Things to do in Monferrato

A guide-led stroll through Acqui's thermal heart. The centrepiece is La Bollente, the sulphurous spring flowing non-stop at about 74.5°C from an octagonal 1879 marble fountain — free to visit and the town's meeting point. Themed itineraries also trace Roman Aquae Statiellae, taking in the amphitheatre and the calidarium of the ancient baths. Arranged through the IAT tourist office.

In the Bagni district across the Bormida, the Lago delle Sorgenti is Acqui's most distinctive wellness venue: uniquely, you bathe directly in the natural thermal spring water rather than a treated pool, pairing an outdoor thermal lake and pools with a wellness centre for a full spa day. Confirm current opening and prices with the venue or the IAT office.

A private, hands-on cooking class at a boutique guest house on a vineyard estate in the Moirano hamlet above Acqui Terme. Guided by the house chef, guests plan a menu and make Piedmontese classics such as tajarin, gnocchi and agnolotti, plus vitello tonnato and hazelnut cake, then sit down to the three-course meal they prepared. From €250 for one or two participants, supplement per extra person.

Acqui Terme's official thermal establishment draws on two natural hot-spring sources. The flagship is fangoterapia (thermal mud therapy), prized for its analgesic, muscle-relaxing effects, alongside inhalation treatments, vascular hydro-gymnastics and a monumental 1932 thermal pool. Cures are bookable through the Terme; confirm current availability before booking.

Villa Fontana Relais, in the thermal wine village of Agliano Terme, opens its spa to external guests by reservation. The wellness area with pools and relaxation spaces can be enjoyed as a shorter 'Spa Break' of about two and a half hours or as a full-day entry. Booked in advance online.

Opened in 2023 at Corso Cento Cannoni, this museum tells the story of the legendary Borsalino hat, made in Alessandria since 1857. The route runs through thematic areas covering the company's history, the 52-step artisanal hat-making process, and a gallery of the most iconic hats. All content is in Italian and English, with an audio guide; group guided tours can be arranged on request.

The Cittadella of Alessandria is a star-shaped fortress begun in 1732, among the best-preserved 18th-century fortifications in Europe. Volunteer-led guided tours, often on Sundays and lasting about 90 minutes, take in the ramparts, bastions and the underground galleries added in the Napoleonic era. Openings depend on volunteer availability, so check the current schedule locally.

Cantine Adelaide is a family-run winery set in a historic 1866 farmhouse in the UNESCO hills of Calamandrana. The estate makes classic Piedmontese wines — Barbera d'Asti and Dolcetto alongside Nebbiolo-based reds and Moscato — and welcomes visitors for guided tours of its historic underground cellars followed by tastings paired with local food. Visits are booked in advance and hosted in Italian and English, with bottles available to buy on site.

La Giribaldina is a family estate in the San Vito hamlet of Calamandrana, ringed by its own vineyards and woods, with Barbera at the heart of the range — a flagship Nizza DOCG, several Barbera d'Asti selections including the organic "Caval Russ", plus Moscato, a Sauvignon and a rosato. The estate welcomes visitors for cellar tours and seated tastings of five to six wines served with local bakery snacks, and also runs a farmhouse B&B, the Foresteria, for overnight stays. Tastings can be booked through the winery in Italian and English.

Michele Chiarlo is one of Piedmont's benchmark wineries, family-run since 1956, with its cellars on the Nizza–Canelli road in Calamandrana. Guided visits pair a walk through the cantina with seated tastings of the estate's native-grape wines — Barolo and Barbaresco crus, the "La Court" Nizza DOCG, Gavi and the gently sweet Moscato d'Asti "Nivole" — with food-pairing formats also available. Visits are bookable online in Italian and English.

The Zafiri family farm sits in the Valle San Giovanni above Calamandrana, worked as a small mixed estate in the Alto Monferrato hills since 1949. Wine is the core — a Barbera d'Asti DOCG alongside proprietary labels including the reds "Dla lùca" and "La Fisa", the white "Garbato" and the sparkling "Vivacitas" and "Ribotà". The cellar is open for visits and paid tastings booked through the estate's experiences page, with Valter guiding in Italian and Marina in English.

