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Travel Guide To Turin

Known as 'Torino' in Italian, Turin rests beside a scenic stretch of the River Po in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Although it is the birthplace and centre of Italian industry, mostly closely associated with giants such as FIAT, it is nevertheless a graceful city of wide boulevards, elegant arcades and grand public buildings. Seen as Europe's capital of Baroque, the city has a diverse choice of museums, restaurants and lovely public gardens.

Where to stay in Turin

AI SAVOIA Via del Carmine 1b (00 339 125 7711; fax: 011 662 3318; www.aisavoia.it ): Quadrilatero area. This charming three-room B&B is housed inside the 18th-century Palazzo Saluzzo di Paesana, one of the city's most impressive aristocratic townhouses. (It was too impressive for Vittorio Amedeo II, who ordered one of the two entrances to be bricked up, claiming that double gates were a Savoy privilege.) The courtly elegance of the exterior continues inside in a delightfully restrained mood, with Empire-style furniture, padded and gilded bedheads, and Murano chandeliers hanging from exposed beams. The three rooms are named after Savoy queens (no doubt to pacify the spirit of Vittorio Amedeo II), and Sr Armando (uncle of owners Roberto and Matilde Pavone) is a helpful and knowledgeable host. Breakfast, served in a lovely, antique-strewn salotto, is usually enlivened by one of Roberto's homemade cakes. There is a small library of guidebooks available for use by guests, plus a good selection of freebie maps, brochures and leaflets. ££ GRAND HOTEL SITEA Via Carlo Alberto 35 (00 39 011 517 0171; fax: 548 090; www.grandhotelsitea.it ). Porta Nuova area. The best of the traditional four-stars is probably the 120-room Grand Hotel Sitea, which is efficiently run, well placed and entirely unremarkable. Rooms are panelled, carpeted and cosy, though some might find the low ceilings oppressive. On the upside, the Sitea has the Carignano, a Piedmontese restaurant that is good enough to attract plenty of outside custom. £££££ HOTEL BOSTON Via Massena 70 (00 39 011 500359; fax: 599358; www.hotelbostontorino.it ): Porta Nuova area. The Hotel Boston also stands out from the unimaginative Turin pack, in this case because of its single-minded devotion to modern art and contemporary design. Housed in a building with a striking façade in Liberty style (the Italian equivalent of Art Nouveau), the hotel boasts a collection of original artworks and prints by artists from Warhol via Lichtenstein to Boetti. The lobby and communal spaces are peppered with the kind of design-classic furniture that you might find in a Taschen coffee-table book. But the sum is not quite as good as the parts: most of the bedrooms go for a bright, ethnic look, space is not a strong point and single travellers should book a double unless they like to be very cosy. ££££ HOTEL VICTORIA Via Nino Costa 4 (00 39 011 561 1909; fax: 561 1806; www.hotelvictoria.com ): Castello area. A bright and pleasant three-star in a cul-de-sac halfway between via Po and Porta Nuova train station. The Victoria is a charming, eclectic mix of English country cottage, Oriental teahouse and Mediterranean villa, with English-style antiques, Japanese screens and a profusion of floral motifs on wallpaper, fabrics and murals. The verdant theme continues in the breakfast room, with its conservatory windows and garden view. There are 100 bedrooms classified as Standard and Deluxe. By the end of 2005, the hotel should have its own pool, sauna and Turkish bath, and probably higher room rates. £££££ NH LINGOTTO NH Lingotto, via Nizza 262 (00 39 011 664 2000; fax: 664 2001; http://www.nh-hotels.com ) South area. NH Lingotto is the only hotel in the world whose guests get to use a former car-testing track as a jogging path. What's more, it's on the roof. Fiat's banked track was built as the crowning flourish of the company's main assembly line in the Lingotto complex, south of the city centre. Today, Fiat has moved out and the trade fairs have moved in, backed up by a shopping centre, the Giovanni and Marella Agnelli Art Gallery (which is suspended like a futuristic James Bond penthouse pad above the test track), and NH Lingotto. What's really lacking in Turin is a good upscale option in the city centre. ££ PRINCIPE DI PIEMONTE Via Gobetti, 15 - 10123 Torino, Italy (00 39 011 55151; fax: 011 5185870; www.atahotels.it ). Built by the Agnelli family in 1930, the Principi di Piemonte is located in Via Gobetti, close to the shops of Via Roma. Refurbished before the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, there are now 99 modern, spacious rooms on the top eight floors of the building, all with state-of-the-art technology, and views over the city. The hotel restaurant, Casa Savoia, serves refined local cuisine, the sumptuous Salone delle Feste has 1930s Murano chandeliers and mosaics. Primarily a business hotel, every room and meeting facility is Internet, A/V equipment including IP cameras for internet streaming purposes and overhead projectors. ££££ THE GOLDEN PALACE Via dell'Arcivescovado 18 (00 39 011 55 12 111; fax: 011 55 12 800; www.thi.it ). Central Turin's first true five-star hotel opened just in time for the Winter Olympic Games in 2006. Housed in two geometric buildings, Golden One and Golden Two, the décor is contemporary yet luxurious. One hundred and ninety-five rooms feature sophisticated wooden furniture with details in burnished brass and black lacquer. Rooms have huge plasma TVs, electrically-controlled curtains, exclusive reproductions of works by the painter Giovanni Lombardini and marble bathrooms. There are 15 suites and a 90sq-metre Presidential Apartment. Winner restaurant is under the guidance of chef Giuseppe Zuccaro. The Golden Spa has a pool, Turkish bath and sauna. There is also a Personal Shopper service. ££££ TOWN HOUSE 70 Via XX Settembre, 70 (09 39 11 19700003; fax: 11 19700188; www.townhouse.it ). The Town House hotel group have four boutique hotels, three in Milan and one in Turin, all located in the city centres. Town House 70 is situated in Turin's historic centre, behind Piazza Castello and close to Via Roma. There are 16 double rooms, 4 single rooms and 27 suites. Rooms have workspaces, modern seating areas and bathrooms. All have high-speed internet access, air conditioning and climate control, and LCD screen TV with Video on Demand. There is no restaurant, instead a complimentary breakfast is laid out on a long table and snacks are available throughout the day. £££

B&B VIA STAMPATORI A real gem housed in a 16th-century palazzo, but with each room an enchanting realm of modern Italian design; you can take breakfast on a private terrace overlooking the frescoed courtyard.Via Stampatori 4 (00 39 339 258 1330; www.viastampatori.com ). ££

