- 2 km
- To Nizza Monferrato
- 10 min
- By bike, nearly flat
- 30 min
- On foot
- Free
- Bikes for every guest
Nizza Monferrato is close enough that we usually load the kids into the cargo bike and leave the car at home, we're Dutch, after all. Your (free) bikes wait in the courtyard; out of the gate it is two kilometres into Nizza, less than ten minutes at an easy pace and with hardly a hill on the way.
Nizza is a working market town rather than a postcard. The arcaded Via Maestra runs into the broad main square, the brick Campanòn rises over the town hall, and the long Foro Boario hall closes the piazza on one side. It is also the home of Nizza DOCG, Barbera at its most serious, and the place to taste it is the Enoteca Regionale in Palazzo Crova.
“Town sits about fifteen metres below the cascina. The ride home is barely a climb.”
Come on a Friday morning and the market fills the squares; on the third Sunday of the month it is antiques, more than 350 stalls of them. Ride in again in the evening for an aperitivo and dinner; the way home is ten minutes.
© OpenStreetMap contributorsFrom the gate to the square
- 01
Strada Colania
Turn out of the gate onto the quiet country road and head north, towards town.
- 02
Strada San Nicolao
A short connecting road takes you down to the edge of Nizza.
- 03
Corso Acqui
Now you're in town. Gelateria Chicca is on this stretch; remember it for the way back.
- 04
Via Roma to the piazza
Via Roma and Corso IV Novembre bring you to Piazza Garibaldi, the square locals call la cima di Nizza.
Coffee on the square
Breakfast is at the cascina, but a second coffee in town is part of the ritual. Order at the bar and drink it standing, like everyone else.
- 1
Era Tantì
A country-chic café near the market, and our favourite in town. Come for the coffee, stay for the farinata.
- 2
Caffè San Carlo
A lively coffee bar on the central square, right by the Sunday flea market.
- 3
Caffè Cirio
People come back for the cappuccino, the homemade tarts and the pastries at this small café.
- 4
Latteria Nina
An old-fashioned dairy a few steps off the centre, simply furnished and full of vintage character.
- 5
Marabotti
A long-established pastry shop and bar, known for freshly baked brioche and croissants, cappuccino and homemade amaretti.
Market day
Every Friday morning, roughly 8:00 to 13:00, food stalls fill Piazza XX Settembre and clothes and household goods spread across Piazza Garibaldi. A smaller fruit and vegetable market runs on Wednesdays, and on the third Sunday of the month the antiques dealers take over.
- 6
Mercato settimanale di Nizza Monferrato
Every Friday morning, roughly 8:00–13:00: food and produce in Piazza XX Settembre, clothes and household goods in Piazza Garibaldi and Via Carlo Alberto.
- 7
Mercatino dell'Antiquariato Nicese
3rd Sunday of the monthEvery month 350+ vendors fill Nizza's arcaded Piazza Garibaldi with fine antiques, rustic Piedmontese furniture, prints, vinyl and collectibles: a long-running fixture of the town's calendar.
Barbera o'clock
Nizza is Barbera country, and Nizza DOCG is its top appellation. Start at the regional enoteca to taste across producers, then stay on for a glass and a plate of salumi.
- 8
Enoteca Regionale di Nizza
The region's wine showcase, with a big spread of local bottles at every price and guided tastings led by knowledgeable, English-speaking staff.
- 9
La Signora In Rosso
An osteria and wine bar down in an atmospheric cellar beneath the Enoteca, with Piedmontese dishes, a deep wine list and a sommelier on hand.
- 10
Ristobottega Da Necco Vino & Cucina
A small deli and wine bar run with real passion by owner Marisa: homemade Piedmontese dishes and platters of local cheeses and cured meats.
- 11
Cugini di Torino
A lively wine bar in the town centre, built around platters of local salumi and cheese and the Piemonte wines to go with them.
Dinner in town
Piedmontese cooking, from the classics to lighter modern plates, plus good pizza. At weekends it pays to book.
- 12
Le due lanterne
In the centre of Nizza Monferrato, a family-run kitchen where classic Piemontese cooking gets a light modern touch.