La Court is Michele Chiarlo's open-air art park, set among the vines of the winery's La Court cru a short drive from its Calamandrana cellars (at Castelnuovo Calcea). Sculptures and installations are laid out across the hills — including a fairytale itinerary by Emanuele Luzzati dedicated to the four elements (earth, water, air, fire), plus works by Ugo Nespolo, Giancarlo Ferraris and Chris Bangle. A free "La Court Audioguide" app lets you wander the vineyard trail independently; guided visits and tastings can be arranged through the winery.

La Canellese is a historic vermouth and liqueur house in Calamandrana, in the hills between Langhe and Monferrato. The Sconfienza family began as a barrel-making workshop in 1890 and turned to vermouth in 1947, still crushing its botanicals in an old hammer mill and macerating them slowly in local Cortese wine. Visitors who stop by can taste the range directly with the producers — Vermut di Torino (rosso, bianco, extra dry and superiore), Vermut Chinato and Barolo Chinato alongside bitters and aromatic-wine liqueurs. It is a drinks house rather than a still-wine estate; call or write ahead to arrange a visit.

Ca' d'Gal is a Moscato-focused Piedmont producer whose Tenuta La Cova sits in Calamandrana, between Nizza Monferrato and Canelli, on 25 hectares of vineyard, hazelnut orchard and woodland in the heart of the Alto Monferrato. The house is best known for bottle-aged Moscato d'Asti and Canelli DOCG (labels such as Lumine, Vite Vecchia and Sant'Ilario), alongside Asti Spumante and Barbera d'Asti. Run as a "Wine Country House", La Cova offers immersive tastings and overnight hospitality; visits can be requested online in Italian and English.

Canelli's spumante story began at Gancia in 1865, and its UNESCO-listed underground cathedrals run for over four kilometres of tuff galleries at a natural 12–14°C. The two-hour Tour Classico includes four tastings paired with local products; a shorter Vermouth & Spirits tour (from €30) runs 30 minutes with three tastings and a cocktail. Along the way are the famous Gancia advertising posters and the company museum. Book directly with Casa Gancia.

Contratto, a pioneer of Italian classic-method sparkling wine since 1867, opens its UNESCO-listed underground cathedrals — over 5,000 m² of tunnels carved up to 32 m into the hillside marl. The 90-minute visit walks the cellars, a gallery of historic documents and the 'Sack Room' museum of old tools, and ends with a wine and vermouth tasting (children's rate available). Booking required, Via G. B. Giuliani 52.

A visit inside Coppo, one of the historic houses whose monumental tufa cellars form part of Canelli's UNESCO Cattedrali Sotterranee. Walk the underground galleries where Metodo Classico and the town's Barbera age, then taste — the perfect pairing with a masterclass during Canelli Città del Vino, or a quieter stop the rest of the year.

A dawn-to-late-morning hot-air balloon flight drifting over the vineyards, villages and UNESCO wine landscapes around Canelli and the wider Langhe-Roero-Monferrato. Flown by a professional pilot with a chase vehicle, it includes a flight 'baptism' and certificate — about one hour aloft within roughly three hours total. Year-round for 2–12 people; the departure field is arranged at booking.

A hands-on home-cooking class hosted by a local Cesarina in a 19th-century villa in the Langa Astigiana around Canelli. Learn to prepare traditional Piedmontese dishes from scratch, then sit down to enjoy them in the intimate setting of a private home. Booked through the Cesarine network of home cooks.

A guided private e-bike tour out of Canelli through the UNESCO Monferrato vineyard landscape — roughly 39 km with about 930 m of climbing on quiet paved back-roads, so the pedal assist does the hard work and you get the views. Suitable for moderately fit riders; e-bike rental is available separately from about €45 per person.

Head into the woods around Canelli with a local trifulau (truffle hunter) and their dog to search for the hills' most prized find. The outing is followed by a truffle tasting, so you both learn the hunt and eat the reward. A hands-on window into one of Monferrato's oldest traditions.

A storytelling-led walk through Canelli's UNESCO Underground Cathedrals, evoking the town's history since the 1613 siege as you pass thousands of Metodo Classico bottles resting in the sandstone galleries. It closes with a lunch or dinner paired with three of the cellar's wines at the Osteria dei Meravigliati — for visitors who want narrative and landscape context alongside the cellars.

