Gastronomic Barolo Walk

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Very well organised holiday

Mrs Scarrott, 24 Sep 2024

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This was a great holiday. Walks just long enough and challenging enough as we had a very hot week (end of September). Although not really difficult terrain we were glad of our walking poles as some of the vineyard tracks are very steep.

The hotels were so lovely it was a pleasure to relax there on our free days. We stayed at Casa Pavesi in Grinzane Cavour as the advertised hotel was not available for our dates. This was a great result as Pavesi is charming and characterful, castle interesting and has Michelin-star restaurant (book in advance) and Grinzane Cavour has other restaurants, wine bar/coffee/deli and was a nice place to hang out on a free day. We had steak cooked on the open fire at La Tagliata, a short walk out of the village.

A short detour into Albaretto on the last walk found us a restaurant whose owner kindly made us coffee and takeaway paninis for our lunch. Unfortunately the tower was shut - looks amazing.

The last night tasting menu at Villa d’Amelia was incredible - better than the Michelin restaurant above!

Worth noting that vegetarians/vegans might struggle in this part of Italy, it’s a very meat/dairy cuisine.

One criticism - the local guide (and other people) said the walk to Serralunga d’Alba (from Grinzane Cavour or the other hotel) was really well worth doing but with no notes, nothing on the app and no map provided for this we did not feel confident to attempt it.



Thank you Headwater for organising a great holiday!

Deborah Preece, 21 Sep 2023

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A superb trip which i have wanted to do for awhile and i would highly recommend a few days in Turin. Would suggest late September just before the harvest and the truffle festival but the region is busy and remember certain places and restaurants shut Monday/Tuesday and other random days so worth booking well in advance.

This was my 7th Headwater trip and wonderfully put together with changes by Megan in the sales team.

Andrew Appleyard, 17 Sep 2023

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Very good. Prompt. Friendly. Accommodating. Made us feel important. And adaptable to our suggestions.

Gerald Clarke, 26 Aug 2023

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Fantastic. I have been singing your praises to all my family and friends. Any foreign holiday we go on from now on I'm sure will be with Headwater. The staff have been amazing throughout. It's not been easy for your staff as this holiday had to be rearranged so many times due to covid restrictions but we got there and it's the best holiday we've ever had. Thank you Headwater.

Linda Lord, 6 Jul 2023

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Incredibly well organised break. App was great and easy to use. Gorgeous food and beautiful hotels in stunning locations. Some of the walks were more challenging than suggested, particularly when walking uphill in the heat, to reach a final hilltop destination. There was mention of “trattoria” along the way, but these were often not named or noted on the map. The last day there were no toilets, bars or restaurants along the route, which wasn’t indicated on the app. Being more specific would be extremely helpful. Highly recommend the holiday. We had such a great time and would definitely do this again.

BROWER, 14 Jun 2023

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Walks were fabulous. Great accommodation. Food was excellent. We learnt a lot about the wine and food at Villa Amelia both of which were exceptional. Do do the walk to Serralunga it’s fabulous.

PENMAN, 2 Jun 2023

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A relaxing, beautiful place to visit with outstanding food and wine! Headwater organised everything well and the local agents were highly efficient. Service in the comfortable, clean hotels is second to none. I can highly recommend Piemonte. The routes were well marked by Italian authorities and the guide notes for walking were accurate. It is a spoiling holiday with an associated price tag.

FOWLER, 14 May 2023

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Piedmont is a truly beautiful, enchanting and interesting corner of NW Italy. We learnt a lot about the social and economic history, enjoyed the wines and food, and found all of the local people to be extremely friendly. The milk ice cream at the restaurant Guido was to die for! Our few days in Turin at the end were very enjoyable: a fascinating and beautiful (former capital) city with lots to see and do. We had very good weather and the end of September/early October was perfect for walking, seeing the grapes being harvested and the start of the truffle season. Some of the walks were quite tough in terms of ascent but the beauty of the landscape made up for it. We will certainly return to Piedmont.

Mr Hutchinson, 26 Sep 2022

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From start to finish the whole service was first class. Highly recommended

Mr Wilkes, 23 Sep 2022

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Great trip - the locations were stunning and the walking routes were fabulous. Our only mild complaint was the communications about what was open and when, on the trip. For example - we booked the trip to start on a Friday, which meant our first 'rest' day when there were 4 local wineries to visit - was a Sunday. When all 4 wineries were closed.

