Alba is the gastronomic capital of Piedmont and the gateway to the Barolo and Barbaresco wine country, but there is more to the city than white truffles and Nebbiolo. Its red-brick medieval centre, Roman archaeological remains, and position at the centre of the UNESCO-listed Langhe-Roero and Monferrato vineyard landscapes make it a base for day trips to hilltop castles and wine villages. This guide covers the top things to do in Alba and within a 30-minute drive, with specific locations, hours, and prices. For hotel recommendations, see our where to stay in Alba guide.
Things to Do in Alba: Food, Wine and Truffles
Alba White Truffle Fair (Fiera del Tartufo)
The Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba is the city’s defining event, running weekends from early October through early December. The fair occupies Piazza Medford and the Cortile della Maddalena in the historic centre, with dozens of vendors selling white truffles (Tuber magnatum) at market prices (typically 3,000 to 5,000 euros per kilogram depending on the season’s yield). You do not need to buy a whole truffle to participate: many stands sell truffle-infused olive oil, salt, honey, and pasta (15 to 30 euros). The fair also includes cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and the Alba Truffle Show, a dedicated food hall with regional products. Entry to the fairground is free; the truffle show area requires a ticket (roughly 10 euros). The fair opens at 10:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. For more on the fair and other seasonal events, see our events and festivals guide.
Wine Tasting in the Langhe
Alba is surrounded by the Langhe wine region, home to Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera d’Alba, and Dolcetto d’Alba. Dozens of cantine (wineries) within a 30-minute drive offer tastings, from small family operations to large producers like Ceretto, Gaja, and Pio Cesare. Most require advance booking, especially on weekends. A typical tasting of 3 to 4 wines costs 15 to 30 euros per person, often including a tour of the cellar. The Enoteca Regionale del Barolo in the castle of Barolo village (15km south of Alba, open daily 10:30 to 18:30, free entry) offers tastings of over 200 Barolo labels by the glass and sells bottles at cellar-door prices. The Enoteca Regionale della Barbera in Alba itself (Piazza Vittorio Veneto, open Thursday to Tuesday) offers a rotating selection of Barbera wines by the glass (3 to 5 euros per glass). For a curated list of the best wineries and tasting rooms, see our neighborhoods guide which covers the main wine villages.
Cooking Classes and Food Tours
Several organisations in and around Alba run hands-on cooking classes focused on Piedmontese cuisine. The Associazione Culturale Marcovaldo runs half-day classes (roughly 80 to 100 euros per person) covering tajarin (thin egg pasta), plin (pinched ravioli), and bunet (chocolate-amaretti pudding). Classes are held in a farmhouse kitchen in the hills near Barolo and include the meal with paired wines. Book at least two weeks ahead. Food tours of Alba’s historic centre, visiting salumerie (delicatessens), bakeries, and wine bars, run through operators like Meet Piemonte and Traveling Spoon; expect to pay 70 to 120 euros for a three-hour guided walking tour with tastings.
Things to Do in Alba: Historic Attractions and Landmarks
Alba Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo)
The Cattedrale di San Lorenzo on Piazza Duomo is Alba’s main church, a Romanesque-Gothic brick structure originally built in the 12th century and heavily restored in the 19th. The interior is notable for a 16th-century wooden choir carved by Bernardino Fossati, a neo-Gothic high altar, and a crypt with Roman-era mosaic floors visible through glass panels. Entry is free. Open daily roughly 8:00 to 12:00 and 15:00 to 19:00, though hours are irregular and subject to services. The piazza itself is the city’s main gathering space, ringed by cafes and the medieval brick towers that define Alba’s skyline.
Medieval Towers of Alba
Alba was once a city of 100 towers, built by noble families between the 12th and 15th centuries as symbols of wealth and defensive strongholds. Three remain standing and accessible: the Torre Bonino (14th century, attached to Palazzo Comunale on Piazza Risorgimento, visible from the street but interior closed to the public), the Torre Sineo (13th century, on Via Cavour near Piazza Duomo), and the Torre Astesiano (on Piazza Risorgimento). None are open for climbing, but they dominate the skyline and make for excellent photographs, especially at sunset when the brick glows red. The towers are all within a five-minute walk of each other.
