Scenic Pool Villa in Santo Stefano BelboN°001
Piedmont / Langhe, Italy
Private Pool
From $6,012 per night
Lake shores, truffle hills and Italy's most patrician table
Piedmont stretches from the western shore of Lake Maggiore, with its belle époque towns and Borromean Islands, south past Turin to the Langhe, the UNESCO-listed wine hills of Barolo, Barbaresco and white-truffle Alba. A private villa here, on a lakeside terrace near Baveno or Arona or among vineyard ridges, puts Italy's finest wines, quietest landscapes and most serious kitchens at your table.
- The Borromean Islands of Lake Maggiore, with the baroque palace and gardens of Isola Bella
- The Langhe-Roero and Monferrato vineyard landscapes, a UNESCO World Heritage site
- Alba's white truffle, hunted in autumn woods and shaved at legendary tables
- Turin's royal palaces, grand cafés and world-class Egyptian Museum
- Lakeside and vineyard villas with pools, wine cellars and concierge-arranged tastings
Known forBarolo and Barbaresco wines, Alba's white truffles, Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands, Turin's elegant cafés, UNESCO vineyard landscapes
Best time to visitMay to June and September to October; autumn for harvest and truffle season, early summer for the lakes
Nearest airportMilan Malpensa (MXP) for Lake Maggiore, under an hour away; Turin (TRN) for the Langhe
Ideal forFood and wine devotees, couples and families splitting time between lake water and vineyard hills
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Italian Lakes, Italy
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Private PoolWaterfront
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Events not to miss in Piedmont and the Langhe
- Late April to early May
Vinum, Alba
The Langhe's great spring wine fair fills Alba's old town with tastings of Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero and Moscato over successive long weekends. The gentlest way to survey the region's cellars in one place.
- July to early September
Stresa Festival
Lake Maggiore's long-running classical music festival stages concerts in villas, churches and gardens around Stresa and the Borromean Islands. Arriving at a concert by boat is the definitive lake evening.
- October to early December
Alba International White Truffle Fair
The world's most famous truffle market runs for weeks each autumn, with the truffle exchange, tastings and food events across Alba. Book restaurants and truffle hunts well ahead.
- Early October
Palio degli Asini, Alba
Alba's medieval districts race donkeys through a costumed old town in a joyfully irreverent palio, the centrepiece of the town's autumn festivities. A colourful curtain-raiser to truffle season.
Piedmont and the Langhe through the seasons
- Spring (March – May)
Island gardens and green vineyards
The Borromean gardens burst into bloom and the Langhe turns vivid green, with Vinum in Alba opening the tasting year. Mild days made for lake terraces and cellar visits.
- Summer (June – August)
Lake swimming and vineyard evenings
Full season on Maggiore, with boats, lidos and the Stresa Festival's concerts, while the hills offer hot days by the pool and golden-hour tastings.
- Autumn (September – November)
Harvest, truffles and amber hills
The Langhe's signature season: grape harvest, misty mornings, and Alba's white truffle fair from October. The lakes keep warm light and thinning crowds through September.
- Winter (December – February)
Fog, Nebbiolo and Turin's cafés
Atmospheric, food-first months: long lunches in the wine villages, historic cafés and museums in Turin, and Piedmont's Alpine ski areas within striking distance.
The Area and Where to Stay
Piedmont's villa country falls into two beautiful halves. On Lake Maggiore, the western shore runs from Arona north through Stresa and Baveno to Verbania and quieter Ghiffa, a string of belle époque waterfront towns facing the Borromean Islands, with hillside villas enjoying long views over the water to the Alps. Inland and south, beyond Turin, the Langhe rises in waves of vineyard: Alba is its capital, ringed by the wine villages of Barolo, La Morra, Monforte and Barbaresco, with farmhouses and restored estates hidden along the ridge roads. Between the two, the Monferrato hills around villages such as Gabiano offer castle-topped countryside within reach of both Turin and Milan. Lakeside bases suit swimming, boats and island days; the hills suit wine, food and slow drives. Our concierge arranges boat hire, cellar visits and chefs in either landscape.
Things to Do
From the lake, take the boat to the Borromean Islands: Isola Bella's tiered baroque gardens, Isola Madre's botanical park and the fishing lanes of Isola dei Pescatori. Ride the cable car above Stresa towards Mottarone for views spanning the lakes and Monte Rosa, visit the hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso across the water, and swim or paddleboard from lakeside lidos. In the Langhe, tour cellars in Barolo and Barbaresco, walk or cycle the vineyard ridges between La Morra and Monforte, join a truffle hunt in the autumn woods and climb the castle towers that crown almost every village. Turin deserves a day for the Egyptian Museum, the Mole Antonelliana and its arcaded cafés. Golf, ballooning over the vines and cooking classes round things out, all bookable through the concierge.
Food and Local Flavour
Piedmont is arguably Italy's greatest food region and the birthplace of the Slow Food movement, founded in nearby Bra. The Langhe table means tajarin pasta with butter and white truffle, agnolotti del plin, vitello tonnato, hazelnuts from the Alta Langa and the great Nebbiolo wines, Barolo and Barbaresco, alongside Barbera and Dolcetto for every day. Autumn brings the white truffle of Alba, shaved tableside from October into December. On Lake Maggiore the cooking turns to lake fish, risottos and gelato on belle époque promenades, with Alto Piemonte's elegant mountain Nebbiolos, such as Gattinara, in the glass. Wine tastings, market mornings in Alba and private chef dinners at the villa are easily woven together by your concierge.
When to Visit
The two halves peak at slightly different moments. Lake Maggiore is at its best from late spring to early autumn: May and June bring flowering gardens on the islands, July and August full swimming season, and September golden light with warm water. The Langhe is loveliest in autumn, when harvest animates the villages and truffle season fills Alba from October to early December, though late spring's green vineyards are quietly beautiful and far less booked. Summer in the hills is hot but fine for pool-based stays with evening tastings. Winter is low season in both, with foggy, atmospheric hills, hearty tables and easy access to Piedmont's own Alpine skiing further west.
Getting There
Milan Malpensa (MXP) is the natural gateway for Lake Maggiore, with Arona, Stresa and Baveno under an hour's drive from the terminal; the lake's western shore is also served by rail on the Milan to Domodossola line. For the Langhe, fly to Turin (TRN), about an hour and a quarter from Alba, or use Milan's airports at around two hours. A car is essential in the wine hills, whose pleasures are spread along ridge roads, and useful on the lake, though boats and ferries carry you between the main towns and islands. Our concierge arranges private transfers, drivers for tasting days and boat charters on the lake.