The Giant Benches of Alba and surroundings: an itinerary through colours and UNESCO landscapes

There is a way to look at the Langhe that you would never expect. Not through a car window, not from a restaurant terrace. But from two metres high, sitting on a bench as big as a dream, with the UNESCO World Heritage vineyards stretching to the horizon.

The Big Benches — the giant bench project created by designer Chris Bangle — are scattered among the villages of the Langhe like coloured dots on an imaginary map. Each one has a number, a colour, a story. And each one makes you feel like a child again the moment you climb up.

Here are four worth seeking out around Alba.

Big Bench #14 — Turquoise, Alba

The closest to the city. It sits in Località Scaparone, just outside the centre of Alba, with convenient parking near the church. The turquoise colour stands out from a distance among the vine rows. It is the right bench for those who want to start the itinerary without going too far — and for those who want to understand immediately what all the fuss is about.

Big Bench #65 — Ruby Red, Diano d'Alba

The most appreciated in the area — "one of the highest rated in the area". It sits among the vineyards of the Fratelli Aimasso winery, surrounded by a landscape that on clear days stretches all the way to the Alps. Worth the drive even just for the view.

Big Bench #23 — Emerald Green, Neive

Neive is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy — and from the emerald green bench you can see the Torre di Barbaresco rising above the hills. With over a thousand Google reviews it is one of the most visited benches in the Langhe. The village of Neive deserves a stroll before or after.

The Bench of Serenity

La Panca della Serenità — Red, La Morra

This one is not part of the official Big Bench Community Project circuit — but with beloved by thousands of visitors it may be the most loved of all.

I climbed up after a long lunch with friends at a traditional restaurant in La Morra — one of those days when time slows down, the dishes of the local tradition follow one another without hurry and the wine of the territory does the rest. When we left the restaurant, with that lightness that only the Langhe can give, someone said "let's go to the bench". And so we did.

Climbing two metres of red wood on a full stomach with friends beside you, looking out over vineyards that stretch as far as the eye can see — it is one of those moments you do not plan but never forget.

The bench is in Frazione Santa Maria, easy to reach with parking nearby. If you are in La Morra to visit the Cappella del Barolo — the most colourful church in the Langhe — add it to your route. You will not regret it.

How to plan the itinerary

All four benches are free and accessible year-round from sunrise to sunset. The ideal itinerary starts in Alba, drops down to Diano d'Alba, climbs back up to Neive and ends in La Morra — half a day among hills, villages and landscapes that change with every bend in the road.

If you want to experience the Langhe up close — with a comfortable base to return to in the evening — discover AlbaTorino Escapes stays between Alba, Turin and the territory.

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