The trip is in relation with Piedmont being voted number 1 region to visit by Lonely Planet guides. It will be a group press trip of 7 journalists from UK and other European countries. Commission essential, no bloggers/influencers. Final choice will be made by the Piedmont Region. Please submit your application by 30 September 2019.

Here are the preliminary programmes for the trips

PRESS TRIP Piemonte #1 world's region to visit in 2019 for Lonely Planet's annual travel ranking “Best in Travel”

WELCOME TO ALTO PIEMONTE (High Piemonte)

October 18 – 19 – 20, 2019

Located between the Po valley and the Alps, the High Piemonte area, comprising the Novara and Vercelli provinces, offers a pleasantly experience, made of a great variety of panoramic viewpoints, artworks and architecture of unexpected beauty. A land where food and wine take the lion's share with unique products transformed into delightful dishes signed by prestigious chefs. Needless to say, that the tour features the most relevant sites and products, including charming town and cities, the most appealing restaurants and typical places where you can discover all secrets about rice, gorgonzola, noble local wines, as well as stories and curiosities, that will make of your travel to High Piemonte a connoisseur experience to share…

Our itinerary proposal

1° day: Friday, October 18th, 2019

In the morning

• Arrival at airport / railway station
• Meeting with the media group participants, the author of the Lonely Planet's Guide, Giacomo Bassi, and your tour leader
• transfer by private shuttle from Torino to Novara with a stop in the Vercelli area, which is an important commercial point of reference for rice throughout Europe since the Middle Age
• Visit and lunch in a selected restaurant with focus on rice and local products
• Arrival in Novara, check-in at hotel and a short relax break
• Visit of Novara city center with your tour leader

(the city preserves an interesting art and architectural heritage such as the daring dome of the Basilica of San Gaudenzio and the early Christian baptistery of the Cathedral, one of the oldest religious buildings in Piemonte)

• Dinner at a typical restaurant
• Back to the hotel and overnight

2° day, Saturday, October 19th, 2019

In the morning

• Meeting at the hotel reception with the tour leader
• transfer by private shuttle to the territory for visits and tastings included in the program, on the road from Novara to Varallo (town and Sacred Mount UNESCO world heritage), to discover architectural treasures, scenic spots and typical products and wines.
• Lunch with typical products

In the afternoon

• Second part of the itinerary, including Gattinara and Ghemme. Separated by the Sesia river, the two towns are truly “big” in the sense of wine, food and way of life. You'll be in the reign of the noble Gattinara DOCG and Ghemme DOCG, and the spotlights will be turned on some of the best wine productions (with winery visit and tasting).
• Back to Novara
• Dinner at a selected restaurant
• Back to the hotel and overnight

3° day: Sunday 20 october 2019

In the morning

• Meeting at hotel reception with the tour leader
• transfer by private shuttle from Novara to Vercelli: on the road visit to a food and cheese producer (with tasting)
• Visit of Vercelli, its historical core, art and architectonical treasures
• lunch at typical restaurant

In the afternoon / evening:

• transfer to the airport / railway station and departure

PRESS TRIP Piemonte #1 world's region to visit in 2019 for Lonely Planet's annual travel ranking “Best in Travel”

WELCOME TO MONFERRATO

October 25 – 26 – 27, 2019

A land of ancient castles and rolling hills dotted with vineyards and hazelnut trees, Monferrato is worldwide famous for its wines (first of all, Barbera and Asti spumante), the ancient cellars dug into the rock and the fascinating landscapes: we speak of a wonderful area, which is part of the Vineyard Landscape of Langhe Roero and Monferrato World Heritage UNESCO since 2014. A land where food and wine take the lion's share with unique products transformed into delightful dishes signed by prestigious chefs. Needless to say, that the tour features the most relevant sites and products, including charming town and cities, the most appealing restaurants and typical places where you can discover all secrets of this unique food and wine tradition, as well as stories and curiosities, that will make of your travel to Monferrato a connoisseur experience to share…

Our itinerary proposal

1° day: Friday, October 25th, 2019

• Arrival at airport / railway station
• Meeting with the media group participants, the author of the Lonely Planet's Guide, Cinzia Rando, and your tour leader
• transfer by private shuttle from Torino to Vezzolano

(visit of Vezzolano Abbey, a masterpiece in Gothic-Romanesque style on the background of rolling hills, which is among the most remarkable medieval monuments in Piemonte)

• Lunch in a typical restaurant with menu based on specialties of the Piedmontese tradition

In the afternoon:

• Transfer to Aramengo and visit of the Art Restoration Laboratory Nicola

(The Nicolas are an ancient, renowned family of restorers. They've been active in the field, working on paintings, frescoes and statues, for over 50 years now. In their laboratory in Aramengo some of the most important Italian and international masterpieces have been brought back to life. The visit is a true experience)

• Transfer to Asti, the city of the famous Palio Race and historical re-enactment and the Spumante (but not only…)
• Check-in at hotel, with a short relax break
• Walking visit of the city with your tour leader
• Dinner at a selected restaurant
• Back to the hotel and overnight

2° day, Saturday, October 26th

In the morning

• Meeting at the hotel reception with the tour leader
• Check-out and transfer to Canelli
• Visit of an ancient wine cellar, which is part of the Underground Wine Cathedrals UNESCO

(The subterranean wine cellars are a real masterpiece of engineering and architecture, that wiggle below the entire city for about 12 miles, and disappear on different levels in the viscera of tufa hills, thus creating really suggestive scenarios)

• Lunch at a selected restaurant in the area

In the afternoon:

• Transfer by private shuttle to Acqui Terme and check-in at hotel, with a short relax break
• Visit of the fascinating Abbey of Sezzadio and the ancient village of Cassine, along a beautiful itinerary on the hills
• Visit of Cella Monte, one of the 14 most beautiful villages of Italy in Piemonte, with underground wine cellars called “Infernot”, World Heritage Site UNESCO, and the EcoMuseum
• Back to the hotel
• Dinner in a typical restaurant
• Back to hotel and overnight

3° day: Sunday, 27th October

In the morning:

• Check-out and transfer to Bergamasco for a special truffle hunting in the company of the Trifulau and his Tabui (the truffle seeker and his truffle dog)
• Lunch in a typical restaurant
• Transfer to Antica Distilleria – Museo della Grappa (Mazzetti Altavilla Distillery and Museum of Grappa) in Altavilla Monferrato (visit and tasting)

In the afternoon:

• transfer to the airport / railway station and departure

Please apply by sending an e-mail to : stefania.gatta@enit.it