Oltrepò Pavese

Though frequently called the Tuscany of the North of Italy, the Oltrepò Pavese in Lombardy is fairly unknown abroad. Tourists pass the area closely when traveling to the real Tuscany, to Umbria or further south. This is a pity as the Oltrepò really offers something worthwhile for almost every tourist, especially food and wine lovers.
The area offer several attractions: smooth hills, medieval villages and castles, panoramic views, authentic Italian food and local wines. The Oltrepò happens to be the largest wine producing area of Lombardy and one of the largest in Italy, especially of the Pinot Nero. The landscape is scattered with vineyards that are freely accessible for hikers or even mountain biking.
The Oltrepò Pavese is part of the province of Pavia, in the southern part of Lombardy. Oltrepò literally means “on the other side of the Po”. The Po river runs through the large plain in the North of Italy, the Pianura Padana, where the risotto rice is produced. In the south of Pavia province the terrain quickly gains height. The Oltrepò is situated at the foothills of the Ligurian Alps and Apennines.
The Oltrepò Pavese offer peace and quiet, tranquility and the silence (while strolling in the vineyards for example) is often overwhelming. Life still has a slow pace here, as the locals are living the life in more or less the same way their ancestors did: growing wine is a labor that follows the seasons, year after year, generation after generation. Most of the wine farmer families have been living here since the Middle Ages.
Hardly any tourist business has developed here, which means, fortunately, that as the one of the few visitors from abroad, you are encountered with amazement and hospitality everywhere. People are enthusiastic to serve you their local traditional food and wine at all of the little family restaurants that populate the area. The food that is served is the food that Italians want to eat out, it has to have “mama” quality! Prices are ridiculously low.

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