A Perfect Day in Alba: Truffles, Wine, and Medieval Charm.

The grapes have been harvested and pressed. The hazelnuts are gathered, and the end of the season is celebrated. One festival has just passed, and the next is already on the horizon. October and November are all about truffles. Throughout Piedmont, and especially in Alba, everything revolves around the truffle.

For eight weeks, Alba hosts the "Fiera Internazionale Tartufo Bianco d’Alba". In the city center, the Alba White Truffle World Market takes place, the perfect spot to taste and buy truffles from the Langhe, Monferrato, and Roero regions. Alongside this market, the city offers farmers' markets, workshops, cooking shows, cooking classes, and dinners at various locations. It’s the ideal time for us to explore both the city and its truffles.

We set off for Alba in the morning and already find ourselves searching for parking. We manage to find a spot near the Ferrero factory and walk from there into the city center. We start the day with a cappuccino and croissant at one of the city’s cozy coffee bars. It takes a bit of searching, but we find a small, charming bar that, according to Tripadvisor, serves delicious coffee and cookies. We can confirm—it was worth it.

There’s a lively atmosphere in the streets as we visit the many small markets scattered across the city’s squares. On weekends, various markets pop up, such as the Slow Food Market at Piazza Pertinace, where small-scale producers and farmers sell fruits, vegetables, wine, honey, cheese, and cured meats. Along the main shopping street, Via Vittorio Emanuele, shop owners set up stalls to showcase their truffles and other Italian delicacies.

But Alba isn’t only about truffles; it’s also a historic city. We mapped out a walking tour that takes us past the most important buildings, churches, and squares. We start at Piazza Risorgimento, where the cathedral and city hall are located. From there, we continue south along Via Vittorio Emanuele. We not only browse the storefronts on the ground floor but also look up to admire the beautiful facades. At the far end of the shopping street, we arrive at Piazza Savona, or Piazza Ferrero, named after none other than Michele Ferrero of Nutella and chocolate fame. This square seems like the perfect spot for a drink on one of the many terraces.

As we continue our walk, we pass by numerous churches, theaters, and squares. Just like Asti, Alba also has several towers, a reminder of these cities’ medieval history, when noble families and wealthy citizens built towers as symbols of power and defense. At the tourist office, we also learn about the possibility of visiting "Underground Alba." The medieval city was built atop the ruins of the Roman city Alba Pompeia, and the modern city grew without fully destroying the old one, preserving the original urban layout. A few meters below the current street level, remnants of the old city are still visible. Guided tours of this underground city are available, something we’ll certainly come back for.

Finding our car is easy—we simply follow our noses, and when we smell chocolate, we know we’re close. The city is definitely worth a visit, and it’s equally delightful to wander and enjoy the terraces in the summer months. We’re already planning to return!

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