Piedmont hotels - Hotel Castiglione offers 3 star holiday accommodation in a hill town near Alba, northern Italy.

Piedmont - A lovely little 3-Star hotel with delightful views near Asti and Alba. Nice rooms, air-conditioning and conference facilities make this a real find in northern Italy.

The elegantly restored town house provides attentive yet understated service, both friendly and efficient. There are comfortable rooms, pretty gardens and balconies, and meeting facilities in a nearby 17th century building. The hotel's wine cellars are dug into the tufa volcanic bedrock beneath the hotel. Guests can relax in the hotel's reading room.

The 11 rooms, all nicely furnished, each have air conditioning, phone, modem port, minibar (included in the price), and safe. Satellite TV, hairdryer, bathrobe and slippers are provided, and there is a lift to all floors.

The Castiglione Tinella region has great sightseeing too, with vineyards covering the undulating countryside around the city. From the hotel's terraces you get a beautiful view of Langa Astigiana and the outlines of the Roero castles. This is a perfect place for relax and get back into contact with nature.

[Region map] [Local map]

The area is in the very north-west of Italy, very close to the French border and with a distinctive character as a result. This region, bordered by the French and Swiss Alps, and lined with mountain valleys, boasts dialects based on French and German, and a cuisine rich in butter, cream, truffles and rich soups. This is marvellous wine country too.

Just 20km from the house, Alba is a great wine centre and a beautiful place to visit. With its hub of red-brick mediaeval towers, Renaissance and Baroque palazzi and cobbled streets lined with exquisite food and wine shops, you'll love strolling here. There is a late-Gothic cathedral centred on the Piazza Risorgimento, and many good places to take lunch or dinner.

Also 20km away lies Asti, the capital of Italy's sparkling wine industry and the most internationally famed producer of spumante. Nearby, there is an interesting Romanesque abbey near Albugnano, the therapeutic spa waters of Acqui Terme and the grand synagogue at Casale Monferrato. Each year Asti hosts street banquets, a mediaeval market and the Palio horse race itself.

Find out more about this lovely Piedmont hotel tucked just inside the Italian border, the venue for a most relaxing vacation in Italy - click below.