“Borderlands I” – the wild wine country of Alba & Bra

Discover the great gastronomic capitals of Bra and Alba, and the extraordinary landscape of vineyards, orchards, forests and canyons between.

Borderlands I costs €1495 per person, based on two sharing; the hiking is of medium difficulty, connecting Bra to Alba by way of five continuous trails.

Book to depart 15 March - 30 May & 15 September - 15 November. Due to the weekly closures of restaurants on the route, you can only start on Fridays and Sundays. (You can, of course, book to arrive in Bra a day or two before the start of your hike.)

Overview

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.

Details

Price

“Borderlands I – vineyards and woodlands from Bra to Alba” costs €1495 per person, based on two sharing.

There is a €300 single-occupancy supplement.

Solo travellers pay €1.895.

There is a 15% surcharge for travel departing September 15th to November 15th.

What’s included

Seven nights b&b accommodation in characteristic accommodation, including two nights in luxury on famous wine estates • An MTW-published booklet containing GPS tracks, information panels and detailed directions for five hikes • 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.

What’s not included

Flights and other transfers • Insurance • Mealtime wine • Meals.

Getting there

The hike starts outside Bra (ride 5km with us to the start on day one) and finishes in Alba.

Arrive and depart via Turin or Milan. Both cities are well served by public transport, with a direct rail transfer between Turin airport and both towns.

Extending your trip

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.)

Walking difficulty

Although the hiking 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 hike is 20km and the shortest is 12km.

When to travel

Borderlands I is open from 15 March to 31 May, and from September 15th to November 30th.

The white truffle season is October through to December and the grape harvest is generally September and October.

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