It would have also been useful to have the heads up about restaurant closings on Monday and Tuesday in the region. Both days it was very difficult to find lunch and dinner spots, and all that was needed was the heads up from the agent that you need to have this in mind and book in advance. The same goes for all winery tours and restaurant bookings - the places are so small and the places get booked up. The impression we had from the guide and itinerary was that you can simply drop into places, which is not the case. You need to plan much more yourself.

Mr Calver, 2 Sep 2022

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La Linghe is a beautiful area, almost medieval with its vistas of extensive vineyards peppered by numerous hilltop towns and villages. The walks are great, well signposted and easy to follow. Some of the views are stunning. We really enjoyed the range of locations in which we stayed: smart winery hotel, cosy wine bar rooms and some villa glamour. Just a note: If walking in August you will need to carry plenty of water as many places are closed. We found we had to be quite self-reliant on occasions which was fine but which a first timer might find a challenge.

Mr Sykes, 8 Aug 2022

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An excellent walking experience with fabulous food and wine offerings. We came home thoroughly relaxed from this week’s break.

Ms Jones, 26 Sep 2019

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Having travelled with Headwater before, we knew what to expect, but this holiday didn't dissapoint. The hotels and restaurants were of a very high standard. We were lucky with the weather which really helped. It was dry and sunny most of the time but not too hot for walking. We on,y got lost once - this was on out first day and probably due to a farmer seeking to discourage use of paths across his land. The instructions for that day may need a quick review. There wasn't really a map to cover everywhere we walked, but we managed with the sketch maps provided and maps covering various parts of the area we walked in. We walked an average of about 7 miles a day and found places for a light lunch which is all we would want after the spreads provided for breakfast. A lovel holiday

Mrs Dolan, 20 Sep 2019

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The general standard of the walks, route notes and accommodation made this a very enjoyable holiday. We also used the supplementary guidance notes for things to do and these also proved helpful. The local reps kept us informed as necessary and ensured all arrangements were in order.

Mr Mallett, 18 Sep 2019

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An absolutely great walking holiday in truely beautiful part of Italy. Food and wine were fab except for the Michelin restaurant on our first night. The food was strange. We went there because the Michelin restaurant in our hotel was close on Monday nights. A shame as we ate in their bistro on our last night and it was very good. Our reps were excellent and friendly and not intrusive as this was a self guided walking holiday. There were some glitches with a couple of the walks but this was because a farmer had closed and lick a gate and another time the instructions weren’t clear at a confusing junction. However we got to our destinations easily despite some very steep incline to coast into the villages. It would have been helpful when booking to tell us what else there was to do on our days off as this was very limiting by the time we got there. Moving every two days was ok but we felt that at least one move was unnecessary as the walks were all quite close together. Over all an excellent holiday and we would use Headwater/ Exodus again

Mrs Hammond, 16 Sep 2019

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We had an excellent walking holiday in Piedmont. The accommodation was very good. It was a gastronomic holiday. We would describe half of the meals as gastronomic but others were disappointing. The food in Villa d'Amelia, Benevello was wonderful. We were disappointed, however, with the food in Hotel le Torri, Castiglione Falletto although the local restaurant we ate at, 'L'argaj', was excellent. The local restaurants in Montforte d'Alba were 'rustic' rather than 'gastronomic'. The countryside is beautiful. We really enjoyed the walks even in the high temperatures. Had it rained some of the chalk footpaths would have been very difficult. The walking instructions were very good - there were only a couple of occasions were local farmers had altered the paths or field layout but we managed to work it out. The Headwater reps were fantastic. Although we didn't need to call on them (probably due to the excellent quality of the Headwater set up), we were very confident that they were looking after us ie moving our luggage and checking we were safe and happy. We would certainly consider travelling with Headwater again.

Mrs Black, 12 Sep 2019

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If you like good food and excellent wine look no further than the Gastronomic Barolo Walk-it ticks all the boxes and was absolutely fabulous .

Mrs Mcdonagh, 8 Sep 2019

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Beautiful hotels and food. Interesting area to walk. I much enjoyed it. (Although walking instructions not as clear as other holidays I have taken with you ( I found the french maps easier to follow )

Ms Osborne, 4 Sep 2019

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This was our first organised walking holiday from hotel to hotel and we loved it. The pace was relaxed with welcomed days off in between and amazing food and wine. The description of the holiday is accurate. The hotels were very comfortable and beautiful apart from Le Torri. Although the hotel is in a great location, our room was disappointing, very stark and dark.

The walks were very good with length and timing as advertised. The scenery was as described through vineyards, woodlands with at times exceptional views. The notes provided for the walks were on the whole very good and useful however we felt that at times more accurate and or additional information on distance would be useful. The map provided was useful in conjunction with the notes.

