Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Turin is the capital of Piedmont and, for a brief period of three years in the 1860s, it was also the capital of Italy. Turin is the home of FIAT, Nutella, Ferrero Rocher chocolate and Lavazza coffee. Some of Italy's most important writers, such as Italo Calvino, have lived in Turin, and as a result the city's literary life is vital. The cafes are definitely worth visiting; they have historically been intellectual centers, many of which date back to the unification of Italy, and some even to the 18th century. The Holy Shroud of Turin, the cloth that supposedly covered Christ after the crucifixion, is housed in the Dumo di San Giovanni. The Museo Egizio also has the world's second biggest collection of Egyptian art.
The west coast of Lago Maggiore lies in Piedmont, while the east coast lies in Lombardy. Fortunately, most of the destinations at the lake are in Piedmont. Stresa is the well-worn base for exploring Lago Maggiore. Hemingway wrote there, and the hotel where he stayed is still open, as are a number of restaurants, and a dock from which you can leave to visit the Borromean Islands in the lake. You can also climb Mount Mottarone or take the tram up for incomparable views of the lake and Alps. Other destinations north along the lake are the Villa Taranto, which has a major botanical garden, and Cannobio, a quaint village near the Swiss border.
As Piedmont is surrounded by the Alps, there is much to do year round, from hiking in the warm months to skiing in the cold months. The Grande Traversata delle Alpi (GTA) is the 200-kilometer walking trail that spans from Viozene in southern Piedmont to Lago Maggiore. Alagna Valsesia is in the Val Grande area and is a good place for mountaineering and a major stop for off-piste skiing. Sestriere is one of the most visited skiing towns and, along with seven other resort towns, makes up the "Milky Way" skiing area. Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn are two other summits just west of Turin and are accessible from Piedmont.
The famed grape of Piedmont's wine country is the Nebbiolo. Nebbiolo is the base for the major Barolo, Barbaresco and Gattinara wines. When touring the wine region, some of the most important cities to stop at are Alba (also known for its truffles), Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, Ghemme and Gavi. Asti is also renowned for its spumante, or sparkling white wines.