Where to eat out in Turin

BARRIQUE Corso Dante 53 (00 39 011 657900). Opened in 1999 by Stefano Gallo, this formal restaurant with striped wall coverings of taupe and cream incorporates raw ingredients in its dishes. Hand-chopped Langhe veal with crunchy vegetables in curry and egg sauce, dried salted cod cooked in two different ways with chickpea cream and turnip tops with tarragon-flavoured pesto sauce, Ligurian 'Besugo' fish with calamari and saffron and an unbelievably tasty rabbit, plump and with perfectly crisp skin. COMBAL.O Castello di Rivoli (00 39 011 956 5225): 12km west of Turin. Don't be put off by the pretentious name, pronounced 'Combal zero': this is a serious restaurant in a cool, modern setting. Chef Davide Scabin is fast becoming the Ferran Adrià of the Italian restaurant scene, forcing carefully sourced ingredients into unusual and sometimes bizarre combinations, such as lobster carpaccio with Gorgonzola and sea lettuce. Scabin's most famous creation is the 'cyberegg', a cellophane sphere containing a cocktail of egg yolk, vodka, caviar, shallots and black pepper. Guests are provided with a scalpel - not to attack the chef with but to cut the top off the cyberegg and drink the contents in one gulp. This is not a place for a quick business lunch: like the provocative, sometimes over-the-top contemporary art on view in the rest of the castle, Scabin's creations demand considerable attention. Closed Mon, Tues. IL ROSPETTO Piazza Madama Cristina 5 (00 39 011 669 8221): Valentino area. For some reason, via Madama Cristina, an unremarkable suburban street a couple of blocks back from the Parco del Valentino, has become Turin's pizza avenue. The action starts at the north end of the street in piazza Madama Cristina, where Il Rospetto ('the baby toad') serves up thin and crunchy Roman-style pizzas and high-rise Ligurian focaccia (try the stracchino cheese-and-rocket version). Soya-flour pizzas can also be had on request. Book ahead or be prepared to queue, as space is tight. Km5 Via San Domenico 14-16 (00 39 0114310032). This specialises in thick parmesan and porcini mushroom risotto, and offers a huge selection of affettati (slices of handmade salami and lardo). LA MONTAGNA IN VETRINA Piazza Emanuele Filiberto 3a (00 39 011 521 7882): Quadrilatero area. Another favourite Torinese quick stop for lunch or dinner is this eat-in deli that offers a range of gastronomic treats from the Piedmontese Alps and the Valle d'Aosta, to be nibbled tapas-style. Cheeses, cured meats and sott'oli (vegetables preserved in oil) are complemented by a small and daily changing selection of hot dishes: the soups are particularly good. One of the neat things about the place is its dual shop/restaurant function: if you fall in love with the stuffed peppers, you can buy a jar of them to take home. It is wise to book ahead. LA PISTA via Nizza 294 (00 39 011 6313523; fax: 011 6313708; www.lapista.to.it./eng/index_eng.htm ). Situated at the top of the Lingotto building, chef Massimo Guzzone's philosophy is based on raw materials, and seasonal produce. LE VITEL ETONNE Via San Francesco da Paola 4 (00 39 011 812 4621): Po area. The centrally located Le Vitel Etonné is run by three friends who share duties in the kitchen, the wine cellar and front-of-house. The name alludes to a classic Piedmontese dish, vitel tonne (vitello tonnato in standard Italian), which is slices of braised veal served cold with a sauce of mayonnaise, tuna, anchovies and capers. There are generally three antipasti on offer (one of which may or may not be vitel tonné), three pasta dishes and three secondi, all solid, regional dishes done without frills. There's usually at least one gourmet salad and an excellent cheese board. Wine is a strong point and the restaurant's latest finds are posted on the website, www.leviteletonne.com . Open Mon-Sat for lunch and dinner, Sun lunch only. It is wise to book ahead. PASTIS Piazza Emanuele Filiberto 9 (00 39 01 1521 1085). A traditional French-inspired trattoria popular with actors, artists and intellectuals, located in a small pretty pizza, with an outdoor area in summer. Its garlic-steeped l'albese (similar to steak tartare) is typically Piedmontese. PEPINO Piazza Carignano 8 (00 39 011 542 009): Castello area. Open daily, 8am-midnight. When Signor Pepino came up with the idea in 1937, it must have seemed revolutionary: an ice cream on a stick that could be eaten on one's evening walk. The ice lolly's original Italian name was gelato da passeggio, or 'strolling ice cream', but Pepino dubbed his creation il pinguino (the penguin), and it can still be purchased in the elegant bar that bears his name, on piazza Carignano. Vanilla, hazelnut and chocolate are the classic flavours; violet and lemon sorbets are among the more exotic variations. Pepino also does standard gelato, good coffee, a tempting range of cakes and an excellent lunch buffet, which is very popular with la Torino bene, the city's pearls-and-twinset brigade. PIZZERIA DESSI Via Madama Cristina 63 (00 39 011 668 7138): Valentino area. This specialises in farinata, a kind of chick-pea pizza similar to the socca of Nice, which is a legacy of Turin's historical and regal links with Liguria and Sardinia. Dessi also does pizza al padellino and castagnaccio, a dessert-bread made of chestnut flour. PIZZERIA E GELATERIA CECCHI Via Madama Cristina 92 (00 39 011 650 7030): Valentino area. Closed Mon. Further down the street, heading away from the centre, Pizzeria e Gelateria Cecchi specialises in Tuscan-style pizza al padellino, stretched-oval pizzas made from slow-leavened dough, which are fed into the oven on long-handled oars. Cecchi also makes great ice cream. RISTORANTE DEL CAMBIO Piazza Carignano 2 (00 39 011 546 690): Castello area. Closed Sun. In any other Italian city, Ristorante del Cambio would have become a museum by now. But in Turin this venerable establishment, which oozes noblesse oblige from every stuccoed, chandeliered and mirrored pore, is still an essential lifestyle accessory for the local upper class. Counts and marchesas, pearl-draped heiresses and captains of industry pile in here in the evenings to eat in the favourite restaurant of Risorgimento mastermind Count Cavour, whose table commanded a view of Palazzo Carignano opposite - then home to the Savoy parliament. Until recently you could be sure that the high-class comfort food served in the gilded, mirror-lined main salone would be as unremarkable as the waiters were impeccable. But recently the cuisine has become lighter and more creative. Classics such as risotto al Barolo are now flanked by more innovative dishes, for example sottofiletto di fassone (fillet of Piedmontese ox) roasted in juniper with crunchy herbs. The waiters, thank goodness, are still impeccable. While the Cambio has taken a foodie turn, it has a long way to go before it can compete with Combal.0, the gastronomic offshoot of the out-of-town Castello di Rivoli modern-art complex (see What to See). RISTORANTE MINA Via Ellero 86 (00 39 0116963608). This serves a rich truffle-stuffed chicken with deep-fried artichokes. RISTORANTE MORENO Corso Unione Sovietica 244 (00 39 0113179657). Specialises in truffles. The simplest and tastiest way to eat them is grated over pasta. TRE GALLINE Via Bellezia 37d (00 39 011 436 6553; www.3galline.it) . An informal restaurant where you often see politcians and journalists eating lunch. It's still going strong after nearly 450 years and is the spot for traditional Piedmontese fare - delectable truffle dishes, or bollito misto, a meaty boil-up with various sauces. Try the vitello tonnato, a multi-layered dish of veal topped with capers and tuna in home-made mayonnaise. The bue brasato (braised ox) is marinaded in red wine and herbs for several days before being roasted, producing a delicious sauce. In winter, it offers a rich primo piatto of ravioli stuffed with black truffle paste. In season, white truffles, a precious and rare produce of the Piedmont region, are shaved onto undressed pasta and weighed to determine how much to charge. €80 for three courses without wine. VINERIA TRE GALLI Via Sant'Agostino 25 (00 39 011521 6027; www.3galli.com ). It's an offshoot of Tre Galline that attracts a hipper crowd with such new-wave dishes as octopus with stewed spring onions. This upmarket vineria is the place to try wines from all over Italy accompanied by excellent food. Try the bagna calda, a thick garlic, milk and anchovy dip served with raw vegetables and toasted focaccia. €70 for three courses without wine. CAFE CULTURE Francophile Turin has the most deep-rooted café culture of any Italian city. Anyone who wants to go straight to the soul of the place should head for one of the classic establishments that still service the demand for elegant social intercourse over bone-china coffee cups and plates piled high with pasticceria mignon. (Mini-cakes are designed so that respectable matrons can eat lots of them without appearing greedy). Other northern Italian cities - Milan, Padua, Trieste - have a thriving bar and café scene. What marks Turin out is the sheer number of period interiors that have been lovingly