the hotel has an onsite herb store where you can take home
the local taste for your own kitchen.
Via Rossi, 34 10060 Cantalupa TO
0121 354610
Maison Verte
Prices range from 80-100 Euro for a single off-season 120-130 Euro for
a double and to 200-220 Euro for a suite in the high season. © Bargain
Travel Europe
For Italian food tasting tours that includes a visit to Piemonte
see:
A
Taste of Italy Tours
Compare
best hotel deals in Piedmont
on TripAdvisor
Other Northern Italy Castles on Bargain Travel Europe
BUONCONSIGLIO
TOBLINO
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SEE ALSO:
BELLA
B&B’S OF PIEDMONT
MILLE
MIGLIA MUSEUM
