Castello di Grinzane Cavour

Grinzane is the most photogenic building in the Langhe: a squat rectangular castle with corner towers and crenellations, rising straight out of the vines on a low hill with nothing else around it.

The best angles are from the vineyard road below rather than the courtyard. From the north-west the castle stands against sky with rows leading up to it; from the south the hill falls away and you get castle, vines and the far ridges in one layered frame.

Brick takes warm light unusually well, so the last hour before sunset is when the walls glow rather than simply catch the sun. Overcast days flatten it badly — this is a spot to book on a clear afternoon.

The grounds and the courtyard are open with the castle's own hours and a ticket for the museum and rooms inside; the exterior from the public road needs neither. Check the day's hours if you want the courtyard, and note that the castle hosts events and can close to visitors at short notice.