- 13
Borromeo Cucina di Bottega
Modern takes on Piedmontese cooking, served as plates to share, in a small, stylish room in the centre of Nizza.
- 14
Taverna Margherita
A small, family-run osteria with a cosy interior and a warm, hands-on owner who walks you through the menu and the wine list.
- 15
L'Ambaradan Pizzeria Ristorante
Some of the best pizza in the area, by common agreement, plus a varied menu and warm, English-speaking service.
Gelato
Two of the best, one of them right on the route back to the cascina.
- 16
Gelateria Chicca
A long-standing gelateria with artisanal ice cream in flavours you don't see often (wild fennel, lemon and sage) plus dairy-free and reduced-sugar options.
- 17
Da Mimmo
A much-loved gelateria, widely rated among the best around for its freshly made ice cream.
A short walk
Leave the bike under the arcades and walk: the square, the market hall, the palazzo and the parish church are all within a few minutes of each other. For a view, ride up through the vines to the Madonna della Neve.
- 18
Piazza Garibaldi
The broad main square of Nizza Monferrato, known locally as la cima di Nizza, where the arcaded Via Maestra ends and the brick Foro Boario stands along the south side.
- 19
Foro Boario Pio Corsi
A long brick market hall from the late 1800s on the south side of Piazza Garibaldi in Nizza Monferrato, named after the 19th-century mayor Pio Corsi, with round arches running its full length.
- 20
Palazzo Crova
A historic palazzo in the centre of Nizza, now home to a regional wine shop and tasting room, a restaurant and contemporary art spaces, all wrapped around a much-loved garden.
- 21
Chiesa di San Giovanni in Lanero
Nizza Monferrato's main parish church was rebuilt across the late 18th and early 19th centuries after an earthquake, and only the medieval bell tower came through it.
- 22
Chiesa della Madonna della Neve
A narrow road climbs through the rows to this small 19th-century brick church, high on the vine-covered hills above Nizza.
Wineries you can ride to
Monferrato starts at the edge of town. These producers are a short ride from the cascina; check opening times and book a tasting ahead.
Distance from the cascina
- Cantina Sant'Evasio0.8 kmTastings
- Giovanni Piacenza Vini1.2 kmSince 1918 · Tastings
- Cascina Lana1.4 kmSince 1937 · Tastings
- Azienda Vitivinicola Berta Paolo1.4 kmTastings
- Bersano1.4 kmSince 1907 · Tastings
- Azienda Vitivinicola Giovanna Macario Vini1.5 kmTastings
Into the hills on an e‑bike
Our bikes are made for town. For the hills (the Langhe start just outside Nizza), rent an e-bike from BikeSquare's pick-up point in town, or ride with Mon Bike Tour, run by former professional racer Alberto Marengo.
Coming up in Nizza
Fairs, festivals and concerts in town over the coming weeks.
- Oct 30Autunno in Musica ↗
The Accademia di Cultura Nicese L'Erca's autumn classical concert season: Friday evenings of chamber music in the Auditorium Santissima Trinità, a deconsecrated church in the centre of Nizza Monferrato.
- Nov 1Fiera di San Carlo e del Tartufo Bianco ↗
Nizza's centuries-old autumn fair honours the local cardo gobbo (hunchback cardoon) and bagna cauda, now paired with the White Truffle Fair of the Alto Monferrato: a full day of grand market, tastings and cooking shows.
- Nov 14 – 15Nizza è Bagna Cauda ↗
A November feast of bagna cauda (the warm anchovy-and-garlic dip) served at long communal tables in the Foro Boario, with the local Cardo Gobbo di Nizza as the vegetable to dip.
- Dec 6Fiera del Bue Grasso e del Manzo di razza piemontese ↗
Every December Nizza revives its historic cattle market: prize Piedmontese 'fat oxen' and beef cattle shown off in Piazza Garibaldi, a Slow Food market alongside, and the traditional Gran Bollito served in the Foro Boario.
- Dec 26L'Aperitivo del Lardo ↗
Every 26 December at 12:30 the Pro Loco of Nizza Monferrato offers the town an aperitivo under the Campanon, the bell tower of the town hall.
Make Nizza your base
Eight rooms on a restored wine estate, bikes in the courtyard and the piazza ten minutes away.