Descend into the Bosca cellars — part of Canelli's UNESCO-listed Cattedrali Sotterranee, the tufa tunnels carved up to 32 metres beneath the town where sparkling wine has aged for over a century. A guided walk through the underground galleries ends with a tasting of a Classic Method sparkling wine and two Charmat Method wines. The most atmospheric way to understand why Canelli calls itself the città del vino.

A full-day self-ride vintage-Vespa tour looping through Barbaresco and down into Canelli, home of Moscato and the Underground Cathedrals. The ~85-km 'Barbaresco and Canelli' itinerary threads vineyard hills, villages and cellar country, with daily departures April–November. A category-B driving licence is required; several languages on request.

AC Ranch is a working stable and riding school in Carentino, in the Alessandria Monferrato, welcoming visitors since 2015. Guided rides of one or two hours cross vineyards, hills and woodland trails in the truffle country between Acqui Terme and Nizza, English or Western saddle. Beginners welcome and always accompanied by certified instructors; multi-day treks with agriturismo stops can be arranged.

Hidden in the former ghetto at Vicolo Salomone Olper, Casale's 1595 synagogue is a lavishly gilded Baroque interior counted among Italy's finest. Guided visits also take in the Jewish Art and History Museum and the underground Museum of Lights, a collection of contemporary menorahs in the old matzot-baking room. Group visits need advance booking; the site closes in January, August and on Jewish holidays.

Monfernòt is a cycling association based in Casale Monferrato that leads guided e-bike excursions over the dirt tracks and vineyard lanes of the Monferrato Casalese, at an easy pace accessible to beginners and seasoned riders alike. A highlight is the stop at an 'infernot' — the UNESCO-listed hand-carved underground stone wine cellars — with a tasting along the way.

Hiking Taste, run by environmental hiking guide Silvia Broseghini and based in Casale Monferrato, leads themed guided walks through the Basso Monferrato hills weaving together landscape, local stories, food and wine. Scheduled day excursions visit villages such as Cella Monte, Grazzano Badoglio and Montemagno, covering roughly 7 to 24 km with tastings en route. Private half-days and multi-day trekking weekends also offered.

At Via Lanza 17 stands the historic shop where Domenico Rossi invented the curved, moustache-shaped Krumiro biscuit in 1878. The family still bakes them by hand on the same premises, so a stop lets you buy the originals in the aroma of fresh baking — the definitive taste of Casale. Contact them directly for any tasting arrangement.

Founded in 1764 and billed as Italy's oldest still-operating grocery, the Antica Drogheria Corino on Via Roma is an experiential tasting salon: sample Krumiri in some 25 sweet, savoury, vegan and gluten-free versions, paired with coffee, zabaione or the house Ractagino hazelnut cream. A hands-on way to taste Casale's signature biscuit in a historic setting.

A residential, hands-on cooking course held in a hilltop castle in the Montalero hamlet of Cerrina Monferrato, taught in English by local Piedmontese chefs. Small groups of up to twelve cook regional dishes — fresh pasta, seasonal antipasti and first courses — at individual work stations, with truffle and porcini menus in autumn. The three-night price is per person, including accommodation.

A chef-led full-day e-bike tour departing from Costigliole d'Asti at the historic Cascina Castlet winery. Riders cross Barbera d'Asti and Moscato vineyards and Fassona Piemontese cattle country, stopping for three tastings of wine, prized local beef and typical sweets. E-bike, helmet, tasting glass and insurance included, with an optional chef-prepared picnic.

Tenuta Santa Caterina, a wine estate and relais in Grazzano Badoglio, offers guided walks led by an environmental hiking guide through the surrounding UNESCO vineyard landscape. Three tourist-level routes are proposed: an 11 km 'sea of hills' loop with a picnic and two easier 7 km walks around Cella Monte and Olivola. Custom itineraries available; book at least three days ahead.

Visit the historic Moriondo Virginio workshop, keeper of the original Mombaruzzo amaretti recipe first created by Francesco Moriondo in the late 1700s. The visit shows how the soft almond macaroons are made, and those who wish can taste them paired with a glass of Moscato d'Asti DOCG. Reservation needed; visits possible in English. Via Saracco 15, Mombaruzzo.

Guided tour of the third-generation Berta grappa distillery in the Casalotto hamlet of Mombaruzzo — the alembic museum, the four ageing cellars and the secrets of steam-still distillation, closing with a tasting of three distillates or liqueurs paired with the soft amaretti of Mombaruzzo. Reservation required; morning and afternoon slots daily.

