Discover the great gastronomic capitals of Bra and Alba, and the extraordinary landscape of vineyards, orchards, forests and canyons between.
Borderlands I costs €1.195 per person, based on two sharing; it is of medium difficulty.
Book March, April, May, June, September, October and November.
The Roero falls within the boundary of the Langhe wine region, the river Tanaro separating it from the better-known Barolo and Barbaresco appellazioni.
Here, on the sandy left banks of this river, the hills are steeper and the cultivation mixed. Rich woodland, hazelnut groves and soft fruit orchards share the space with vineyards of (white) Arneis and Favorita, and (red) Nebbiolo and Barbera.
This is one of the heartlands for the Alba White Truffle, and is the setting of one of the most memorable pieces of documentary film-making of recent times, The Truffle Hunters.
“Borderlands I – vineyards and woodlands from Bra to Alba” costs €1.195 per person, based on two sharing.
There is a €300 single-occupancy supplement.
Solo travellers pay €1.595.
There is a 15% surcharge for travel from September 1st to November 15th.
Six nights b&b accommodation in characteristic accommodation, including three nights in luxury wine estates • Two evening meals (excluding wines), including a Michelin-star meal • A MTW-published booklet containing detailed walking instructions and background information • Pre-and post-trip briefings with our Local Manager • The Local Manager is on call 24/7 to help with questions or problems, large or small • Your bags moved ahead of you. You can ride in the vehicle in the morning if you’d like to shorten or skip a day.
Flights and other transfers • Insurance • Mealtime wine • Meals other than those highlighted.
The walk starts in Bra and finishes in Alba.
Arrive and depart via Turin or Milan. Both cities are well served by public transport. Airport transfers can be arranged – please enquire.
We recommend stopping over in Turin to explore this elegant, fascinating and lively city, and can book an excellent 4-star hotel in the city centre for you.
We also recommend taking a second night in Bra and Alba as those cities, too, richly reward a day of exploration.
Extend your walking with Borderlands II or Borderlands III, both of which commence in Alba, where this trip finishes. (Booking either of these automatically creates a second night in Alba.)
Although the walking is steep in places, there is never more than fifteen minutes of uphill exertion. The surface can be loose underfoot, and slippery in the rain. We always recommend proper walking shoes and walking poles.
The longest walk is 20km and the shortest is 8km.
Borderlands I is open from 1 April to 30 June, and from September 1 to November 30. We can organise travel in July and August by request, but do not recommend it as the heat can be stifling and creates a haze which can restrict the views.
The white truffle season is October through to December and the grape harvest is generally September and October.
Check in to your characterful b&b, a traditional Piemontese cascina in the city centre.
Explore the pedestrianised streets, baroque architecture, fine shops, cafés, bars and restaurants of Bra. Visit the Global Slow Food movement HQ. Stop in at a world-famous cheese shop, enjoy an aperitivo under the porticoes and choose from one of several top quality restaurants.
The quality of gastronomy here is beyond compare.
Your first walk departs through the dramatic ridges and canyons of the Rocche del Roero formations, before entering the rolling landscape of central Roero. Here vineyards share the land with orchards and dense woodland.
Check in to the magnificient Tenuta Carretta, a winery founded in 1467, with holdings in the main areas of production. Carretta hosts a fine hotel and Michelin-star restaurant Flavio Costa 21.9.
A wine tasting and tour awaits you, together with dinner, all of which is included in the trip price. You’ll need to pay for your dinner wine at check-out.
A delightful walk traverses a high ridge atop the Valmaggiore vineyard, the pre-eminent MGA (cru) for the red wines of the Roero.
Roero DOCG Valmaggiore wines show a distinctive violet, blood orange and pomegranate profile.
Your accommodation tonight (and tomorrow – free day!) is another great and historic wine villa: Villa Tiboldi. Enjoy the hotel’s lovely terrace and pool before making your way to the restaurant for dinner.
The hotel carries a fascinating cellar of cru wines and older vintages both from its parent winery, Malvirà, and further afield. The meal is included – you just need to pay for your wine at checkout.
As well as enjoying the hotel and its facilities, you can book in at reception for a cellar visit and tasting at Malvirà (included in your trip fee), which is a ten-minute walk down the hill.
The hotel is a short taxi ride or vineyard walk from the historic wine town of Canale (walking instructions are included in your booklet). Here you can stroll the porticoes and enjoy lunch or dinner at one of several excellent restaurants – the choice includes a Michelin-star establishment. Otherwise, eat back at the hotel.
If you’re feeling active there is an optional circular walk, directions for which are included in your trip literature.
We cross boundaries from Alba to Asti.
A shorter walk goes via the Renesio vineyard, origin of Arneis, one of Italy’s great white grapes. Our destination is Cisterna d’Asti, a pretty, walled town in the heart of the Alba white truffle production area.
Tonight’s accommodation is a cozy b&b nestled in farmland in a pretty valley close by. Alternatively, Relais accommodation may be available for your dates for an additional fee – enquire for details.
More vineyard walking atop bric and ridges, via historic hilltop settlements.
Our destination is the handsome city of Alba, the gateway to the Langhe and the wines or Barolo and Barbaresco. Even in Roman times, Alba Pompeia was already prized for its wines. Alba is also the world centre for the sale of White Truffles.
We recommend extending an extra night in the city to better enjoy its many treasures.
If you would like to continue your walk then you should do so by extending into Borderlands II, a circular five-night walk, starting and finishing in the city, through the Barolo heartlands.
Borderlands III also departs from Alba, in the direction of Barbaresco and the Monferrato.
