A One-Day Selfie Drive through the Langhe
A day of wandering without expectations.
Sometimes, the best way to get to know a place is to just kind of…soak it in, without anywhere to be or anything to do in particular.
That was what we did one September day, when Max and I were visiting his mother in Alta Langa.
Although I’d been to Piedmont many times over the years, I realised I’d only ever seen the famous Barolo villages of Langhe from a distance, spending most of my time in the wild Alta Langa or across the river in the Roero.
The morning air was fresh with the first whispers of autumn, but the blue skies promised a perfect late-summer day ahead, so we got in the car and let the winding roads show us where to go.
Wondering what Piedmont’s like during shoulder seasons? Here’s the case for visiting the region in spring.
Victoria Peel-Yates
Why A Selfie Drive Works in the Langhe
Local legend has it that Napoleon coined the name Langhe (pronounced LAN-ghe, with a hard “g”) when he crossed the Alps and saw the tongue-like hills, though the true origins of the word are lost to history, and may predate him by centuries.
One of the Langhe’s charms is wandering its roads, which offer panoramic viewpoints, vistas over vineyards, and medieval castles perched on hilltops—all with the ever-present Alps in the background.
The whole area invites exploration, with belvederes and Big Benches popping up along the way—perfect backdrops for selfies, family portraits, or even headshots for your blog (ahem).
While vineyard tours and winery experiences let you zoom in on a specific village or producer, a slow drive through the hills lets the Langhe unfold before you in a more organic way.
And the best part? With landscapes like these, you don’t even need to be a professional photographer to take home some impressive snaps.
Do you need a car to visit the Langhe? This guide breaks down how to get around Piedmont by train, bus, and car.
Victoria Peel-Yates
Our Route At-A-Glance
- Starting point: Alta Langa
- Ending point: Barolo
- Time needed: Half a day with only photo stops; full day if you want to stop for coffee/lunch/gelato along the way.
While this route makes an easy half- or full-day drive, it also works well as part of a longer Langhe road trip—whether you have two days or a full week.
How many days do you need in Piedmont? From two days to two weeks, you’ll find an itinerary that fits your schedule in this guide.
Victoria Peel-Yates
Our One-Day Langhe Road Trip Itinerary
Benevello
Our first stop was Benevello, where we visited the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, which houses an evocative mural of Alta Langa behind the altar. I lit two candles for recently departed loved ones, leaving a few coins in the offering box.
From there, we followed the hilltop road past hazelnut groves, Piedmontese cascine and pine-shrouded chapels towards the next stop, with our destination—the vineyards of Barolo—spreading across the Langhe hills below.
Clockwise from top left: views of the Langhe from Benevello; lighting candles in the church; a mural depicting Alta Langa; the first selfie of the day.
Montelupo Albese
From Benevello, we descended towards the Langhe, stopping at the charming village of Montelupo Albese, with its Belvedere Michele Ferrero, which feels a bit like the roof of the Langhe.
On a weekday in early September, the village was empty, although I could imagine it bustling with people jostling for a view during the Alba Truffle Fair or a summer festival. That day, though, we had the entire belvedere to ourselves, and spent a few minutes messing around taking selfies with the view and giggling.
The streets of Montelupo (which means “Wolf Mountain”) are decorated with murals depicting wolf-themed stories and fables, giving it the feel of an open-air gallery, so we spent some time exploring the artwork and reading the stories before heading to our next stop.
Clockwise from top left: I particularly liked this wolf howling at the moon; Max admiring wolf art; a wolf sculpture; unwittingly getting my future Secret Piemonte headshot.
Diano d’Alba
With its brightly coloured houses clustered around the piazza and views that stretch all the way to Turin on a clear day, Diano d’Alba is a quintessential Langhe village.
We wandered its cobbled streets and ate a gelato in the square from Locanda d’Batista, a local trattoria serving traditional Piedmontese fare that belongs to Max’s school friend.
From there, we strolled up past the church to the highest point in the village, with its privileged views towards the Langhe and Alps on one side, and the hills of Alta Langa on the other.
I love Diano and Locanda d’Batista so much, I decided it would be the perfect place to celebrate my 40th birthday. After making a mental note to book it when the time came, we moved on.
Clockwise from top left: Locanda d'Batista; Diano's colourful houses; Nebbiolo grapes nearly ready to harvest; views of Alta Langa from Diano; Max admiring Langhe views; the church at Diano d'Alba.
Grizane Cavour Castle & La Morra’s Cedar Tree
On our way to Barolo, we made a brief stop at the imposing Grizane Cavour Castle, visiting its grounds and the open-air art installations they house, and taking the photo that would eventually become the cover photo of Secret Piemonte (even if I didn’t know it at the time). We also drove past the famous cedar tree that symbolises the village of La Morra.
L-R: vineyard views from Grinzane Cavour Castle; open-air art installations at Grinzane Cavour; La Morra's famous cedar tree.
Barolo
Driving past lush green vineyards heavy with dark purple fruit, we reached our last stop, the village of Barolo that gives the wine its name. The car park had plenty of free space, but the handful of tour buses parked there hinted that we were at the Langhe’s touristic epicentre.
Even so, the town was quiet enough to get a few photos without the crowds, before stopping at Easy Così bar for a glass of Barolo in Barolo.
Clockwise from top left: Barolo Castle at golden hour; words to live by at Easy Così; Osteria La Cantinella; enjoying Barolo in Barolo.
Why a Selfie Drive Is the Ultimate Slow Travel Experience
The Langhe have a way of making you want to slow down and document it all. Those quick photos we took along the way were excuses to linger and laugh, and while the images are nice to have, what they really hold is the memory of a day spent moving slowly and without expectation.
In a region so often experienced through tastings, tours and tightly planned itineraries, a simple drive—especially during the shoulder seasons—can feel surprisingly intimate. Just you, the road, and the Langhe revealing itself, one winding road at a time.
Looking for an Italian getaway where you can rediscover the joy of slowing down? Here’s what makes Piedmont the ultimate slow travel destination.
Victoria Peel-Yates
