Best things to do in Alba

Oneonthehill is a Wine Club based in Alba, Piemonte.

We handpick cutting-edge, high-quality wines that are often hard to obtain without insider’s access and deliver it to your door.

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Castello di Grinzane Cavour is known for its history, wine, and restaurant. Take a tour and learn about the history of the castle, as well as local wine making. The tour includes a video and an audio guide (available in English). Explore the castle rooms, many of which house a permanent museum with displays showing 17th- and 19th-century kitchen settings, truffles, a 16th-century distillery, a cask maker’s workshop, and rural life. Stop in and see the Hall of Masks, with a decorated ceiling of 157 panels, containing coats of arms, as well as animals and allegory images made to celebrate the marriage of a past owner of the castle. The restaurant and wine shop are widely known, so make reservations far in advance.

Admire the marble "Porta dello Zodiaco," a 12th-century masterpiece, at Sacra di San Michele. Until recent times, skeletons of dead monks were visible at this large religious complex atop of Mount Pirchiriano. You can still walk up the Stairway of the Dead, which is flanked by arches and tombs. Explore the grounds of the Romanesque church and discover ruins from a monastery and an ancient church. After the winding drive to this area, you'll need to take a short, steep walk up from the parking lot. You must wear modest clothing to enter; you can borrow a shawl to cover your shoulders.

Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi was erected as a royal hunting lodge for the House of Savoy in what is now a suburb of Turin. Filippo Juvarra redecorated the palace interior in the 18th century for the King of Sardinia. Juvarra brought many of his designers from Venice to complete the 137 rooms and 17 galleries, which took years. The hunting grounds surrounding the palace have been reclaimed as a nature preserve. In this lowland forest, native plant species thrive that have died off elsewhere. Footpaths wind through the 18 km (11 mi) of land.

Avoid the shopping crowds of Milan and Genoa at Serravalle Designer Outlet, where nearly 300 of Italy's most famous brands are up to 70 percent off. Wander the wide avenues of shopping center--the first and largest of its kind in Italy--with its classical Italian architecture. Nearby major cities offer bus transportation; get a discount on your purchases if you choose the center's sponsored bus line. Parking is free. You'll have no trouble finding cash machines and children's play areas.