Best things to do in Barolo

Set among Piedmont's hills, WiMu - Museo del Vino a Barolo reveals the history of the region's wine-making industry. Explore the museum's grounds within a historic castle. Join a guided tour to learn about wine's place in myth, legend, literature, and more as you descend through the fortress. Afterward, savor a glass of a local specialty or take part in a tasting session.

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.

One of the residences of the Royal House of Savoy, Castello di Racconigi attracts visitors with its magnificent landscaped park and palace. André Le Notre, designer of one of the Versailles' gardens, had a hand in the garden on the castle's north side. Along the small manmade lake, you'll see the English garden influence, complete with small structures reminiscent of the English countryside, such as a Gothic-style chapel, and a Doric temple. The last Russian czar, Nicolas II, is honored with a Russian dacha, or summer home, on the grounds. For a small fee, you can explore the castle's Neoclassic interior. Reliefs and murals depict the feats of mythological characters and glorify the surroundings.