If you want to discover Montferrat region, you have to know that it is a Piedmont’s area delimited by the hills of Turin and Po River to the north, and by Appennino Ligure to the south.

Its area is approximately 3500 square kilometres and its (very irregular) borders are sometimes considered uncertain.

The territory of M0ntferrat includes the province of Asti, partially the province of Alessandria and some communes belonging to the provinces of Turin and Cuneo. The tourist, during his visit here, would be pleasantly surprised to discover a close net of watercourses, sometimes important, which make this land liveable and very interesting from a birdwatcher’s point of view.

In facts, this region is crossed by the river Po and its affluents Stura, Rotaldo and Grana; in the territory of Asti and Alessandria by the river Tanaro and its affluents Versa, Triversa e Borbore (left),  Belbo, Bormida, Erro and Orba (right).

The name of “Basso Monferrato” is used to name the northern territory: it shows typically a landscape of smooth and rounded hills (the average elevation is 350 metres, maximum about 500, as for the hill of Cocconato). The ground is mostly calcareous, mixed with sand and clay.

The “Alto Monferrato”, with constitutes the southern half portion of the whole territory, is characterized by higher elevations and harsher landscapes; all the rivers in this part flow towards the plain of Alessandria.

The most important towns in Basso Monferrato are Asti (rich of story and famous for his “Palio”, the event of “Douja d’or”, the “Festival delle Sagre”), Casale with its celebrated fortress, main town of Monferrato Casalese, and Valenza, the city of gold. In Alto Monferrato Nizza, famous for its wines, Acqui, important thermal centre, and Novi Ligure.

The country is full of typical products, renowned for its innumerable restaurants and farmhouses and famous for “good eating”.

Vine growing represents the outstanding activity, and here vineyards are particularly abundant and varied. Wine production is plentiful and valuable and brings wines that are well known all over the world, and, of course, the typical DOC’s. Among these, we like to mention Malvasia wines of Casorzo and Castelnuovo, sweet and aromatic, Barbera, intense and tasty, Grignolino, bitterish, pale and delicate, Freisa, fresh and pleasant. Indeed, there is something for all tastes!!!