Inspiration

We hope you will find inspiration, tip and advice for your stay here at La Maggiorina

EXPLORE OUR VILLAGE

Agliano Terme (or simply Agliano) is a small village with approx. 1650 inhabitants in the province of Asti. No major tourist traffic, but a very charming authentic village – not too sleepy, as the local association “Barbera Agliano” (www.barbera-agliano.com) gathers the inhabitants and tourists to join different arrangements such as festivals, “Sunday in the cellar”, “Easterwalk”, “Barbera Unplugged” etc.

We live centrally in the village, close to the bakery, salumeria, butchers, tabaccheria, café, enoteca, bar and a couple of good restaurants. Bank, pharmacy and hairdresser close to La Maggiorina. You will also find a tower in the village. Go to the top (approximately 60 stairs – easy access) and enjoy the magnificent 360 degrees view.

The atmosphere in Agliano is relaxed and friendly – and not to forget, we also live in the immediate vicinity of a number of very good winemakers! Visit one or more and have yourself a wonderful experience!

Hiking tracks and biking routes starting almost directly outside the door. Feel free to check them out! And, if you wish, we are more than happy to guide you.

GETTING AROUND

If you do not possess a car while staying at La Maggiorina, don’t you worry! There are bus stops not far from our building. From here you can go directly to for instance Asti, Canelli, Nizza Monferrato and Acqui Terme. A few kilometres from our building you will find the train station, but we do not recommend you to bring too heavy packages, as the distance to the train station is a little less than 3 kilometres.

Why not visit Italy’s first capital Turin? We think Turin will not disappoint you! Go by bus from La Maggiorina to Asti and then by train from Asti to Turin (35 mins by train) – you will end up in the middle of the beautiful Turin city center! The trains between Asti and Turin run quite frequently.

Unfortunately, there is no taxi service in the immediate area. Ask us, and we will tell you more about the transportation possibilities during your stay.

COOKING CLASSES

If you are interested in learning to prepare an Italian dish – or actually several Italian dishes (as one dish is never enough in Italy!) – we can assist with booking cooking classes. A wonderful experience – and of course you will enjoy the result accompanied by delicious Italian wine from Piedmont!

The chef is a busy person, so please give us some time before your arrival to check the opportunity to attend a cooking class.

WINE TASTING

Let us assist you with booking a wine tasting at one of the brilliant wine producers nearby! You will be thrilled to taste the exceptionally good wines – and not to forget, learn all about the process from grape to wine – and more – everything presented by the passionate vine maker. There are so many winemakers close to La Maggiorina – we are happy to recommend to you some of the top producers.

Have you come to Piedmont, this definitely should be on your bucket list!

SPA AND WELLNESS

Exhausted from all experiences? Why not spend a little on luxury while staying in Agliano? Just a little further down on «our» street you’ll find the beautiful Villa Fontana Relais & Wellness Spa, which offers relaxation, spa and also a fancy restaurant serving delicious food – also gluten-free dishes. Tell them you stay at La Maggiorina and they will provide you a 10 % discount on all services.

Or you can visit the Terme di Agliano approximately 1 km away from La Maggiorina. Here you can either visit the beauty salon or the aqua gym – or both! https://termediagliano.it/termestetica/

Remember to book in advance.

VISIT A MARKET

Italians love markets! And you will find a market in almost every little village.

At the market you can buy (almost) everything you need – and also what you did not know you needed. You can buy both fruits and vegetables – and products of any kind.

It is a lovely atmosphere and we highly recommend a visit to one or more of the markets nearby!

There is a small market in Agliano Terme taking place on Thursdays (first half of the day).

In Canelli – well known for its production of sparkling wine – the market days are Tuesday (small, first half of the day) and Friday.

In Nizza Monferrato, a small local town with seventeenth century arcades, balconies, shops, restaurants and enoteche, the market takes place the first half of the day on Fridays.

In Nizza you will also find the exciting Antiques Market, taking place every 3rd Sunday of each month. You can make a bargain!

Asti is the province capital and famous for the “Palio di Asti” (bareback horse race). The market days in Asti are Wednesday and Saturday – closing approximately at 5 p.m. The market in Asti is among the biggest markets in our area.

The “truffle capital” of Piedmont is Alba, and the market day is Sunday. Worth mentioning is also the tourist office in Alba. This is very good.

