Govone is a village of eight hundred people in the Roero, the hilly country on the left bank of the Tanaro across from the Langhe, and it is dominated by a palace far too grand for its size. The Castello di Govone was a residence of the House of Savoy, rebuilt in the baroque style in the eighteenth century, and it is one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy inscribed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside are rooms decorated with Chinese wallpaper, and outside, terraced gardens look down over the valley.
The Savoy kings used Govone as a summer residence, and King Carlo Felice was particularly fond of it. Today the castle is owned by the municipality and serves as the town hall as well as a museum, which gives it a lived-in feel. Around Christmas, Govone hosts a popular festive event in the castle and the village. The surrounding Roero is a landscape of steep sandy hills, vineyards and woods, less famous than the Langhe across the river but just as beautiful, and its sandy cliffs, the rocche, are a striking feature.
The riding in the Roero and the Langhe is among the best in Piedmont. Narrow roads wind along the ridges and through the vineyards, climbing and descending constantly, with views over the hills to the Alps, which on clear days form a white wall on the horizon, with Monviso standing out. Surfaces vary, and the roads are narrow, so take care on blind bends. Traffic is light on weekdays but busier on weekends, especially in autumn during the truffle season. Spring and autumn are the best seasons.
Govone has a bar and basic services, but fuel is better found in Canale or Alba, the capital of the Langhe, thirteen kilometres away. Alba is famous for its white truffles, celebrated in a fair every autumn, and for Ferrero, whose chocolate factory is here. The wines of the Roero include Arneis, a fresh white, and Roero, a red made from Nebbiolo. Piedmontese food is superb: tajarin, thin egg pasta with butter and truffles, vitello tonnato and bagna cauda, a hot garlic and anchovy dip. From the castle gardens, the view across the Tanaro to the Langhe is lovely in the evening.