preserved. BARATTI & MILANO Piazza Castello 29 (00 39 011 440 7138; www.barattiemilano.it ). Open 8am-9pm, closed Mondays. The delights of this belle-époque bar begin outside, in themed confectionery-filled window displays that are veritable works of art. Inside, there's hardly a square inch which isn't filled with Baratti & Milano's signature pastries and chocolates. Messrs Baratti and Milano applied for permission to open their emporium on the corner of piazza Castello and the then-new Subalpina gallery - a belle-époque shopping mall - in 1874. As the confectionery shop expanded to include a café and tea house, sculptor Edoardo Rubino and architect Giulio Casanova were called in to oversee the decoration, their original design is still in place today. Admire it as you sample the bignoli - glazed pastry cases filled with flavoured cream - or the gianduiotto, soft wedges of chocolate and hazelnut paste. CAFFE AL BICERIN Piazza della Consolata 5 (00 39 011 436 9325; www.bicerin.it ). Open 8.30am-7.30pm, closed Wed and Sat. If the ghost of a Grand Tourist rustled in and squeezed her crinoline onto a red plush bench behind one of Caffè Al Bicerin's marble tables, she wouldn't look out of place. Filled with boiserie panelling, this café opposite the church of La Consolata has changed little since a major makeover in the early-19th century. When it first opened the café was patronised by politicians, philosophers and writers - Alexandre Dumas and Friedrich Nietzsche liked to pen their works here. Nowadays, the crowd is less elite but no less committed to this café's trademark bicerin, a steaming coffee, chocolate and cream concoction guaranteed to stave off the Piedmontese chills. Behind the marble-topped counter, glass jars hold confetti sweets in pastel colours; inside the glass-topped display case beneath the counter are Al Bicerin's exquisite home-made chocolates. CAFFE ELENA Piazza Vittorio Veneto 5 (00 39 011 812 3341). Open 8am-1am, closed Wednesdays. Caffè Elena lacks the lavish trappings of most of Turin's caffè storici but it doesn't lack in atmosphere. Its two rooms do have wood panelling, and its marble-topped tables bear witness to generations of Campari spillage; but there are no gleaming glass cases filled with showy bonbons, and the whole place has a somewhat lived-in feel. Which explains, perhaps, why this is the café of choice for a laid-back, bohemian crowd - crowd being the operative word around seven in the evening. Earnest intellectuals lean their elbows on the same tables at which Nietzsche went extravagantly mad, while the constantly-replenished table laden with delicious - and deliciously free - aperitivo-hour snacks. CAFFE FIORIO Via Po 8 (00 39 011 817 3225). Open daily 7am-midnight. In early-20th-century Turin, snacking on the street was seriously frowned upon. In order to break the taboo, the owner of Fiorio hired a gaggle of beautiful girls to stroll along arcaded via Po eating ice cream from cones - a recent Italian invention launched on a sceptical world at the 1900 Paris Expo. In business since 1780, it had been the political heart of pre-Unification Piedmont, the place where the liberal movers and shakers met, drank and decided the fate of the nation. Fiorio's cone with gianduia ice cream and whipped cream is superb; but all the gelato is good. The recipes are secret, but the owner will reveal that all the eggs he uses are free-range, all the fruit is squeezed on the premises, and that he still uses a 30-year-old Carpigiani Cattabriga gelatiera - the Ferrari of ice-cream machines. CAFFE PLATTI Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 72 (00 39 011 506 9056; www.platti.it/stampa.html). Open daily 7.30am-9pm. A little outside the centre, in the tree-lined Crocetta neighbourhood, Caffè Platti has been the haunt of Turin's alta borghesia since it opened in 1870. The striking shop-front beneath the arcades in corso Vittorio Emanuele II is made from a single cast-iron block, a tribute to Turin's industrial heritage. Inside, Louis XVI-style chairs and marble-topped tables on spindly cast-iron legs blend with gold and cream plaster mouldings and huge mirrors to create an atmosphere of refined opulence. Since it opened, Platti has been most famous for its draguées, chocolate-dipped hazelnuts, coffee beans and candied fruits, and for the Torta Platti - a calorific cylinder of chocolate and gianduia (a creamy mixture of chocolate and hazelnuts). CAFFE SAN CARLO Piazza San Carlo 156 (00 39 011 532 586; www.caffesancarlo.it). Open daily 8am-midnight. An immense chandelier in Murano glass sets the tone in the main room of this Turin institution. With its empire chairs, gilded boiseries and stiffly attentive service, Caffè San Carlo has an elegance which might be almost off-putting were it not for the superb quality of the food and drinks on offer. Much of the San Carlo's sumptuous mid-19th-century decor was destroyed in World War II; but the reconstruction is so faithful that you can't see the joins between old and new. Spread over a main and smaller room, both filled with the obligatory white marble-topped tables, plus a Chinese salon (this last spared by the bombs), the café is well-known for attention to detail, even making its own bread for the delicious sandwiches and rolls on offer in its very popular lunchtime snacks spread. CAFFÈ TORINO Piazza San Carlo 204 (00 39 011 545 118). Open daily 7am-midnight. In the same stately square as the Caffè San Carlo, the Caffè Torino is the neo-baroque fruit of a Fascist-era makeover received after a move from its original site just across the piazza, where it opened in 1903. The ornate cash register by the front door was made in Ohio in the early-20th century but the cakes and chocolates it serves products of today's Piedmontese specialists. Early spring and winter are busy times, with fur-coated matrons jostling for a box of Christmas gianduiotti or a huge Easter egg. In its early years the Torino attracted a clique of writers, among them Italo Calvino's literary guru, Cesare Pavese. The tables outside provide a great spot for observing city life. HAFA CAFÉ 23C Via Sant'Agostino (00 39 011436 7091). Cooler than the city's traditional cafés, the Hafa Café is a trendy place for an aperitif. Set out in endless quantities, you can also eat as many snacks as you like for a small fee. MULASSANO Piazza Castello 15 (00 39 011 547 990). Open daily 7.30am-9pm. This tiny centro storico bar is an exercise in floor-to-ceiling opulence. From its elegant wooden shopfront through a stunningly decadent bar counter in Piedmontese purple marble to the mirror-encrusted boiseries, the Mulassano leaves no square centimetre unadorned. Inaugurated in 1907, this jewel box of a café was painstakingly restored to its original glory in 1978. Its location right across the square from the Teatro Regio makes it a favourite with theatre-goers - who stop off here for a pre-show cocktail. Although it's not the only bar in Italy to advance the claim, Mulassano's boast that it invented the tramezzino (Italian for sandwich) is at least backed up by present-day evidence: the bar's lightly toasted sandwiches are delicious. PASTIS Piazza Emanuele Filiberto 9 (00 39 011 521 1085). The artsy, 1950s-style Pastis which does a roaring aperitivo trade. Though herb-flavoured wines can be traced back as far as Ancient Greece, Italian-style vermouth (a corruption of the German Wermut, which became 'wormwood' in English) was, according to the local tradition, created in the mid-18th century under the arcades of piazza Castello. The creator was a waiter called Benedetto Carpano who used monastic recipes from his native Biella. A huge hit with the Savoy court, vermouth gradually spread to other Italian cities, and the Carpano brand was challenged by a host of arrivistes, from Cinzano to Gancia. But purists can still find Carpano in three forms: Classico, Bianco and Punt e Mes. The latter, a dry version of the blend, means 'a shot and a half' in Torinese dialect. It was first produced in 1870 to a formula suggested by a local banker who liked his Carpano Classico with a dash of quinine. Served liscio - just with ice and a slice of orange - it is still a popular drink in the bars of Turin, and to order it will gain you local kudos. BASSO 30 Via Sant'Agostino 30 (00 39 011 578 8288; www.basso30.it ). The restaurant sources ingredients from surrounding farms for its fine cuisine. €55 for three courses without wine. OSTERIA DELLA CIMA Via Sant'Agostino 6 (00 39 011 436 5091). Osteria della Cima uses its daytime focaccia ovens to make delicious lasagne in the evening. Dishes from €7. LA GASTRONOMIA DEL QUADRILATERO Via San Dalmazzo 7 (00 39 011 547367). A deli-cum-bistro that offers a cheap lunch. Lunch menus between €4-€7. EATALY Via Nizza 230 (00 39 011 1950 6801; www.eataly.it ). A selection of in-house restaurants which sells delicacies from all over Italy. L'ARTE DEL PANE Via Po 25 (00 39 011 885 580). A traditional family bakery with the best fresh grissini. GUIDO GOBINO Via Giuseppe Luigi Lagrange 1 (00 39 011 566 0707; www.guidogobino.it ). Offers chocolate delights, including unusual flavours, such as rosemary.