Roman Alba: Underground Archaeological Path
The Percorso Archeologico Sotterraneo is an underground walk through Roman Alba Pompeia, the city’s ancient predecessor. The route passes under the modern city centre and includes sections of the Roman forum, a theatre, and mosaic floors from a domus (private house). The entrance is at Piazza Risorgimento 2. Open Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:00 (closed Monday to Friday and during August). Admission is roughly 5 euros. The tour takes about 45 minutes and involves stairs; it is not wheelchair accessible.
Museo Civico Federico Eusebio
Alba’s civic museum occupies the former convent of San Domenico on Via Vittorio Emanuele. It covers local archaeology from the Neolithic period through the Roman and medieval eras, with a particularly strong collection of Roman funerary stelae and inscriptions found in and around Alba. The natural history section includes fossils from the nearby Tanaro River valley. Open Tuesday to Friday 9:00 to 12:30, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:00. Closed Monday. Admission is roughly 5 euros. Allow 60 to 90 minutes.
Things to Do in Alba: Day Trips and Nearby Attractions
The Barolo Wine Villages
The 11 villages of the Barolo DOCG zone form a roughly 25km loop south of Alba that you can drive in a day. Key stops include Barolo itself (the castle and wine museum, WiMu, are worth 90 minutes; admission roughly 10 euros, open daily 10:30 to 19:00 in summer, shorter hours in winter), La Morra (the highest village with a panoramic balcony overlooking the entire Langhe, free), Monforte d’Alba (a steep hillside village with a stunning amphitheatre-shaped piazza and excellent restaurants), and Serralunga d’Alba (dominated by a 14th-century castle, open for tours Saturday and Sunday, roughly 5 euros). Driving the full loop with stops takes 4 to 6 hours. Roads are narrow and winding; allow extra time and designate a driver if you plan to taste wine at every stop. For more on the wine villages, see our neighborhoods guide.
Castello di Grinzane Cavour
This 13th-century castle 10km south of Alba was the residence of Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, the statesman who unified Italy. Today it houses the Enoteca Regionale Piemontese Cavour (a regional wine shop with tastings), a restaurant (Ristorante Al Castello, one Michelin star, tasting menus from roughly 80 euros), and the Museo delle Langhe (exhibits on truffle hunting and peasant life). The castle’s square tower offers panoramic views of the Barolo vineyards. Open daily 9:30 to 19:00 in summer (March to October), 10:00 to 17:30 in winter. Admission roughly 7 euros. Free parking at the base of the hill.
Bra: The Birthplace of Slow Food
Bra is a town of roughly 30,000 people, 20km southwest of Alba, best known as the birthplace of the Slow Food movement (founded by Carlo Petrini in 1986). The University of Gastronomic Sciences in the restored Agenzia di Pollenzo complex (5km from Bra) is open for guided visits on Thursdays. Bra’s historic centre has a Baroque church (Sant’Andrea), a 17th-century town hall, and the narrow Via Cavour lined with cheese and wine shops. The town hosts Cheese (a biennial international cheese festival) in odd-numbered years in September. Bra is 25 minutes by car or roughly 30 minutes by train from Alba station (regional trains run roughly every two hours; tickets cost roughly 3 euros).
Serravalle Designer Outlet
The Serravalle Designer Outlet, one of Europe’s largest, is 60km east of Alba (roughly 50 minutes by car via the A21 and A7 motorways). It has over 300 stores including Gucci, Prada, Burberry, and Moncler at discounts of 30 to 70 percent. Open daily 10:00 to 20:00. Free parking. Worth the drive if you want to combine wine touring with designer shopping; budget at least three hours. There is no direct public transport from Alba; you need a car or a tour bus from Milan/Genoa.