All the restaurants we had dinner at were really good, especially Larossa in Alba.

We would highly recommend this trip for anyone who enjoys a more leisurely pace.

Mrs Thompson, 2 Sep 2019

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This is the first holiday of this type we have done. It won’t be the last! The accommodation was excellent, food amazing and some of the best views we have seen! The area offers a lush, manicured landscape with amazing hilltop villages and a warm welcome from the local people.

The logistics of the trip were superbly organised so that we felt like we had an independent holiday but without the need to worry about making any arrangements! Phaedra and Paul were fantastic- helpful, knowledgeable and easily contactable. All the arrangements they made ran like clockwork and when local taxis were used they were luxurious. The gastronomic aspect was such good value. All the restaurants had been carefully selected and pre booked so there was no need to waste time scrolling through trip advisor and trying to make reservations. Each evening felt different. There was a good mix of high end restaurants and quirky more local establishments. A particular highlight was the castle at Grinzane Cavour! It doesn’t get much better than eating dinner in a Michelin Star establishment at a UNESCO world heritage site! It was a privilege to be there.



Mrs Witney, 2 Sep 2019

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Barolo gastronomy self guided tour is an excellent way to see the countryside of the Alba district. Beautiful scenery ,some long walks , with a welcoming Hotel with excellent food options and glorious wine!

Mrs Grobler, 1 Aug 2019

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Great wine and food , great walking and no worries.

Mr Ford, 30 Jun 2019

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The holiday was excellent and we have already recommended to friends. Only one hotel, Villa Beccaris, was not up to standard with poor service (sending us to tourist information when we asked to book a wine tasting after trying to connect to a local vineyard for less than 1 minute) and poor food - they ran out of pastries at about 9am even though breakfast was until 10.30am and they were holding a staff meeting for a future wedding in the breakfast room and one of the chefs glared at us when we entered the room. We want to stress that this didn't spoil the holiday it was just out of kilter with the excellent hotels experienced elsewhere during this holiday. The reps were outstanding, extremely helpful and friendly.

Green, 14 Jun 2019

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Fantastic scenery, some great hotels and meals.

Mr Frew, 12 Jun 2019

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Excellent accommodations, beautiful hiking trails, and amazing food and wine.

Mrs Frederick, 29 May 2019

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Good holiday but probably dependent on the weather as heavy rain will prevent some of the walks through the vineyards etc..

Mr Gareze, 23 May 2019

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We have been on a lot of Headwater holidays but this one was the best yet. Superb hotels, wonderful food and lovely walks. Phaedra and Paul deserve a special mention for their charm, efficiency, punctuality and attention to detail.

Mrs Roberts, 17 May 2019

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An excellent holiday all round with superb accommodation and really good food. The countryside is stunning and the walks were very enjoyable.

Mr Brown, 8 Oct 2018

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One of our best Headwater experiences. The welcome at the hotel in Montforte was good but when we arrived at the Palazzo there was no one to ask about the lack of tea making facilities so we had to go down to reception in Giardino. It would also be good if the bar at Palazzo opened for drinks rather than being firmly closed

Mr Cameron, 30 Sep 2018

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Enjoyable and worry free as everything happened exactly inline with the planned agenda

Mrs Taylor, 14 Sep 2018

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An amazing holiday exploring a hidden gem surrounded by beautiful vineyards and hazelnut groves. The walking routes were easy to follow a bit like being on a daily treasure hunt and we felt extremely rewarded to be greeted by a range of luxury hotels nestled on sun soaked Italian hills. Most days we managed to cool off in a pool usually with hardly a soul in sight. The gastronomic dinners were simply out of this world full of fresh ingredients and plenty of surprises. The wine, although not cheap, was truly exceptional ... the best we have ever had. This was quite simply the holiday of a lifetime for those who enjoy the finer things in life.

Mrs Crump, 13 Aug 2018

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The arrangements, hotels and restaurants were all excellent, with some meals even better than expected, and everything went without a hitch so we had a terrific time.

Miss Cody, 22 Jul 2018

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An excellent opportunity to see areas in depth on walks with very good arrangements and comfortable accommodation.

Mr Ellerington, 22 Jun 2018

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Outstanding holiday in a part of Italy we've only driven through in the past on the way further south. The walking was not too strenuous, though the temperature and inevitable hill at the end of every day's walking added to the challenge. The hotels and restaurants were all excellent, and local wines helped remove the pains of the days walking. Very friendly staff in all the hotels and restaurants visited.