The best nightlife in Turin

HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR Via Bossoli 83 (00 39 011 317 6636; www.hiroshimamonamour.org ): South area. Hiroshima Mon Amour has been a stalwart of the Turin club scene since 1986. Now in new premises not far from the Lingotto complex (see Where to Stay), this multi-faceted cultural centre organises live concerts, exhibitions, avant-garde theatrical happenings as well as Friday and Saturday club nights. Any given week there might be a Russian performance artist interacting with an old 386Mhz computer, an UK indie-rock group, a gypsy brass band, a poetry slam, a ska and reggae night, an exhibition of fumetti (strip cartoons); pretty much anything goes. Concerts begin at 10.30pm. Open Tues-Sat, 9.30pm-2am. LAB Piazza Vittorio Veneto 13 (00 39 011 817 0669). It serves an especially imaginative selection of titbits for the early-evening aperitivo (when the Torinesi hit the cafés around the Piazza Vittorio Veneto for cocktails and snacks). LA DROGHERIA Piazza Vittorio Veneto 18 (00 39011 812 2414; www.la-drogheria.it ). Comes with indie music and a hip crowd. €7-€9 will cover your first drink and access to the buffet. PASTIS Piazza Emanuele Filiberto 9 (00 39 011 521 1085). With its corner terrace, is a great place for a ringside seat for revels in the Quadrilatero Romano till late. CASA MAD Via Santa Chiara 24 (00 39 011 1970 1970). Attracts a cheerfully bohemian crowd of all ages as the evening draws on.

