The question of Christmas in Piemonte has come up and I’d like to share some memories. I’ve spent at least ten holidays there. But first: in most of my posts I use “Cuneo” interchangeably for the city of 50,000 and the province that includes much of the Langhe and a big chunk of the Maritime Alps. I’ll try to be more clear.
I think the city of Cuneo is a great place to spend the holidays - as long as you’re sure you’ve got a place to stay. I love the decorations and holiday mood. The countryside will be much more difficult - anyplace in or near the mountains will be packed with skiers, climbers, and accompanying snow-bunnies.
Places that serve the local cuisine will be in full winter season mode. You will find soup! I say that as long you are sure of accommodation, do it!
BTW … the city of Cuneo is a great base for these explorations. Trains and/or busses connect it with the mountains and vinyards. And if you have to warm up, the Italian Riviera.
Thanks for this Brian. For the period between December 25/26 and, say, Epiphany - which is when my business is closed and I can travel undisturbed by work - my past research on smaller towns like Alba and Asti showed a lot of restaurants completely closed for this chunk of time (in fact if memory serves the period of closures I was finding many places seemed to be closed approximately Dec 22 through Jan 5/6/7). I suspect the same may be true for wineries but have never looked into it. Cuneo sounds like a potentially good option…
Plenty will be closed in Langhe, but in the neighboring mountains, it will be peak season. Vernante, which has equal amounts of both cultures, would be a really interesting place to go, especially if you have any interest in winter sports.
In the end, it comes down to how much you like winter - in Cuneo, Vernante, Limone or pretty much anywhere in Piemonte. This is the time for a good family ice climb.
