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Cradled by some of Europe's most majestic mountains, the Pennine, Graian, Cottian, and Maritime Alps, which loom magnificently on the eastern and northern borders, the Italian region known as Piedmont (or pie di monte) actually means 'foot of the mountains'.

Sharing borders with France and Switzerland, Piedmont is one of the largest regions of Italy, covering almost the entire northwestern section and encompassing over 25,000 square kilometers.

Piedmont is a world unto itself, certainly due the region's hopelessly picturesque mountains, abundant lakes, rolling hills, sprawling vineyards and charming villages. It has only been recent that the Western world has discovered the beauties and the bounties of Piedmont.Today, Piedmont is held as the culinary mecca for gourmands and is certainly the pinnacle of Italian cuisine.

 People from around the world come to pay whatever price they must to taste the famous white truffles that grow beneath the hazelnut and oak trees, or to sample the unlimited variations of mountain cheeses. Or still, to experience the regional risotto, rice and saffron, that is preferred over pasta. Piedmont boasts more regional treats than any other region in Europe. Local fare like agnolotti (a variation of ravioli), veal with a delicate tuna sauce (vitello tonnato), and even bread sticks-a Piemontese invention-have found their way to the most remote dinner tables. And in a country where fresh meat is rarely a mainstay, Piemontese beef is world renowned. But at the heart of it all is Piedmont's unsurpassed array of wines, which range from obscure Grignolino to the celebrated Barolo and Barbaresco.

The capital of Piedmont is Torino, a stately 19th-century city virtually free of tourists, except for the aficionados who come to see Europe's best Egyptian Museum, the Automotive Museum or the Savoys' Royal Palace. The Holy Shroud of Turin also abides here and is periodically on display for believers and skeptics.