What to see in Turin

BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE In the seven decades between 1666 and 1736, two court architects left an indelible impression on the fabric of the city and together defined the style referred to as Barocco torinese. Multi-talented Guarino Guarini, whose soaring architectural creations are both geometrically precise and theatrically exuberant, was also a mathematician, astronomer and philosopher. He designed the Cappella della Santa Sindone (finished in 1694 after his death), created to provide a fittingly elaborate showcase for the city's prize relic, the Holy Shroud. Heavily damaged by a fire in 1997, the chapel is still being restored. But Guarini's real masterpiece is an earlier commission, the royal church of San Lorenzo, a tasteful clutter of coloured marble, stucco, fresco, intarsia and canvas, topped by a confectioner's dome. Turin's other baroque genius, Sicilian architect Filippo Juvarra, arrived in the city in 1714 as court architect to Vittorio Amedeo II, and immediately began to provide the freshling king (the Savoys had been mere dukes until the previous year) with the sort of grandiose but elegant palaces that befitted his new title. He left his mark on the huge work-in-progress that was Palazzo Reale, and designed - from scratch - two magnificent out-of-town hunting lodges, the Venaria Reale and Stupinigi, and the votive basilica of Superga. But Juvarra's most audacious and airily Sicilian contribution to Turin's renewed centro storico was his work on the forbidding medieval fortress of Palazzo Madama. Between 1718 and 1721 Juvarrra cloaked this rude military pile in elegant baroque clothes - at least on the western side, which faced the Savoy power hub of piazza Reale. The real treat is just behind the façade: an airy, monumental staircase that makes the swivelling stairs in Harry Potter look positively mundane. CASTELLO DI MASINO (00 39 0125 778 100): 30km north-east of Turin. Take a day out to visit the Castello di Masino, a marvellously preserved stately home that rises above the Canavese plain about 30km north-east of Turin. The castle belonged to the Valperga di Masino family, a local dynasty whose fortune came from the hemp fields that once covered this fertile plain. The wacky weed (which was woven, rather than smoked) even ended up in the family's coat of arms. More a country house than a proper castle, the rooms here are decorated in styles that vary from medieval to rococo. The castle and grounds are now owned by the FAI (Italy's equivalent of the National Trust) and run in exemplary fashion, with the money from admissions and donations ploughed back into restoration. One of the decorative peaks of the castle is the suite of rooms kitted out for Madama Giovanna Battista di Savoia, aka 'Madama Reale'. She was the queen-regent whose love affair in the 1680s with the much younger Carlo Francesco I Valperga di Masino gave the family the foothold (or rather handhold) it needed in the Savoy court. It also provided the pretext for the makeover of what up until then had been a fairly rustic country pad. The castello's second high-water mark, at the end of the 18th century, is most fully represented by the Galleria dei Poeti, a long literary hallway with medallions of illustrious poets frescoed in pastel pinks and yellows. It was the creation of Tommaso Valperga, Abbot of Caluso, an Enlightenment tour de force who spoke six languages and distinguished himself both as mathematician and poet. Masino is most easily reached by car, but is also accessible by public transport, except on Sundays. Take the train to Ivrea from Turin's Porta Nuova station (the 9.25am is the best morning option), then change for the SATTI bus to Caravino; the castle is a pleasant 20-minute walk from here. Open Feb-Sept 10am-1pm, 2pm-5pm; Oct to mid-Dec 10am-noon, 2pm-4pm (times are those of latest permitted entry); closed Mon and mid-Dec to end Jan. CASTELLO DI RIVOLI MUSEO DI ARTE CONTEMPORANEA Piazza Malfalda di Savoia Rivoli (00 39 011 956 5222; www.castellodirivoli.org ): 20km east of Turin, in the castle town of Rivoli. Turin has been engaged in a major image makeover in recent years and much of the effort has gone into stressing the Piedmontese regional capital's vibrant contemporary art scene. Although the city lacks anything with the shock value of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, it does have a constellation of public and private galleries that together justify Turin's claim to be a major contemporary art hub, in cultural if not commercial terms. Leader of the pack is the Castello di Rivoli Museo di Arte Contemporanea, which occupies a Savoy hunting lodge 20km east of the city centre. Damaged by French troops in 1690 and never rebuilt, this ravaged sovereign residence ­provides a satisfyingly bizarre showcase for a satisfyingly bizarre collection. The finely restored Settecento interior of the main palazzo houses the permanent collection, which includes works by Sol LeWitt, Tony Cragg, Bruce Nauman, Rebecca Horn, local artist Maurizio Cattelan (if you've ever wondered where his notorious dangling horse is stabled, it's here), and others. The complex also includes Davide Scabin's equally contemporary Michelin-starred Combal.0 restaurant (see Where to Eat). Open Tues-Thurs 10am-5pm, Fri-Sun 10am-9pm. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS At the beginning of November every year, Turin's Christmas lights go on. But these are not your common or garden snowflake-and-Santa illuminations. They are part of Luci d'artista, an initiative launched in 1997 by the city council to extend Turin's growing role as a collector and promoter of contemporary art into the ephemeral sphere of winter illuminations. Each year, one or two new artists (most recently Jenny Holzer and Jan Vercruysse) are asked to come up with an installation in the medium of electric light; there are now more than 20 of these. Some, like Rebecca Horn's eerie blue haloes circling the hilltop Cappuccini church on the east bank of the Po, are site-specific; others move location from year to year. The tourist office inside the futuristic new Atrium pavilion in piazza Solferino provides free Luci d'artista maps for those who want to do the rounds of the illuminations; it also organises weekend guided tours. GAM (GALLERIA CIVICA D'ARTE MODERNA E CONTEMPORANEA Via Magenta 31 (00 39 011 4429518; fax: 011 4429550; www.gamtorino.it ). Houses an impressive collection of 19th and 20th century art, with over 15,000 works, including paintings, sculptures, installations and photographs, in addition to a large collection of drawings and engravings. The collections mainly document Italian art, in addition to pieces by Andy Warhol and Antony Gormley. Open Tues-Sun 10am-6pm; €7.50 entry. IL LINGOTTO (FIAT FACTORY) Via Nizza 230. Built in 1920, the enormous Fiat (Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino) factory is a modernist masterpiece. The building itself was designed as a machine - the cars would be pushed upwards floor-by-floor during each stage of assembly, until the finished models arrived on the roof for a test drive. Fiat was owned by the late Gianni Agnelli, seen as the most powerful man in Italy. Il Lingotto has now been remodelled by the architect Renzo Piano into a hotel and leisure complex, with a rooftop restaurant, La Pista (see Where to eat). It also houses the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli art collection (see below). SANTUARIO DELLA CONSOLATA Piazza della Consolata (00 39 0 11 4363235). This is Turin's most elaborate church and worth a visit, housing a series of paintings known as 'the sorrows', in which parishioners depict life-threatening scenes from which they have been saved. THE BASILICA DI SUPERGA (00 39 011 8997456; www.basilicadisuperga.com/en/index.htm). The Basilica di Superga is the classic Sunday outing from Turin. This mini St Peter's, which stands on a wooded ridge 10km north-east of the centre, was erected by Vittorio Amedeo II after the Madonna had answered his plea for victory in an important battle against the French, during the War of Spanish Succession. Built by court architect Filippo Juvarra between 1716 and 1731, the church lacks the sheer brio and audacity of Juvarra's work on Palazzo Madama, though its refined urbanity is set off to good effect by the dense oak forests that surround it. The classic way of ascending to it is on the tramvia a dentiera (rack tramway) from the Sassi stop in piazza Modena. The restored 1930s electric trams leave every hour on the hour between 9am and 8pm, and until midnight on Tuesdays. THE MOLE ANTONELLIANA Via Montebello 20 (00 39 011 813 8560; www.museocinema.it ): Po area. 'A poem should not mean but be,' said Archibald MacLeish. Turin's most important landmark, the Mole Antonelliana, applies that maxim to architecture. The purpose of this soaring dome and spire, which rises high above the rooftops of the centro storico, and is the tallest brick building in Europe, has always been unclear. But boy, does it have presence. Designed by eccentric engineer-architect Alessandro Antonelli, the Mole (a word that means, among other things, 'big pile') was supposed to be Turin's new synagogue. Structural problems and lack of funds caused work to grind to a halt soon after it began in 1862, and the tower was completed only in 1897. By this time the city's Jewish community had made alternative arrangements and it wasn't until 2000 that the Mole, finally more than an expensive white elephant, was chosen to house Italy's Museo Nazionale del Cinema. This showy but not always rewarding collection of cinema paraphernalia (posters, sets, costumes) is at its most absorbing in the 'archaeology of cinema' section, with its collection of peepshows, optical trickery, magic lanterns and primitive projection equipment. Movie buffs will love the museum's brilliant collection of posters and other memorabilia, including props from films ranging from Cecil B DeMille's The Ten Commandments to Star Wars, the alien from Aliens, Federico Fellini's sketches and the original script from Godfather Part II. The Mole's other function is to support the viewing platform at the base of the spire, reached via a lift that shoots daringly up through the centre of the building. The platform affords a magnificent 360-degree over the city and its surroundings. On clear days the snow-capped Alps seem just an arm's length away. Open Tues-Fri & Sun 9am-8pm, Sat 9am-11pm; museum €7; museum & lift €9. THE MUSEO EGIZIO Via Accademia delle Scienze 6 (00 39 011 561 7776; www.museoegizio.it ): Castello area. The Museo Egizio is the surprise trump card in Turin's sightseeing hand. The Savoy family had been dabbling in Ancient Egyptian knick-knacks since the 16th century when it acquired the Mensa Isiaca, a bronze tablet with hieroglyphic inscriptions that stirred up the Renaissance appetite for mummy lore (though it was later revealed to be a Roman copy). The fledgling collection was given a huge boost in 1824 when Carlo Felice bought up the Egyptian hoard of Bernardino Drovetti, a resourceful piemontese who had used his position as French consul in Cairo to amass the world's biggest private collection of Egyptian artefacts. Later Italian expeditions plumped out the museum's holdings, which today consist of around 30,000 items. It's an atmospheric cultural storehouse, and while some will lament the lack of hands-on 'interactive experiences', the museum's air of fusty studiousness is somehow just right for Turin. Mummies lie sliced into suspended sections, and in the reconstructed tomb of Ini (from 2100BC) clay serfs make beer and bread to keep their master going in the afterlife. An upstairs room houses an entire rock-hewn temple, brought here in blocks to save it from the rising waters of the Aswan Dam. The display - and the labels - may not be as impressive as those in the Egyptian rooms of the British Museum or the Louvre, but for sheer completeness, Turin wins hands down. Open daily 8.30am-7.30pm. Closed Mon. Entry €7.50. THE PARCO DEL VALENTINO Orto Botanico, viale PA Mattioli 25 (00 39 011 661 2447). The Parco del Valentino is Turin's Hyde Park: the place where this most grid-planned and car-dependent of Italian cities comes to sprawl on the grass, canoodle, jog, walk the dog or just get a breath of fresh air. Its centrepiece, the handsome Castello del Valentino, a 16th-century Savoy residence, is off limits to visitors because it now houses the Architecture Faculty of the Politecnico di Torino. But there are plenty of other corners of this riverside park that are worth exploring, from the Orto Botanico, founded by Vittorio Amedeo II in 1729 as a garden of medicinal herbs, to the Giardino Roccioso, a green declivity which in 1961 was turned into an Alpine-style area of rocky rills spanned by little wooden bridges. The park's highlight, if only for its curiosity value, is the bizarre Borgo Medievale. This is a life-size reconstruction of a rural Piedmontese village from the 15th century, complete with drawbridges and crenellated towers, which has provided a wedding-photo backdrop for generations of torinesi. It was built for a long-forgotten Expo in 1884 and houses some surprisingly worthwhile craft workshops. Open Sat, Sun, April-Sept, 9am-1pm, 3pm-7pm. Borgo Medievale, viale Virgilio 107 (011 443 1701). Open 9am-8pm daily. THE PINACOTECA GIOVANNI E MARELLA AGNELLI Via Nizza 230 (00 39 011 0062713; fax: 011 0062712; www.pinacoteca-agnelli.it ). The Fiat Factory now houses this art collection, showcasing the Angelli family's works of art collection. There are only 18 pieces on display, but they include masterpieces by Canaletto, Renoir, Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse and appropriately, Italian futurist Gino Severini, who like the Agnellis, loved machines. Open Tues-Sun 10am-7pm; €4 entry. TURIN'S HOLY SHROUD Museo della Sindone, via San Domenico 28 (00 39 011 436 5832; www.shroud.com ): Quadrilatero area. Beware of getting into an argument with a shroudie. Those who champion the authenticity of the Turin Shroud have all the figures, dates and favourable scientific data at their fingertips, and they trade them with passion and avidity on the Internet. The plain fact of the matter is that Turin's biggest tourist attraction, and the world's most famous linen sheet, can only be traced back as far as the mid-14th century. Radio carbon dating tends to support a medieval origin for the cloth on which this miraculous image of Jesus Christ is supposedly imprinted. The official story has it that the Shroud (la Sacra Sindone in Italian) was brought back from the Holy Land by a crusader and found its way into the hands of a French aristocrat, who donated it to the House of Savoy in the 15th century. It became a sort of Savoy lucky mascot and accompanied the dukes from Chambéry to Turin, their new capital, in 1578. It was given pride of place in the Duomo, in a chapel designed by Guarino Guarini. Today the Holy Shroud is displayed only on special occasions (the last was the Jubilee year of 2000). Those interested in the history and significance of this contested relic can visit the Museo della Sindone, under the church of the Santissimo Sudario. As might be expected in such a setting, the display is heavily believer-oriented. Open daily 9am-11am, 3pm-7pm. MUSEO NAZIONALE DELL'AUTOMOBILE Corso Unita d'Italia 40 (00 39 011 677 666; www.museoauto.it ). After a recent revamp, this museum houses a fascinating collection of cars - from a steam-driven landau to zooty modern racers, often displayed as part of art installations. Open Mon 10am-2pm, Tues 2pm-7pm, Wed, Thurs & Sun 10am-7pm; Fri & Sat 10am-9pm; €8 entry. GALLERIA SABAUDA Via Accademia delle Scienze 6 (00 39 011 440 6903; www.museitorino.it ). The gallery offers centuries of fine art in a collection started by the House of Savoy. Open Tues & Fri-Sun 8.30am-2pm, Wed& Thurs 2pm-7.30pm; €4 entry. FONDAZIONE MERZ Via Limone 24 (00 39 011 1971 9437; www.fondazionemerz.org ). It holds paintings and sculptures by Mario Merz and hosts shows by exciting contemporary artists in a former heating plant for the Lancia factory. Open Tues-Sun 11am-7pm; €5 entry. FONDAZIONE SANDRETTO RE REBAUDENGO A cavernous space with ample room for installations by the very hottest of the avant-garde.Via Modane 16 (00 39 011 379 7600; www.fondsrr.org ). Open Tues, Wed & Fri-Sun 2pm-7pm, Thur 2pm-7.30pm & 8pm-11pm; €5 entry.

