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Out and about

What to see and do in the Canavese

The castles of the House of Savoy, the lakes left behind by the glacier, the Erbaluce vineyards and the Gran Paradiso: below you’ll find the places we recommend, grouped by interest, each with the driving time from the house, including a few that most visitors miss.

Castello di Agliè
6 minutes
Ivrea
20 minutes
Turin
30 minutes
Gran Paradiso
1 hr 5 min
Aerial view at sunset of the Castello di San Giorgio Canavese, with the roofs of the village, the farmed plain and the snow-covered Alps in the background

Driving times at a glance

How far is it?

Each place is shown in its true direction from the house, and the further out it sits, the longer the drive: the rings mark a quarter of an hour, half an hour, an hour and an hour and a half. Tap a name to go to its entry.

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Castles and residences

Castles, palaces and abbeys

The nearest Savoy castle is in Agliè, 6 minutes away, and the Reggia di Venaria is 29 minutes away. At the end of the section you’ll find the lesser-known places: an abbey from the year 1000, a 14th-century castle and a hilltop sanctuary.

Lesser-known places

Towns and cities

From the village to Turin

Start with San Giorgio, on foot. Then come Ivrea, the Olivetti town, and Castellamonte, the ceramics town. Turin and Aosta are worth a day each.

Lesser-known places

Lakes and mountains

Water, woods and mountains

Lago di Candia is 15 minutes away, the five lakes of Ivrea 31. For the Gran Paradiso, an hour and 5 minutes away, it is worth setting off early.

Lesser-known places

Outdoors

On foot, by bike, on the water

The Via Francigena passes through Ivrea, where the Dora has a canoe channel in the middle of town. The rock walls of the Valle dell’Orco are a historic climbing destination.

Lesser-known places

  • The ruins of the Gesiùn, with the stone bell tower and the walls of the nave, on a meadow under a blue sky

    32 minutes by car

    The Gesiùn at Piverone

    Romanesque ruins on the Via Francigena · Piverone

    These are the ruins of the Romanesque church of San Pietro di Sugliaco, built between the late 10th and the mid-11th century, and they stand alone among the vineyards. What remains is a small nave, the apse and a fragment of a 15th-century fresco.

    It is in the open air and you can visit whenever you like.

Through the year

The year in the Canavese

The seasons of the lakes and the mountains, and the festivals worth putting in your diary. The months stay the same; the exact dates change every year.

  • Ivrea Carnival

    February to March

    The Battle of the Oranges is fought over the last three days before Lent, in five squares: anyone not wearing the red Phrygian cap becomes a target.

  • Cherry blossom at Venaria

    March to April

    The Reggia celebrates in its gardens when the cherry trees blossom.

  • The torcetto festival

    April

    Every spring Agliè celebrates the town’s own biscuit.

  • The Mercato della Terra in San Giorgio

    May

    Once a year the village hosts the Slow Food producers’ market.

  • Tre giorni per il giardino

    May and October

    Twice a year FAI sets up a plant fair in the park of the Castello di Masino.

  • Swimming in the lakes

    May to September

    The swimming season runs from 15 May to 30 September, at Viverone, Sirio and Candia.

  • The Nivolet road

    June to September

    It opens when the snow allows, and on peak summer days you either book a slot in advance to drive up, or take the shuttle bus.

  • Fresh piattella beans

    July to September

    The Cortereggio bean is harvested from late July to late September; you’ll find it dried all year round.

  • The Mostra della ceramica

    August to September

    In Castellamonte the ceramics exhibition runs from late August to mid-September, and you’ll see ceramics all over the town.

  • The Erbaluce harvest

    August to October

    It begins in late August with the grapes for the sparkling wine and goes on until October.

  • The grape festivals of Caluso and Carema

    September

    They are held in the second half of September, with parades through the streets of the two towns.

  • White truffle

    October to January

    In Piedmont the truffle season runs from 1 October to 31 January.

  • Salam ’d patata

    October to March

    This potato and pork salami is made in the cold months, and in January Settimo Rottaro holds a festival in its honour.

  • Bagna caoda

    November to February

    In winter you’ll find it in the trattorias.

  • Skiing in Pila

    December to April

    From late November to April the gondola takes you from Aosta up to the pistes.

Before you go

Good to know

The photographs

One last thing

Staying with us? Just ask

A phone number, a booking, an idea for the day: send us a message and we’ll get back to you.

Dimora Berchiatti can be hired for weddings and celebrations, and on the first floor it has an apartment for anyone who comes to explore the Canavese. The venue · The apartment

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