Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Activities
The tourist office has a list of six different local day hikes, ranging from 12.5km to 20km
in distance.
Bottega dei Quattro Vini
(
www.bottegadei4vini.com
; Piazza Italia 2; vary)
This two-room shop was set up by the
local community to showcase the four DOC wines produced on Neive's hills. Inside you
can sample wines by the glass (€1.80 to €4.50), accompanied by cold local specialities
(€3.50 to €10).
WINE TASTING
Sleeping & Eating
La Contea
( 0173 67 12 6;
www.la-contea.it
;
Piazza Cocito 8; s/d €70/100; )
Enoteca,
shop, restaurant
and small hotel, the family-run La Contea has been part of Neive's fabric for eons. Chefs
pluck fresh herbs from their window boxes to embellish dishes such as rabbit,
ravioli al
plin
, and
brasato al Barbaresco
. The rooms are traditional and comfortable.
PENSION
€
Getting There & Away
Neive is on the train line between Alba and Asti. Train services were suspended at last
visit, but hourly buses to and from Alba (€1.50) run from outside Alba's train station.
Bra & Pollenzo
POP 29,796
Home to some of the best gastronomic alchemy in Italy, Bra is the small, unassuming
Piedmontese town where the Slow Food Movement first took root in 1986. The initial
manifesto ignited a global crusade against fast food. The backlash worked and Bra hap-
pily broadcasts its success. There are no cars and no supermarkets in this refreshingly
laid-back town's historic centre, where small, family-run shops (which shut religiously for
a 'slowdown' twice a week) are replete with organic sausages, handcrafted chocolates and
fresh local farm produce.
Sights