The reps - Luke and Eleanor - were excellent; very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, adjusting their schedule to fit in with our changing requirements. I came home totally refreshed, half a stone heavier and already looking forward to returning.

Mr Wright, 10 Jun 2018

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This holiday is described as 'gastronomic' and it certainly delivers. The fine food and top quality wine mean that every meal is a delight, although visitors will need to recognise that Barolo and Barbaresco wines have a hefty price tag.

Mrs Barrowcliffe, 10 Jun 2018

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This was a most enjoyable holiday. Piedmont is a beautiful area and was especially lovely in May when we visited - all very green and fresh.

Mrs Dick, 23 May 2018

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We had a fabulous week's walking through vineyards, orchards and hazelnut groves. The scenery is beautiful, the people friendly and welcoming and the food and wine superb. The walking itself was very enjoyable and not too difficult, and there were plenty of places along the way to stop and rest if we wanted to. The walking notes were excellent and our reps, Luke & Eleanor, were brilliant and helpful.

Mr Kerr, 23 May 2018

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My wife and I really enjoyed our first Headwater walking holiday. Italy always delivers wherever we go and being steered towards some seriously good dining experiences was excellent. We had a couple of inclement weather days but not really a problem other than the odd bit of mud. The only slight negative was our meal at Villa d’Amelia on the first night was excellent but eight days later we were a little disappointed the menu was repeated and perhaps not quite as well executed. It was still very good though.

Our reps, Luke and Eleanor, went out of their way to ensure we were enjoying ourselves and seemed to enjoy sharing everyone’s feedback. We met several personalities on the way and as such, have made some very good memories. Thank you Headwater and particularly Luke and Nell :)

Mr Purseglove, 15 May 2018

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This holiday far exceeded my expectations. The hotels and restaurants were all first class, the scenery spectacular and the walks enjoyable but not too demanding. The Villa Beccaris is possibly the best hotel we've ever stayed in.

Mr Griffiths, 11 May 2018

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A fabulous region to walk and appreciate the countryside, weather, people and location of fairytale castles, sumptuous hotels and Michelin food. Service and attention to detail couldn't be faulted in each hotel and restaurant and knowing the lovely Headwater couple who,looked after us were always on hand if we needed any help.

Mrs Lawson, 11 May 2018

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Well-structured walking trails. Civilised, one-day rest days between walks. Good food and wine.

Mr Porter, 24 Sep 2017

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Impressed how Headwater central office handled our very, very last minute request to insert us in their North Italy Piedmont Walking tour.

Mr Clark, 17 Sep 2017

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True Italy! Amazing foods, sumptuous wines, breathtaking scenery and warm welcoming locals. Our excellent guides, Laura and Greg helped us get the most out of our time walking through the Langhe region which we can't recommend highly enough.

'What perfect memories are made of'

Mr Fearn, 12 Sep 2017

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We had been recommended Headwater by close friends and were not disappointed

Mrs Pizzoni, 8 Sep 2017

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The Barolo is an amazing place with beautiful scenery and excellent food. The locals are very friendly and helpful. The hikes are easy and short compared to other 2 boot holidays we have been on. I think this is necessary because the days start out cool and get very hot by late afternoon. Go in the early spring or late fall if you can, but July wasn't too bad either. Three of us traveling together were from the deep South (USA) and had no problem with the weather or hills. Two of us were from the Midwest (USA) and weren't quite ready for the heat and hills, but had a truly fabulous time being together any way.



There is a huge music festival called 'Collisioni' every July. Sadly we booked during this time without knowing it. It affected which hotels we could stay at and our enjoyment of the village of Barolo. 12,000 people descend on the area during this time. Don't book during the festival! One can expect a hiccup in plans from time to time, but by booking through Headwater, you can rest knowing they will do whatever is possible to take care of you! And they did! Thank you Headwater!! Headwater is the best! For this reason, I look forward to booking our 8th Headwater vacation soon.



Our reps, Greg and Laura, were outstanding giving us lifts as requested from our substitutionary hotels (which were quite nice) into the villages where we would have stayed. Not quite the same experience, but they made it a lovely one. In driving us to and fro, they took us to extra sights and offered to stop and let us take pictures as desired. They were awesome!

Mrs Love-Fordham, 14 Jul 2017

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We had a fabulous time in Piedmont. The hotels were outstanding and the restaurants superb. Being more used to walking in the mountains we hadn't expected to enjoy the route as much but the wave like vine clad hills, pretty villages and lovely views across the Langhe and to the Alps were very satisfying. We can see why the region has been given a UNESCO rating.

