Campsites in Piedmont

Piedmont is the north-west corner of Italy where Alpine peaks, glittering lakes and vine-covered hills all share one map. Our campsites sit in the Dormelletto and Lesa area, on the Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore between Arona and Stresa. With about 2,300 hours of sunshine a year and a lake that warms to 20-22°C in July and August, the region suits long, easy days of swimming, strolling and lingering over lunch.

From this base, the whole region fans out. Just over the ridge, little Lake Orta feels like a well-kept secret, with beaches and the well-preserved alleys of Orta San Giulio. Head north towards Domodossola and the scenery turns properly Alpine: a UNESCO Sacro Monte of chapels and frescoes, the Val Vigezzo, and the natural parks of Alpe Veglia and Devero, which are made for hiking. Prefer a mountain view from the car? Mottarone rises to 1,491 m and looks over the Alps and both lakes.

Then comes the Piedmont that food lovers talk about. Turin, the regional capital, wears its elegance in porticoed streets, the Mole Antonelliana tower and cups of bicerin, the local coffee-and-chocolate drink. Further south, the Langhe and Monferrato hills, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2014, roll around Alba, Barolo and Asti. Expect Barolo and Barbaresco wines, agnolotti pasta, hazelnuts, chocolate and, in autumn, prized white truffles. Milan is easy to add by train too, which puts a big-city day within reach of a camping holiday.