Where to shop in Turin

Ask most Italians what they associate with Turin, and after getting Fiat, Juventus and the Mole Antonelliana out of the way, they will almost certainly plump for gianduia (also spelled gianduja). This chocolate-and-hazelnut paste has achieved international commercial outreach in the form of Nutella, a brand owned and marketed by Piedmontese food company Ferrero. But it is at its most exquisitely more-ish in the solid, wedge-shaped gianduiotti handmade by a number of the city's top chocolatiers. A good place to start the search for the perfect gianduiotto is Confetteria Stratta, a historic confectioner in the city centre and a chocolate box in itself. It also does great pralines and candied fruit creations. Another ultra-traditional temple of chocolate is Peyrano, worth a visit on Sunday morning just to see Turin's upper crust stocking up on beautifully wrapped packages to take along to that important lunch party. Among Peyrano's specialities are 'alpine' - cuplets of gianduia filled with a liqueur made to a secret recipe. Confetteria Stratta, piazza San Carlo 191 (011 547920): Castello area. Open Mon 3pm-7.30pm, Tues–Sat 9.30am-7.30pm. Peyrano, corso Vittorio Emanuele II 76 (011 538 765, www.peyrano.com ): Crocetta area. Open Tues-Sat 9.30am-8pm, Sun 9.30am-1pm.

The elegant, arcaded via Roma in the Castello area is the name-brand fashion strip of Turin, lined with all the usual suspects such as Ferragamo, Max Mara and Timberland. You can even take a virtual stroll from shop to shop (much better for the bank balance) by clicking on its website, www.torino-viaroma.com . For something a little different, head for Autopsie Vestimentaire, the atelier-boutique of Torinese designer Alice Capelli, in a small street just east of the Consolata church. Capelli's unstructured dresses, skirts, blouses and coats (each comes in four sizes) are original but also highly wearable. Autopsie Vestimentaire, via Bonelli 6b (00 39 011 436 0641; www.autopsievestimentaire.com ): Quadrilatero area. Open Mon-Sat, 3pm-7.30pm.

THE BORGIATTINO SHOPFRONT

Via Cernaia 32 (00 39 011 535237): Cittadella area. Open daily 8.30am-1pm, 4pm-7.30pm, closed Wed afternoon, Sun. Italian delicatessen window displays are things of great beauty. Take the Borgiattino shopfront in via Cernaia. There's nothing showy or pretentious about the way this venerable family of cheese and wine purveyors set out their stall: it's basically about cramming as many good things to eat and drink as possible into a small space. Soft Alpine toma and robiola cheeses are flanked by a detachment of jams and preserves, and the way they build to grander, more imposing rounds of smoky fontina or tangy parmesan on the top shelves, framed by some serious bottles of Gavi, Barolo and Gattinara. It is the sort of display that makes you want to step inside and let family patriarch Giuseppe Borgiattino assemble a bundle of Piedmontese treats to take home. This, of course, is exactly what you should do.

THE GRAN BALON MARKET

( www.balon.it ). One of Italy's great antique and bric-a-brac markets, the Gran Balôn takes place on the morning of the second Sunday of every month in a warren of streets around via Borgo Dora, north of Porta Palazzo. More than 200 dealers pitch their stalls here; some even make the journey from France. Come early, around 8am, for the cream of the crop. The same streets host the Balôn flea market every Saturday - a less exalted but equally enjoyable version of the Gran Balôn. Via Borgo Dora also has a good scatter of permanent antique shops, most of them friendlier and more bargain-oriented than their often forbidding ring-the-doorbell cousins in the centro storico.

