Program
June 3
Arrival in Malpensa airport and transfer to venue between Biella and Vercelli. Piedmont cooking is arguably the finest of all Italian cooking. Piedmont's local produce ranges from one of the world's best rice to the extremely rare and ridiculously expensive white truffle of Alba. The region not only produces some of the best cheese of Italy but also Barolo, one of the world's greatest wines. Your home for the week is a big 18th century aristocratic villa, with spacious, en suite bedrooms, a pool and a lovely garden. After checking into your rooms and having freshened up, enjoy welcome aperitifs followed by dinner.
June 4
After breakfast have your first hands-on cooking class preparing a full-course meal to be had at lunch. In the afternoon you can lounge by the pool or explore the grounds which include a small forest on the premises with centuries-old trees. Dinner at the villa.
June 5
After breakfast enjoy your second hands-on cooking class. Following lunch head off for the wine route to try one of the area's exceptional wines. With the great wine flavours still llingering in your mouth visit the exquisitely-preserved Medieval village of Ricetto di Candelo. Return to villa for dinner.
June 6
After breakfast head off for the crystal-clear turquoise waters of Lake Maggiore where we'll be catching a boat to see the breathtakingly-beautiful gardens of the Borromeo Islands. Isola Madre with its great display of different coloured flowers, palm trees and a huge Kashmir cypress, the largest in Europe. Stop in Isola dei Pescatori, a picturesque fisherman's village to get a bite to eat and then hop back on the boat to reach Isola Bella. Visit the opulent palace on the island with its stunning grottoes and its elaborate, Baroque gardens of whimsy where white peacocks strut about. Return to villa for dinner.
June 7
After breakfast partake in yet another cooking class. In the afternoon visit the nearby town of Biella, renowned for its textiles. It has a compact and attractive city centre with a funicular linking it to the beautiful old town of Piazzo just above. Return to villa for dinner.
June 8
After breakfast spend the whole day visiting Turin. There's a touch of Paris in the elegant tree-lined boulevards of this city and echoes of Vienna in its stately art nouveau cafes, but make no mistake – this handsome, Alp-fringed city is unique in its own right. Return to villa for dinner.
June 9
After breakfast will follow your last cooking class. In the afternoon visit the pleasant town of Vercelli. Stroll through its cobble-stoned streets and perhaps sit at an outdoor café in the charming central square, almost entirely surrounded by porticoed houses. The town's most important monument is the 13th century Basilica and cloister of San't Andrea built in the unique Romanesque-Gothic style of the area. Return to villa for farewell dinner.
June 10
After breakfast transfer to Malpensa airport.
Gallery
Piedmont cooking is arguably the finest of all Italian cooking
FUN. REAL. ENLIGHTENING.
PRICE INCLUDES:
- ACCOMMODATION
- ALL MEALS IN VILLA
- ALL TRANSPORTATION MENTIONED IN ITINERARY
- ENTRANCE FEES TO ALL GARDENS MENTIONED IN THE ITINERARY;
- WALKING TOURS THROUGH ALL THE TOWNS;
- HANDS-ON COOKING LESSONS.
All but one of the rooms are double bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and wifi.
*All activities are subject to change on the basis of which options are deemed to be the most suitable in terms of current culinary standards, the weather conditions on a given day, and other relevant criteria.
Amenities
DOUBLE AND SINGLE ROOMS ALL WITH PRIVATE BATHROOM
BIG OUTDOOR POOL
PRIVATE GARDEN WITH WOODS
FREE WIFI
Price does not include airfare
All payments must be made by bank transfer. Please contact us to receive a booking form with our bank details, along with our terms & cancellation policy.