The market day in the beautiful and well known spa town Acqui Terme is on Tuesdays and Fridays.

During Christmas time you do not want to miss the Christmas Market in Govone! This takes place in the weekends from mid November until the weekend before Christmas Eve. Such a wonderful experience – you will for sure have that good Christmas feeling!

SWIMMING – POOL OR THE SEA

Approximately 1.5 kilometres away from La Maggiorina, a pleasant stroll through the vineyards, you will find the camping site Camping International Le Fonti (swimming pools open mid May to mid September). On a hot day it is wonderful to take a day (or a half) by the modern outdoor swimming pools – either the pool for adults or the pool for very young children. There are also sunbeds and parasols for rent. The camping site has a pizzeria/snack bar, if you have not brought your own picnic basket with you.

And, if you have the time, we highly recommend you to go to the Italian Riviera/the Ligurian coast – approximately 1,5 h drive from La Maggiorina. You will for sure find the most beautiful places for doing activities, shopping or just having a good time and relax.

GOLF

If golfing is on your Piedmont activities list, you have come to the right place. There are several golf courses to choose between, and some of the best are located in our area.

For instance the Golf Club Margara or the Golf Club Cherasco are both within a distance less than 45 minutes by car from La Maggiorina

WHAT TO DO – FOR KIDS AND YOUTHS

We provide a free WiFi service, but what else to do for kids/youths if they get tired of surfing on the internet? We have heard; the majority does not want to join a wine tasting, therefore we have some other suggestions, that might be of interest:

A few minutes walk from La Maggiorina there is a grass football field, and in the opposite direction – also nearby – you will find a volleyball court and a basketball court. Some other sports activities may also be carried out here, like for instance football. Approximately 1,5 kilometres away you find the camping site Camping International Le Fonti, with two swimming pools – one also for very young children – and a snack bar. The camping site also offers other activity features.

There are also water parks not far from La Maggiorina, for instance Astilido in Asti and several other places.

A bit further away – and if you want some excitement – you have the Lake Maggiore Zipline (approximately 2 h 15 mins drive from La Maggiorina).

The Parco Safari (safari park) also is worth to pay a visit, a charming park situated in Murazzano in the Langhe area, approximately 1 h 5 min drive from La Maggiorina.

Another possibility is to go to the bigger cities like Turin, Genova or Milan – or, if you have the time and money – spend a day in Monaco or Nice (approximately 3 h drive from La Maggiorina). Besides shopping, eating, drinking and sightseeing, for instance Turin has several very good alternatives for young(er) people. At Bounce Inc you can jump and climb almost as high and as much as you like – a really cool place! You also have the famous car museum (Fiat) and the Egyptian museum in Turin – great places to visit for both adults, youths and kids.

Interested in football? Visit Turin and/or Milan – need we say more?!

SHOPPING

Ready for some shopping in Piedmont? Here’s something for everyone! Both Asti, Alba and Nizza/Canelli have good shopping opportunities, and if you really want to “go bananas” Milan is not too far away. Turin (even closer) of course also has a very good selection of shops/shopping centers!

However, be aware that the price level in Milan and Turin is quite high – if you want more affordable boutiques, maybe an outlet could be a better alternative, and there are several in the area. For example, outlet Serravalle is approximately one hour’s drive from La Maggiorina – a huge outlet with some of the most famous brands. And you can of course eat here as well. https://www.mcarthurglen.com/it/outlets/it/designer-outlet-serravalle/

It is recommended to go by public transport to the largest cities (from for example Asti) – as it for some people might be a bit tricky to drive either in the Milan or Turin city center, or to find a parking lot.

TRUFFLE HUNTING AND TRUFFLE FESTIVAL

A unique experience we really recommend if you stay with us during autumn, is to visit one of the truffle hunters in our area. Firstly, you will join the truffle hunter and his dogs and search for white truffle(s), and afterwards you’ll get a culinary experience of the rare kind – of course in taste, but also as genuinely you only find it in a small Italian village.


And if you are interested in truffles in general it is almost a must to visit the international truffle festival in Alba which takes place from October to December each year. Here you’ll find both dedicated truffle collectors and/or people who just find it exciting to experience the beautiful city and the atmosphere gathered during these hectic autumn and winter weeks. A myriad of events – all of them with at least a hint of truffle!

Do you have any questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us!