A cocktail masterclass at Distillerie Berta led by a professional bartender: learn to build three signature Berta cocktails using the distillery's spirits and liqueurs. Reservation required at least a week ahead.

A hands-on lab at Distillerie Berta where you learn the phases of distillation and create and label your own personalized bottle from the Primaneve line, after a guided visit of the distillery, cellars and museum plus a tasting. The price includes the bottle to take home; reservation mandatory.

Italy Bike Resort is an e-bike rental and tour operator based in Moncalvo, one of Italy's smallest cities, in the northern Monferrato hills. Alongside pedal-assist hire it offers guided e-bike tours through the surrounding vineyard-and-village landscape. Arranged directly with the operator.

In the atmospheric cellars of Palazzo Crova, La Signora in Rosso serves Piedmontese dishes with local wines, including Nizza's iconic bagna cauda — the warm anchovy-and-garlic dip eaten with raw and cooked vegetables. A seasonal autumn/winter specialty and a centrepiece of the town's San Carlo fair. Reserve ahead.

Founded in Nizza Monferrato in 1907, Bersano runs guided visits of its historic cellars and wine museum followed by seated tastings — from a five-wine Monferrato flight (from €25) to a dedicated Barbera d'Asti DOCG and Nizza DOCG tasting (from €40), served with crisp bread. Book ahead.

Founded by former professional cyclist Alberto Marengo and based in Nizza Monferrato, Mon Bike Tour runs guided rides with licensed instructors through the Nizza DOCG, Brachetto and Moscato vineyards and into the Langhe. Itineraries range from the gentle 'In Langa' loop (~38 km) to the demanding 90 km 'Roccaverano' route, with e-bike, gravel, road and mountain-bike rental. Tours pause at wine producers so the guide can explain the estates.

Meet Piemonte is a small-group operator based in Nizza Monferrato offering hands-on Piedmontese cooking classes led by local hosts in English — typically home-made focaccia, hand-cut tajarin and violet-potato gnocchi. Booking via Tripadvisor/Viator.

Piemonte on Wheels offers self-guided Vespa outings starting and finishing in Nizza Monferrato. The automatic 125cc scooters, drivable on a standard car licence, come with a navigation app, roadbook, two helmets, insurance and parking, so riders follow ready-made routes at their own pace. Day itineraries loop through Costigliole d'Asti and Castagnole delle Lanze; the evening ride takes in Mombaruzzo and Maranzana.

The regional enoteca in the 18th-century Palazzo Crova is the reference point for Barbera d'Asti DOCG and Nizza DOCG — a cellar of over 600 local labels with six wines open to taste each week. The palazzo also houses the 'Palazzo del Gusto', a technical tasting room for private tastings, and the Osteria-Vineria La Signora in Rosso in the cellars. Via Crova 2.

Meet Piemonte, based in Nizza Monferrato, arranges truffle hunts with a local trifulau and his trained dog across the Langhe-Monferrato truffle grounds, usually paired with a tasting of truffle products. Booking via Tripadvisor/Viator.

La Vie en Wine, an incoming tour operator based in Rosignano Monferrato, runs guided vineyard treks led by a certified hiking guide over a circular route of roughly 10 km. Walks pass Big Bench viewpoints, land-art installations and infernot underground cellars, closing with a local food board and a sommelier-led tasting. From €40 per person for three wines, with several themed itineraries.

A storytelling horseback experience setting out from the Scuderia Serego stable in San Marzano Oliveto and riding through the vineyard hills toward Moasca. Along the way actors narrate the history of the area's medieval castles and villages, and the outing ends with a gourmet picnic and wine tasting. Beginner-friendly; state your level when booking.

Aeronord Aerostati, a long-established Piedmontese balloon operator, takes off from a field near Tonco in the heart of the Asti Monferrato. The roughly one-hour flight floats over vineyards, hilltop villages and castles, the full experience about three hours including briefing, chase-vehicle recovery and a breakfast or aperitif of local products. Shared flights and private charters for two to four.

An exclusive hot-air balloon flight that lifts off near Vignale Monferrato and drifts over the UNESCO vineyard hills of the Basso Monferrato. Roughly an hour aloft sits within a three-hour outing including pilot briefing, return transfer, and an Italian breakfast or aperitif of local products with a flight certificate. Year-round for a private group of two to four.