Mrs Ing, 28 Jun 2017

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Great hotels, exquisite dinners, well-described walks

Mr Graham, 14 Sep 2016

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While this walk was quite challenging in places, partly because of the high temperatures in early September, it was thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying. It was very well planned and the gastronomic aspects were excellent and exceeded our expectations. This is a much under-rated part of Italy and very well worth exploring. The views, the wine and the food are outstanding.

Mrs Liebster, 31 Aug 2016

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Amazing food, a warm welcome and wonderful hill top towns and rolling scenery worthy of an Unesco designation.

Mrs Mercer, 9 Aug 2016

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Please provide guests with bus stop information in Alba - we walked down to Gallo from Grinzane and easily took a bus there, but weren't sure where to stand, which bus stop, on the way back.... So missed the bus when it did come. Also the air-con on the top floor in Villa Pavesi needs attention! A beautiful room under the eaves, but boiling hot!

Ms Marshall, 20 Jul 2016

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This was our second holiday with Headwater. The first was a group walk about 7 years ago in Tuscany which was outstanding. The hotels, the reps and the food were just as good this time, but the walking was disappointing. The walks were very isolated and much of the time either through boring woodland which all looks the same or vineyards, which also all look the same. I am a teacher and therefore have to holiday during School holidays. Unfortunately we could not find group walks to suit during this period.



One complaint is that in all the hotels we stayed at we were allocated the worst rooms in the hotel by any standards. In Villa Beccaris, for example, we were the nearest room to the tradesmen's entrance. At Hotel Le Torri there was no air conditioning so needed windows open all night. We were given a room facing the street and were woken up very early by traffic noise. No balcony either.

Mr Andrews, 14 Jul 2016

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It is worth it! Take up all the advice provided by your reps and live a little!

Mrs Shilton, 12 Jul 2016

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Great holiday with truly excellent food and accommodation! You really should take the detour to Novello Junction on day 6.

Mr Boyce, 17 May 2016

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We had tried to book this particular holiday in previous years but the dates didn't work out. It was well worth the wait as it has to be one of our best Headwater holidays - and we've had quite a few. Piedmont is a wonderful place to visit, the walking was as expected - it's a hilly place! The hotels were all good and all had their own special elements. We enjoyed eating in different places each night- and what an excellent standard of food was on offer.

Mrs Greenbank, 15 May 2016

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Splendid trip - delightful area, some very well-selected places to stay and eat and excellent logistics from our two guides, who were great fun to be with. This holiday really delivered what was promised on the website and is a great way to explore the area.

Mr Christy, 15 May 2016

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We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday, albeit the weather was a little disappointing. The accommodation was excellent, and the food outstanding. We did not feel that the walking route instructions were as clear or as accurate as those on our 2 previous holidays with Headwater, but no harm done! Would definitely recommend to like minded friends.

Mr Banham, 10 Sep 2015

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Great Holiday. Some amazing Italian meals.

Mr Frew, 3 Aug 2015

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This was such a memorable holiday that we will always remember. The countryside is stunning and the walks allow you to take in some superb views of the hilltop villages and vines. Each hotel was excellent, with either amazing views at breakfast, or a welcoming pool or superb menus. The evening meals were an experience in themselves. We are not food buffs in any shape or form but I don't think we have ever eaten so well before in our lives. The walks can be challenging at times although in late July we were setting off with the temperature in the mid 20s which reached the mid to high 30s in the afternoon (take plenty of water bottles!). If you like walking, fine wine and superb food this is the holiday for you.

Mr Clare, 22 Jul 2015

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I seem to have ticked 'excellent' just about every question; the reason being that we have rated this holiday amongst the best FIVE we have done in the last 18 or so years. The description 'Gastronomic Walk' just does not do the holiday justice....'MICHELIN' should be added!

Mr Buckenham, 16 Jun 2015

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We like the freedom of walking independently with excellent meals at the end of the day and the convenience of the luggage being transported between hotels.

Mr Wood, 16 Jun 2015

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Great holiday very much as described, good hotel, great food, nice walks.

Mr Bryant, 4 Jun 2015

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Accommodation etc extremely good. Hilltop villages attractive although deserted.

The walking through vineyards does become a little repetitive, but last day walking through woods was more interesting.

Mr Mcleod, 4 Jun 2015

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Good holiday which did exactly as stated. Good food, good wines and walks mainly through vines. Lovely area and villages.

