The wolf was the prince of the woods, undisputed ruler of the hills, a child’s bogeyman and a true threat for those who left the city gates and wandered on the mythical Via Langarum, the ancient path that began in Alba and passed through the Langa del Sol, to reach the sea.

The town of Montelupo Albese, is dedicated to these most wild of canids, which in recent years have begun a timid return to the surrounding hills. Legend has it that man tore this hill away from the grips of these beats to build their town. The wolf is more than just an inspiration for the town’s name, but part of the magic of the place. Climb to the top of the village and trace the ghost steps of the mythic wolves through the alleys and streets while also taking in one of the most stunning hillside landscapes in the region.

Between the medieval homes and 18th-century churches, architectural works commissioned by the Ragnone Counts who also built the Palazzina dello Spianamento di San Sebastiano) the wolf is celebrated in dozens of colourful murals, painted by Italian artists that have transformed Montelupe Albese into a fairytale village.

Follow in the footsteps of the wolves along the Percorso del Lupo, a walking trail that begins in the central piazza of Montelupo and traverses through groves of hazelnut trees, vineyards of Dolcetto, thickets of iris and fields of wild flowers, all broken up by ancient ciabots, the small stone shacks that house farmers and their tools during the harvest.