The best way to get around Turin

Driving in Turin is chaotic and parking in the city is to be avoided at all costs. It's quite acceptable to abandon your vehicle in the middle of certain streets or on the pavement. Much quicker and cheaper is to use the city's dense network of buses, trams and a funicular, run by Azienda Torinese Mobilita (ATM; 00 39 800 019 152; email: [email protected] ).

Tourist information for Turin

Visit www.turismotorino.org

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There's a whiff of Paris in Turin's elegant tree-lined boulevards and echoes of Vienna in its stately art-nouveau cafes, but make no mistake – this elegant, Alp-fringed city is utterly self-possessed. The industrious Torinese gave the world its first saleable hard chocolate and Italy's most iconic car, the Fiat.

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Best things to do, leave the planning to a local expert.

Experience the real Turin. Let a local expert handle the planning for you.

Attractions

Must-see attractions.

Museo Egizio

Opened in 1824 and housed in the austere Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze, this Turin institution houses the most important collection of Egyptian…

Castello di Rivoli

Some 21km west of Turin, the Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art is a giant of modern art in Piedmont. Its ambition and reach, not to mention…

Reggia di Venaria Reale

OK, it may not enjoy the weighty publicity of its French counterpart, but this is one of the largest royal residences in the world, rescued from ruin by a…

Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile

As the historic birthplace of one of the world's leading car manufacturers – the ‘T’ in Fiat stands for Torino – Turin is the obvious place for a car…

Palazzo Reale

Statues of the mythical twins Castor and Pollux guard the entrance to this eye-catching palace and, according to local hearsay, also watch over the…

Museo Casa Mollino

Architect-designer-artist Carlo Mollino is perhaps Turin's most intriguing son and a quintessentially 20th-century Torinese. The little-known Museo Casa…

Basilica di Superga

Vittorio Amedeo II's 1706 promise, to build a basilica to honour the Virgin Mary if Turin was saved from besieging French and Spanish armies, resulted in…

Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista

Turin's cathedral was built between 1491 and 1498 on the site of three 14th-century basilicas and, before that, a Roman theatre. Plain interior aside, as…

Top picks from our travel experts

The 13 best experiences in turin, italy.

Farmacia Del Cambio

Cambio Corner – home to one of Turin's best restaurants, not to mention bars – also has this 'informal' but glamorous all-day space, set within an old…

Guido Gobino

Guido Gobino's extreme attention to detail, flair and innovation have made him Turin's favourite modern chocolatier. Have a box of his tiny tile-like…

Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano

After extensive renovations, this significant museum reopened in 2011 to coincide with the centenary of the Risorgimento (reunification period). An…

Museo Nazionale del Cinema

Housed in the Mole Antonelliana, this enjoyable museum takes you on a fantastic tour through cinematic history. Memorabilia on display includes Marilyn…

Caffè degli Argenti

Sip cups of molten coffee in the glorious, gold-on-black Sala Cinese of the Venaria Reale palace. Also on order are top-quality panini, pastries and ice…

Museo Ettore Fico

This sleek, contemporary gallery joins Turin's already stellar collection of pivotal art foundations. Set in an old factory in a hipster, postindustrial…

Caffè Al Bicerin

Founded in 1763, with an exquisitely simple boiserie interior dating to the early 1800s, this one-room cafe takes its name from its signature drink, a…

Fondazione Sandretto re Rebaudengo

This classic white-cube contemporary gallery space was created with Italian super curator Francesco Bonami and runs a great exhibition program showcasing…

Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli

On the rooftop of the Lingotto building, 3km south of the centre, this intimate gallery houses the personal collection of late Fiat head Gianni Agnelli,…

Fondazione Merz

The Arte Povera powerhouse, Mario Merz, was born in Milan but spent most of his creative life in Turin. This foundation space, an evocative reworking of…

This sprawling flea market has brought street merchants to the north of Porta Palazzo since 1857. It's both fascinating and overwhelming, but can turn up…

Piazza Castello

Turin's central square is lined with museums, theatres and cafes. The city's Savoy heart, although laid out from the mid-1300s, was mostly constructed…

Mole Antonelliana

The symbol of Turin, this 167m tower with its distinctive aluminium spire appears on the Italian two-cent coin. It was originally intended as a synagogue…

Palazzo Madama

A part-medieval, part-baroque castle built in the 13th century on the site of the old Roman gate, this palazzo is named after Madama Reale Maria Cristina,…

Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea

GAM was one of Italy's first modern-art museums and has an astounding 45,000 works in its vaults dedicated to 19th- and 20th-century European artists,…

The best free things to do in Turin: stretch your euros even further with our top tips

Borgo Medievale

Perched over a scenic stretch of the Po River, the Borgo Medievale is a small recreated 15th-century village that was actually built for the 1884 Turin…

Eataly Torino Lingotto

The global Slow Food phenomenon began here in Lingotto. Set in a vast converted factory, the Eataly mothership houses a staggering array of sustainable…

Giardino Reale

These royal gardens, freely accessed via the Palazzo Reale, make a tranquil setting for a bit of down time in the city centre. Flower-lined pathways,…

Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio

A grand backdrop across the Po from Piazza Vittorio Veneto, this church was built in the style of a mini-Pantheon from 1818 to 1831 to commemorate the…

Caffè Torino

This chandelier-lit showpiece opened in 1903. A brass plaque of the city's emblem, a bull (Torino in Italian means 'little bull'), is embedded in the…

Turin's former Fiat factory, one of Italy's most praised examples of early-20th-century industrial architecture, is 5km south of the city centre. It was…

Porta Palazzo

Europe's largest food market has hundreds of stalls, including a large open-air market with a separate undercover local and organic produce area, and a…

Roman Amphitheatre

Razed to the ground by Napoleon's armies, little remains of this 1st-century amphitheatre, but it's still an atmospheric spot to stroll around.

Porta Palatina

The low-key and little-visited Porta Palatina is, in fact, one of the best preserved 1st-century BC Roman gateways in the world. Together with the remains…

Parco Valentino

Opened in 1856, this 550,000-sq-metre French-style park kisses the banks of the Po and is filled with joggers, promenaders and lovers night and day…

Chiesa di San Carlo Borromeo

One of the twin churches on Piazza San Carlo, this Baroque beauty was dedicated to San Carlo Borromeo by Carlo Emanuele I in 1619, although the facade…

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip.

Things to Know

How many days do I need? What should I book in advance? Where should I stay for the best nightlife? Everything you need to know before you go to Turin.

Best Neighborhoods

Here’s our guide to Turin’s top neighborhoods - and what each has to offer - so you can pick the perfect one for your next vacation.

Easily reachable by train, bus or e-bike, these top destinations make for delightful day trips from Turin.

Money and Costs

Elegant and sophisticated, Turin looks every inch the royal capital it once was, but you don’t have to spend a queen’s ransom to enjoy it.

Transportation

It may be the birthplace of Fiat, but in Turin it's best to leave the car in the garage and explore by foot or public transport.

Free Things to Do

Stretch your euros to the max with our guide to the best free things to do in beautiful Turin.