Mr Dunbar, 4 Jun 2015

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I have been travelling regularly with Headwater for many years. This holiday certainly came up to expectations and I can recommend it wholeheartedly, it was one of the best. Rachel and Peter (our reps) were extremely helpful, always positive and cheerful, a great bonus; the temperature was higher than we had expected for the first week in June, hovering around 30'C and we were able to shorten our walks thanks to their efforts. The hotels were very spacious and comfortable and the food and wine were excellent, truly a gastronomic feast, apart from one restaurant which didn't match the high standard set by the rest of this holiday. Overall this was a great holiday.

Mrs McRill, 2 Jun 2015

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Fabulous combination of hard exercise, exploration, good food and wine.

Mr Bradburn, 27 May 2015

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Beautiful area for walking and excellent food and wine.

Mrs Owen-Jones, 21 May 2015

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We all thoroughly enjoyed this well constructed, luxurious walking holiday. Piedmont is a stunning region with few tourists and the best food and wine we have ever tasted throughout Italy. The hotels, restaurants and walks selected exemplified the high quality of the area and overall was excellent value for money.

Thank you so much to Pete and Rachel - they couldn't do enough to make sure our holiday went smoothly and were so enthusiastic and friendly.

Mr MellowsFacer, 17 May 2015

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The advertised holiday - gastronomic Barolo walk - sounded rather grand, but appealed as a special birthday present - a walk between nice restaurants in a pleasant part of the world with decent hotels in which to stay over. We were a little unsure about dress code and level of difficulty in the walks before we set off.

Upon being met by our tour guides, Peter and Rachel, we were soon reassured that the holiday would be informal and enjoyable. Our first hotel - Villa d'Amelia - was absolutely fantastic in every way starting with the welcome by the reception staff, the standard of the room and the facilities (including an outdoor heated pool, sauna and steam rooms). The restaurant was on another level - a Michelin 1 star - that delivered great food with special service with an emphasis on the customer as star of the show. This standard set the bar high for the rest of the holiday and our next port of call, after our first walking day, was in Grinzane Cavour staying for 2 nights at an excellent bed and breakfast with outstanding views and eating within the castle at another Michelin standard restaurant (although not yet awarded the coveted star); service here was brilliant - the chef and his wife ran the show with the help of 2 more serving staff and a kitchen brigade. At the end of an exquisite tasting menu with paired wines, the chef introduced himself to each table. His wife was charm itself and chatted and responded to our questions and comments throughout the 2 meals in a very engaging manner.

The rest of the holiday comprised 2 nights in Castiglione Falletto and 2 nights in Monforte d'Alba - both at excellent hotels in brilliant locations - and a final night returned to the Casa d'Ameila. Food could not generally compare with the first three nights, although the restaurant l'Argaj in Castiglione Falletto produced wonderful food in a setting looking out towards Barolo that would be hard to better.

Overall this was a brilliant holiday. The walking was just enough to make one ready for another (!) fine dining experience but not enough to be physically draining. Staying 2 nights in 3 of the locations proved to be a great idea - preventing the need to pack everything up every day and allowing time to appreciate the locality as well as giving an option for a circular walk or resting on the second day.

If you are reasonably fit and active and you like good wine and fine food then this would be a great holiday and my wife and I would thoroughly recommend it. Some of the walking instructions were ambiguous - resulting in a few additional miles being walked - and the terrain would be challenging underfoot in places if wet. We walked at the end of May and the heat on some days was strong; in July or August I can imagine walking being hard work and thirst inducing..

Mr Hobbs, 13 May 2015

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Great holiday, brilliant walks, great food and superb way to increase your knowledge and taste of italian wines. Unfortunately the journey home (and originally before it was changed the outward journey) was a total pain. This left us both with a bad taste in our mouth and spoiled the overall holiday experience. When we were dragging our suitcases around Milan train station wandering where the airport was we were cursing Headwater. At this stage we had already been on the road for over 4 hours, 2 hours from hotel to Turin and 2 hours by train to Milan. When we eventually came across a coach that was going to Milan Malpaso Airport we had to fork out 20 Euros for another 1 hour 10 minute coach journey to the airport. Coach stops first at the terminal we dont want and everyone gets off. We dont speak Italian and have no idea whats going on, Luckily a helpful stranger told us to stay on coach. The irony of course is Headwater give you all these walking directions/cycling directions but leave you to guess your way home.

Mr Brock, 10 Oct 2014

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A beautiful place to visit and explore. The accommodation of a very good standard and in lovely locations.

