The panoramic viewpoints in the Langhe
The hilltop vineyards, small chapels and hamlets distinguish the rolling landscape of Langhe and invite us to visit each to discover how every little corner can leave its impression. The landscape presents spots which differ one from another and never fail to amaze. Every village has a thousand-year old story featuring people, discoveries, battles and top quality products.
Visiting Langhe means leaving in search of privileged spots where it is possible to admire, in just a glimpse, this prestigious territory. So, let’s start from Verduno and Parco del Belvedere: the green panoramic terrace provides a breathtaking view over the Langa of Barolo and the sight can reach right up to Alta Langa where you can find the villages Serravalle Langhe and Roddino. The Belvedere is perfect for families looking for a playground for the kids or a cool bench to sit on a particularly hot day. Verduno is the birthplace of the Blessed Sebastiano Valfrè and where, in the Castle cellars, the oenologist Paolo Francesco Staglieno developed, with King Charles Albert of Savoy, the aging techniques which made the Nebbiolo grapes famous worldwide. Today they are better known as Barolo “the King of wines”.
The panoramic itinerary continues on to La Morra, the highest village of Bassa Langa which is 513m above sea level. You can reach Piazza Castello, the castle square, on foot. This panoramic square has a 31m high bell tower built between 1709 and 1711 on the remains of the previous medieval tower which was part of the ancient castle of the Falletti family, destroyed in 1544 by the French troops. If you want to give vent to your photographic nature, don’t miss this opportunity: get back in the car and drive up to the village of Monforte d’Alba. You will be welcomed by the enchanting medieval village, built in the 10th century on the slopes of a steep hill with its narrow streets and the houses built into the stone. The tall Romanesque bell tower stands out among the roofs of the historical centre: walking in its direction, you will discover the noble palace of the Marquises Scarampi del Cairo, the Brotherhood of the Humble and Saint Augustine, architectural exemplars of the 15th century, and the concert hall dedicated to the pianist Horszowski, a small amphitheatre with a perfect acoustic, a location, since 1986, for concerts and theatre plays.
Langhe are also lands of famous Middle Age castles. The itinerary suggests that you don’t miss the breathtaking view from the castle of Serralunga d’Alba which overlooks the renowned Barolo hills with its impressive verticality. The particular architectural structure is that of a French donjon, a unique example in Italy, built between 1340 and 1357 for the will of the Falletti family who made this manor the place to control the local agricultural production. From the last floor of the castle, there is the ancient path used by guards during the patrol which provides a 360° view of the surroundings up to the Roero hills and the Alps crown. Returning towards the direction of Alba, it is possible to see Diano d’Alba, a village peeking out on the right ridge. Diano is famous for its vineyards, for the Dolcetto of Diano DOCG and for its Belvedere. Here, in the past, there was a castle, then occupied and destroyed by Victor Amadeus I in 1632, after being, for a long time, sought after by the powerful families of Savoy, the Marquises of Monferrato, the Dukedom of Milan and from Venedig. Diano boasts a thousand-year old history, insomuch as it seems that its name comes from the worship of the Goddes Diane, protector of the hunt and the woods. In the Middle Ages, the village became a county with a political power bigger than the one of Alba, then, with the peace treaty of Cherasco, in 1631, it became part of the territory controlled by the Savoy family.
