Barbaresco: what to see and where to eat in the gem of Piedmont

The small village of Barbaresco is one of the most picturesque locations to visit in the heart of Langhe, a land part of the Unesco Heritage boasting refined beauty in southern Piedmont famous for its landscape full of hills, vineyards (and wines), hamlets and castles.

Despite its modest size, Barbaresco is in fact a place with a magical atmosphere full of excellences and curiosities, an undisputed icon for the history and traditions of the region and a true cult destination to discover the most authentic side of Piedmont - especially at the table!

Want to leave for a trip to Langhe? Let’s discover what to see and where to eat in Barbaresco, one of the unmissable hidden gems in Italy.

To find out what to see in Barbaresco on your trip to Piedmont, perhaps a suggestive weekend in Langhe, you just need to keep one name in mind: Via Torino.

This street that bears the name of the first capital of Italy is indeed the fundamental way that crosses the entire historic centre of Barbaresco, as well as the address of all the most beautiful attractions to discover in this fantastic medieval town.

Among these the Barbaresco Castle and the iconic Visconti Tower, as well as the churches of San Giovanni Battista - the parish church of the village built between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries - and San Donato, the latter deconsecrated and today home to the Regional Winehouse of Barbaresco, a one-of-a-kind location to discover more about this highly prestigious wine.

And speaking of wines and delicacies of piedmontese cuisine, before delving into these attractions one by one let's check out where to eat in Barbaresco.

What is the authentic flavor of Piedmont? A question that will certainly make you drool, with the desire to discover the best restaurant where to eat in Barbaresco.

The answer is found right in the heart of Barbaresco, along the central Via Torino. We are talking about Antinè, an elegant restaurant bistrot born from the culinary flair of chef Manuel Bouchard where to taste the best of traditional piedmontese cuisine, without sacrificing the charm of innovation and the search for unique flavors, aromas and sensations.

This refined restaurant, located on the first floor of a historic building next to one of the most famous wineries in the territory, in fact offers a menu full of specialties from Piedmont and in particular from Langhe. Dishes such as vitello tonnato (veal with tuna sauce), ravioli del plin, gnocchi della Val Varaita, Fassona braised meat or tongue, and typical desserts such as bonèt or hazelnut-based pastry preparations, resulting from the constant research between avant-garde and tradition where each ingredient - specifically only coming from local and artisan producers - is worked with simplicity to best and clearly express all the flavors that make up each course.

The rich gastronomic proposal shaped with creativity and experience by chef Bouchard is also sides by a prestigious cellar, a reserve of over 1200 wines from all over the world including the extraordinary Barbaresco DOCG.

If you look for the ideal place where to eat in Barbaresco to discover local delicacies, here at Antinè you will find a true temple of piedmontese food and wine in a refined environment with a modern and welcoming design, perfect for a truly top lunch or dinner!

After an electrifying journey for your taste buds with the best of piedmontese cuisine, it's time to take a stroll through the historic village and discover what to see in Barbaresco during your visit.

Walking along Via Torino, the soul of the town, the Barbaresco Castle and Tower certainly cannot go unnoticed, icons of the landscape of these lands for many centuries.

The Barbaresco Castle is also officially known as Palazzo Galleani and its current appearance is the result of a seventeenth-century restoration of some pre-existing buildings, probably already noble residence for the Marquises of Monferrato and Visconti family. Purchased by Galleani family, the residence was then adapted as a castle (for civilian use) with a large residential complex and numerous internal rooms, before becoming domain of the Savoy family in 1631.

Unfortunately the castle cannot be visited, anyway if you want to experience adventures with historical charm you can always visit the Barbaresco Visconti Tower, which with its 30 meters height dominates completely the entire town and the nearby valleys crossed by the Tanaro river. It was built as a defensive bastion around 1200 in the largest page of history when the village was disputed between Alba and Asti, at that age political and military powers of Piedmont, and then modified and strengthened by Visconti family who imposed their dominion in the mid-fourteenth century.

Fortunately the Barbaresco Tower is no longer a backdrop to battles and power clashes between nobles, and indeed today houses an interesting multimedia museum open every day and a chamber for events. Thanks to a comfortable and modern elevator next to the tower, it’s possible to go up almost to the top and enjoy a breathtaking view over Langhe.

Right in front of the Visconti Tower, at one end of Via Torino there is the Church of San Giovanni Battista, which became the parish church of Barbaresco around 1700.

The original structure of the church was built between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, but its current appearance was shaped in the first half of the eighteenth century with a deep restoration in baroque style, especially in its peculiar facade. The complex of San Giovanni Battista was also enriched with a bell tower built in 1756 and also a sacred icon of the saint enclosed in a precious marble frame, introduced in 1780.

Marble is also the king material of the interior restoration of the church, with particular reference to its precious high altar made of marbles of different kinds and chromatic shades.

But what do we find by moving exactly to the opposite end of Via Torino? Well, of course what once was the parish church of Barbaresco, the Church of San Donato, in the pretty Piazzetta del Municipio right next to the town hall.

The Church of San Donato already existed in the thirteenth century, and remained a religious point of reference for Barbaresco for five centuries, until the consecration of the new church. But over time the building has been able to adapt to the new needs of the town, becoming the local headquarters of the Brotherhood of the Disciplined during the eighteenth century. In this time, especially in the nineteenth century, the church was also restored giving it its current appearance.

More recently, following its deconsecration, the inner spaces of the church (part of a single nave) were transformed into an evocative exhibition space for the prestigious Regional Winehouse of Barbaresco, which today houses hundreds of bottles of this excellent wine produced solely by the numerous local companies specialized in cultivating and processing of Nebbiolo grapes, a treasure of Piedmont.

The main logistical and tourist hub for traveling in Piedmont is certainly Turin, point of arrival and departure for planes, trains and buses and obviously a crucial crossroads for those who prefer traveling by car thanks to the wide network of highways in the northwest.

And car is certainly the perfect means of transport to reach the small villages within Langhe and Monferrato. Here's how to get to Barbaresco by following three different road routes starting from Turin:

- European Road E70 from Turin to Asti, continuing on Highway A33/E74 towards Cuneo, taking the exit for Castagnito and then SP3 over Tanaro river;

- Highway A6/E717 towards Savona, taking the exit for Marene, then continuing towards Alba and along SP3 to your destination;

- Regional Road SR29 from Turin South-Moncalieri to Alba and continuing on SP3.

All three itineraries by car last about 1 hour and 30 minutes, each characterized by picturesque landscapes over the piedmontese valleys and hills. And if you want to complete your travel experience in Langhe, we recommend you also visit Barolo less than an hour's drive southwest of Barbaresco!