We did find the walks very interesting, challenging at times but about the right length, however we did use an app on a smart phone, which indicated we walked a few K further than the instructions stated. We also felt some of the walks did need to be re-done, especially the walk on day 4 from Diano D'Alba which we found very confusing to get out of and were told by the rep to take a different path at one point, which totally threw us off route, although we did find our way with the help of some locals.Although we understood why there was a walk on Day 7 back to Benevello, it was rather tedious.

Our restaurant selection for the evening meals was on the whole very good, but we did find it difficult to find something we could eat at the Villa D'Amelia, mainly because of our own diet of not eating red meat. The Locanda del Centro in Castiglone Falletto was really not very good.

Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable holiday.



Mrs Cattaneo, 2 Oct 2014

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This Headwater holiday is definitely a cut above other European holidays that we have enjoyed with you. Villa d'Amelia and Villa Beccaris were exceptional in every way, and throughout we enjoyed excellent local cuisine and wines. We would happily do it all over again!

Mrs Davies, 18 Sep 2014

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Excellent area for a holiday

Mrs Davies, 6 Sep 2014

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good varied hotels, good walks with interesting details on the way. Excellent service when booking the holiday, yes we would certainly go with Headwater again.

Mr Stanley, 29 Aug 2014

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This was an absolutely stunning holiday in every way. The hotels were all of a high standard and each was lovely in its own individual way. The restaurants were a nice treat after the day's walking and working up an appetite! There was stiff competition for our favourite restaurant and Il Castello and Villa D'Amelia had to share the prize for sheer wow factor! That said La Locanda del Centro was our favourite 'non-Michelin' restaurant. The waiter couldn't do enough to make us feel welcome, it had a lovely relaxed atmosphere and the food was really tasty.

The route notes for each of the walks was spot on and went wrong once (our fault, not Headwater's!). We'd recommend the circular walk to La Morra. It's a pretty strenuous walk through the vineyards but the sense of achievement and the stunning views are definitely worth any aching calf muscles!

Lastly, Marsha and Esme (the Headwater Reps) made our holiday what it was. They were always cheerful and full of tips for the places we were due to walk to. They were also on the end of a phone with any queries we had.

Thanks for a brilliant holiday, Sarah & Mark Wall

Mrs Wall, 29 Aug 2014

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Headwater thinks of everything - right down to offering us a lovely cold bottle of water when we emerged from a long, hot journey to our pick up point. You select fabulous hotels in brilliant locations, which takes all the hard work out of planning a holiday. Taxis turn up when they're supposed to, hotels and restaurants are expecting us. You are wonderfully efficient. This was our sixth booking with you and we'll be back for more next year. Bravo, Headwater.

Mrs Walker, 31 Jul 2014

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This was a wonderful holiday, full of small surprises and little luxuries. Each hotel was charmingly different. The food was spectacular, the people lovely, and the scenery green, beautiful and quiet. Thank you very much

Mr Billing, 20 Jul 2014

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The holiday surpassed expectations in terms of location, food and hotels. All in all, excellent value for money!

Mis Nicholls, 8 Jul 2014

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Excellent hotels with 4 evenings enjoying a la carte Michelin one star dinners. Great food and wine throughout. Map directions adrift on a couple of occasions but overall ok.

Mr Dent, 4 Jun 2014

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Excellent comfortable friendly hotels with unforgettable views .

Mr Prior, 4 Jun 2014

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We both really enjoyed our Piedmont Holiday. All of the hotels we stayed at were very good, all quite different in character from one another which we liked. The Piedmont countryside is beautiful and the local people were so friendly. The walks were quite challenging, lots of hills, the steepest usually as you try to reach your hotel at the end of the day, but a great feeling when you do arrive.

The distances quoted on the route notes were much shorter than those that registered on my pedometer, I think perhaps these should be reviewed.

The local Headwater reps. Marsha and Esme were fantastic, very helpful, friendly and punctual.

The meals in the evening were usually taken in local restaurants, our favourites Osteria dei Catari and Locanda del Centro, the more rustic of the bunch. Only negative for us was The Ristarante il Castello, beautiful building, shame about the atmosphere, formality taken to the limit, neither diners nor staff seemed to be having a good time. We were due to dine there twice, but decided to give the second visit a miss.

Apart from that a brilliant holiday. Pat O'Connor



Mrs O'Connor, 13 May 2014

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The comments on food above refer to breakfast only. Restaurant comments:

Villa d'Amelia: First meal a little disappointing regarding service and food. Second much better in both respects. Just about worth a Michelin star.

