Discover Alba

A concise introduction to Alba, its geography, history and culture.

Introduction

Alba is the capital of the Langhe, a town of 31,215 people on the Tanaro about 60 km south-east of Turin, and the place everything in these hills is organised around. It is where the wine is traded, where the truffles are sold, and where the one real high street in the region runs.

The Langhe are the hills south and east of the Tanaro, in the provinces of Cuneo and Asti, and on 22 June 2014 they were inscribed by UNESCO as part of the Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato. Three of the inscribed Langhe areas sit within half an hour of Alba: the Langa of Barolo, the Hills of Barbaresco and the castle of Grinzane Cavour. Alba itself is the hinge between the two great appellations — Barolo to the south-west, Barbaresco to the north-east — and both are named for villages you can see from the hills above the town.

The town is older than the wine. Alba Pompeia was recognised as a town by the Roman consul Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo while he was building a road from Acqui to Turin, and the modern streets still follow that grid. In the 14th and 15th centuries Alba had so many tower-houses that it was called the city of a hundred towers; several survive, leaning over the shopping streets. The brick cathedral of San Lorenzo is 12th-century Romanesque, probably standing on a Roman temple, and keeps its original three portals, its crypt and a carved wooden choir of 1512 by Bernardino Fossati.

What Alba is known for now is food, at two very different scales. The International White Truffle Fair runs from October into December — the 2026 edition is the 96th — and fills the town with the most expensive ingredient in Europe. And Ferrero, which invented Nutella, is headquartered here: the same hills that grow Nebbiolo grow the hazelnuts.

Geography

Alba stands at 172 metres on the Tanaro, across 53.59 km², at the point where the Langhe hills to the south meet the Roero to the north — the hinge between the Barolo and Barbaresco appellations.

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History

A Roman town recognised by the consul Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, a medieval commune of a hundred towers, and the seat of a partisan republic that lasted twenty-three days in the autumn of 1944.

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Culture

The white truffle fair in its 96th edition, Beppe Fenoglio's Resistance novels set in these vineyards, two of Italy's greatest red wines made on either side of the town, and Nutella — invented here.

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How it was built and evolved over time

A Roman grid still legible in the street plan, Romanesque brick in the cathedral, and the stumps of a medieval forest of tower-houses standing above modern shopfronts.

Read the full how it was built and evolved over time guide →

Climate patterns

Hills that make their own weather: cold winters, hot hazy summers, and the autumn fog in the valleys that gave Nebbiolo its name and the truffle season its atmosphere.

Read the full climate patterns guide →

Is Alba the right base for the Langhe?

Yes, for most visitors. It is the only town in these hills with a full range of hotels, restaurants and shops open year-round, it is flat and walkable, it has the hospital and the station, and Barolo, La Morra and the Barbaresco hills are all twenty to thirty minutes away. The alternative — basing in a village — gives you atmosphere and walking distance to a cellar, and costs you choice.

When is the truffle fair?

10 October to 6 December in 2026, the 96th edition. The World Market is in the town centre; enquiries on +39 0173 361051. Tickets are sold through the fair's own online ticketing, and it does not publish market hours or a door price on its public pages — so check the ticketing site before planning a specific day.

Do I need a car?

For the hills, effectively yes — the Langhe have no visitor-usable public transport and everything is on a ridge. For Alba itself, no: the town is flat and compact and a car in the centre is a nuisance. The real question is not whether to have a car but who is going to drive it after a tasting.

How do I visit cellars without driving?

Hire a driver for the day — this is standard in the Langhe and the local firms know exactly what is wanted — or sleep in a village with producers in walking distance, or nominate someone who does not taste.

Can I walk in the vineyards?

On the marked paths and farm tracks, yes, and it is the best way to see the landscape UNESCO inscribed on 22 June 2014. Not in the rows: those are private property and a working crop, with machinery in them at harvest.

Barolo or Barbaresco?

Both are 100% Nebbiolo and both are made within half an hour of Alba, Barolo to the south-west and Barbaresco to the north-east. Barolo must age at least 36 months with at least 18 in wood, and five years for a Riserva; Barbaresco's requirement is shorter, so it is often readier to drink and less expensive. If you have one day, do the Barolo zone, because the villages and the views are the better trip.

Was Nutella really invented in Alba?

Ferrero is headquartered in Alba, and yes. The hills that grow Nebbiolo also grow hazelnuts, and the confectionery industry here is as local as the wine. The factory is not open to visitors.

What should I eat?

Tajarin — the very fine egg pasta — vitello tonnato, the local cheeses, hazelnut cake, and in the cold months bagna càuda. If you want truffle, order a dish with it shaved over rather than buying a specimen: you are paying for grams instead of a whole truffle.

Verified against Wikipedia, October 2026.

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Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against Wikipedia — Alba has 31,215 residents across 53.59 km2 at an elevation of 172 metres., The Langhe were inscribed by UNESCO on 22 June 2014 within the Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, as three components -- the Langa of Barolo, Grinzane Cavour Castle, and the Hills of Barbaresco., Barolo must be 100% Nebbiolo and aged at least 36 months after the harvest before release, of which at least 18 months in wood; five years makes it a Riserva., The Barolo zone covers Barolo, Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d'Alba in full and parts of Cherasco, Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, Roddi and Verduno, all in the Province of Cuneo., The confectionery group Ferrero is based in Alba., Alba is known worldwide for its white truffles and its annual truffle festival., Alba has 31,215 residents across 53.59 km2 at an elevation of 172 metres., The Langhe are the hilly country south and east of the river Tanaro, in the provinces of Cuneo and Asti in Piedmont., The Langhe were inscribed by UNESCO on 22 June 2014 within the Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, as three components -- the Langa of Barolo, Grinzane Cavour Castle, and the Hills of Barbaresco., Alba Pompeia was officially recognised as a town by the Roman consul Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo while he was building a road from Acqui to Turin., Alba was known as the city with a hundred towers during the 14th and 15th centuries., The cathedral of San Lorenzo is a 12th-century Romanesque building probably raised over a Roman temple, keeping its original three portals and crypt, with a wood-carved choir of 1512 by Bernardino Fossati., The confectionery group Ferrero is based in Alba. (October 2026).
Checked against Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d'Alba — The Alba International White Truffle Fair runs 10 October to 6 December 2026 in its 96th edition, organised from Piazza Medford 3 in Alba., At the Alba White Truffle World Market truffles are sold under the supervision of a Quality Commission, with judges selected by the National Truffle Study Centre available before and after a purchase, direct from the trifulau who hunt them and from traders., The Alba International White Truffle Fair runs 10 October to 6 December 2026 in its 96th edition, organised from Piazza Medford 3 in Alba. (October 2026).