Il Castello: A little formal but excellent food. Worth a Michelin star.

Le Torri: Really friendly, interesting well cooked food, a nice contrast to Il Castello. Two excellent evenings. Pity the owners are moving to La Morra.

Osteria dei Catari: Nice people. Starters good but the 4 of us had 3 different main courses and all were poor.

Osteria La Salita: Friendly service and an excellent dinner, better cooked and more interesting than dei Catari.



Mr Stern, 10 Sep 2013

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We (and others) felt that the 1st day of walking was merely pleasant - not up to the billing - but from our arrival at Casa Pavesi the holiday took off and justified the comment we had had that it was the jewel in your crown. It was, however, marred somewhat by the poor wording of the script walking guide, which caused all 4 couples to go wrong (independently of each other) at least once. Fortunately the map enabled recovery of the route.

Mrs Brown, 10 Sep 2013

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Excellent in every way and the food was amazing!

Mrs Reeves, 10 Sep 2013

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Lovely holiday but too hot in last week of August for walking. we aimed to be finished by late lunchtime to avoid the heat of the day.Which was not the aim.



Would avoid the Nice transit as it is too long a wait in Nice for a train and the transit up country is tedious.

Mr Ballantyne, 31 Aug 2013

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We used Headwater last year for the Alsace walking holiday. We were so impressed we booked for the Barolo Gastronomic walking holiday. We were not disappointed. All aspects of the holiday were well planned and we felt very well supported by Headwater's local representatives. Have already recommended Headwater to friends and we will definitely use them again.

Mr Mellish, 23 Aug 2013

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We challenged ourselves- walking every day even in August in Italy... Mostly, the hotels were a great reward for our efforts. We think we would do it again.. Maybe try the cycling.

Mrs Brown, 21 Aug 2013

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This holiday was excellent. Marc and Marcia were very friendly and extremely helpful.

Marcia ran through the instructions for each of the walks with us and pointed out areas where we needed to be extra careful so that we did not get lost.

Marc always arrived exactly on time to pick us up in a morning to take us to the start of the day's walk.

I have a number of food allergies and Marcia had contacted each of the restaurants where we ate our evening meals to advise them of my requirements. They were all fully aware before we arrived and the waiters were extremely helpful in ensuring that meals were suitable for me. The hotels, restaurants and food, and infact everything about this holiday was excellent and ran incredibly smoothly.

Mrs Hoptroff, 13 Aug 2013

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The walking was tougher than I expected because of the above average temperatures (often around 95 F). The area is very picturesque and the route is well planned to give a feeling of doing the round of all the major Barolo producing villages, with good views from each of the hill towns. I was glad, however, that the last day's walk was a complete change from walking through vineyards. The standard of accommodation and food was excellent throughout the week, and represented superb value for money. I would have welcomed air conditioning in Hotel Le Torri rather than a cooling fan, but at other times of year it would have been fine. The cooking in all the restaurants was very good, particularly in Il Castelli at Grinzane Cavour and at Villa D'Amelia where we gladly paid the supplement for their superb full tasting menu on our final evening. I would have welcomed a change of restaurant on the second evening in Monforte D'Alba, not because there was anything wrong with the food but because the menu (the same each evening) was rather limited - especially the secundi. The local people were all very welcoming, and it is a trip that I would happily do again, but preferably in the autumn.

Mr Fairweather, 1 Aug 2013

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Outstanding cuisine, wines and service in all places. a very quiet region with friendly locals. Beautiful landscapes and a great way to eat lots and then burn the calories off in the walk. one of the very best holidays I have ever had.

Mr Grant, 6 Jul 2013

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This is a really excellent choice for any guests wanting a truly gastronomic experience amongst wonderful countryside. We enjoyed the walking very much, although at first we wondered whether it might be challenging enough with alternate rest days. However, Headwater provided good suggestions on how to spend the available time and we were pleased that we had the time to explore more widely. Our days were all the more enjoyable for being able to look forward to some of the best cuisine which Italy has to offer anywhere. Headwater's has done well to enable guests to experience a range of Piedmont's restaurant cooking, from the world class to the more rustic, but all served to an extremely high standard.



We were impressed too with the attentive support given by our local reps, Marc and Marsha, for whom nothing was too much trouble.



As we self drove to Italy, we stayed in two Headwater arranged hotels en route, Hotel Normandie in Auxerre, and Hotel Alpina in Les Gets, both of which represented very good value for money.

Mrs Everson-Davis, 21 Jun 2013