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36 Hours in Turin, Italy

By Seth Sherwood Updated Feb. 1, 2024

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With the Alps as a background, Turin, Italy’s fourth-largest city, is elegant, photogenic and rich with history. Grand squares and former royal palaces abound in this northern Italian crossroads, nicknamed Little Paris, which was briefly Italy’s first capital after the country’s unification in 1861. And despite housing one of Christianity’s most solemn relics — a shroud believed by some to be the burial cloth of Jesus — the city is awash in earthly pleasures. Both gianduja chocolate and vermouth were invented there, and can be sampled among the historic coffeehouses, chocolate shops and aperitivo bars that line the city’s arcaded shopping boulevards. And especially important in the winter, an ever-expanding buffet of galleries and museums — including one of the world’s largest collections of Egyptian antiquities , a museum of fake fruit and a new contemporary art hub on a rooftop racetrack — offer respite from the cold and food for the spirit.

Recommendations

• Gallerie d’Italia , a museum that opened in 2022 in a renovated Baroque palazzo, has a collection ranging from medieval panel paintings to contemporary video art.
• Magazzino 52 offers contemporary takes on Piedmontese cuisine — like a silky veal tartare — and a wine list featuring hundreds of bottles, along with by-the-glass options.
• Caffè Fiorio , a former haunt of Friedrich Nietzsche, serves excellent hot chocolate in plush rooms of chandeliers and gilded mirrors.
• La Pista 500 , an oval walkway that was once a rooftop test track for a Fiat factory, offers plants, art installations and Alpine vistas.
• Piazza San Giovanni , a public square, is adjacent to several historic sites, including Roman ruins, a royal collection of art at Galleria Sabauda and the cathedral housing the Shroud of Turin.
• Monte dei Cappuccini , a hill with a Baroque church on top, offers photo-perfect views of the cityscape and Alps.
• Scannabue serves classic Piedmontese comfort food, like tajarin, a local type of pasta, and wines in a homey, lively environment.
• Fondoo specializes in, yes, fondue (and raclette) in a Scandinavian-minimalist room.
• Pasticceria Ghigo dal 1870 , an old-fashioned pastry shop, pours thick hot chocolate to drink at the counter.
• Isola is a bar that displays shelves of vinyl albums and bottles of natural wines, all of which are for sale to enjoy on site or at home.
• La Cuite is a cozy bar in which to try regional wines next to a wood-burning fireplace.
• Nikkei , a bar half hidden at the back of Azotea restaurant, serves some of the city’s finest cocktails.
• Mercato di Porta Palazzo , an amalgam of markets in Piazza della Repubblica, is a lively, fun spot to pick up produce, inexpensive clothing, Italian delicacies, street food and more.
• Il Balon , near the Mercato di Porta Palazzo, is an outdoor market known for its vintage treasures, from military surplus to cinema seats.
• Danpol is a contemporary store with elegant, mostly Italian-made clothing.
• San Carlo dal 1973 seeks out edgy and avant-garde designers of women’s wear and accessories.
• Agora Boutique Stays , a newcomer from last year, offers nine stylish, individually designed apartments on the atrium-like ground floor of a 17th-century palazzo next to Piazza San Carlo. Apartments in February start at 185 euros, or about $200.
• Hotel Victoria , also in the center, has an old-world British feel — pale hues, floral-print fabrics, antique knickknacks — and offers two cozy winter amenities: a lobby fireplace and a spa with a sauna and a heated swimming pool. Rooms in February start at €161.
• Combo is a hostel in a former firehouse. The soaring industrial-chic lobby contains a coffee shop, a cocktail bar and a concert stage, while the mixed private and dorm-style rooms convey a minimalist Zen aesthetic. Private rooms in February start at around €53.
• For short-term rentals , the Centro, or city center, is your most practical base for historical sites, museums, cafes and shopping. Nearby, to the east, the classy Vanchiglia residential district runs alongside the Po River and offers refined dining and drinking options. Historically working-class San Salvario, south of the center and close to the main train station, is now filled with trattorias, wine bars, cocktail bars and coffee shops.
• The central neighborhoods, clustered together, are easily walkable. The southern districts like San Salvario and Lingotto are along the city’s lone metro line, which only skirts the periphery of the central historic and commercial areas, making it somewhat impractical. Buses and trams connect much of the city, while taxis can be hired at designated stands or via the app Freenow .

The Chocolate Lover’s Guide

Indulge for a moment or two by learning more about this most delectable treat..

You may have heard about chocolate’s potential health benefits. But is it really good for you ?

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Turin (Torino)

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Carlo DeSando

Wonderful Time in Italy We were covered from the moment we landed in Rome. The drivers were great, the connections were flawless, and it was well-planned a...

Turin’s renovated, gracious Baroque avenues and squares, opulent palaces and splendid collections of Egyptian antiquities and Northern European paintings, as well as spanking-new pedestrian-only areas, make it a pleasant surprise to those who might have been expecting satanic factories and little else. Ever since the major spruce-up for the 2006 Winter Olympics, Turin’s emphasis has been on promoting its historic urban charms, such as its genteel belle époque cafés and traditional chocolate treats – not to mention an array of walking tours that explore the city’s extraordinary, vivid heritage.

Turin brief history

Museo egizio, literary turin, turin’s chocolate, sacra di san michele, around turin, tailor-made travel itineraries for italy, created by local experts.

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Enchanting Italian Lakes

Experience the picturesque lakes of Northern Italy, including Lake Garda, Como, Lugano and Maggiore; explore the charming Borromean Islands – former favourites of Ernest Hemingway – and stroll the romantic streets of Verona and Milan. All of this, and much more, with this self-drive trip!

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From Venice to Florence: A Grand Tour of Northern Italy

From the atmospheric canals of Venice and the picturesque coastline of Cinque Terre, to the trendy designer boutiques of Milan and the Renaissance-infused streets of Florence, Northern Italy has plenty to offer. Experience it all with this comprehensive trip.

Although originally a Roman settlement, it was the Savoy dynasty that left the largest impression on Turin: from 1563 the city was the seat of the Savoy dukes, who persecuted Piemonte’s Protestants and Jews, censored the press and placed education of the nobles in the fanatical hands of the Jesuits. The Savoys gained a royal title in 1713. After more than a century of military and diplomatic wrangling with foreign powers, Duke Carlo Alberto di Savoia teamed up with the liberal politician of the Risorgimento, Cavour, who used the royal family to lend credibility to the Italian Unification movement. In 1860, Sicily and southern Italy were handed over to Vittorio Emanuele, successor to Carlo Alberto, thereby elevating him to sovereign of all Italy. Turin became the new country’s capital, but only two years later, political turmoil moved the court to Florence, and then finally in 1870, to Rome. Turin fell into the hands of the petty Piemontese nobility and quickly became a provincial backwater. Nevertheless, it retained its regal centre: its cafés lavishly encumbered with chandeliers, carved wood, frescoes and gilt – only slightly less ostentatious than the rooms of the Savoy palaces, fourteen in all, and now all listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

World War I brought plenty of work to the city, but also food shortages, and, in 1917, street riots erupted, establishing Turin as a focus of labour activism. Gramsci led occupations of the Fiat factory, going on to found the Communist Party. By the 1950s, Turin’s population had soared to 700,000, mainly migrant workers from the poor south housed in shanty towns and shunned by the Torinesi. By the 1960s Fiat’s workforce had grown to 130,000, with a further half million dependent on the company. Today there are fewer people involved in the industry, and Fiat’s famous Lingotto factory is now a shopping centre and conference space; the gap left behind has been filled by some of the biggest names from other industries – Pininfarina, Einaudi, Ferrero, Martini & Rossi, Lavazza and many others – ensuring a continuation of Turin’s economic prosperity.

Around the corner from Piazza San Carlo, the superb Museo Egizio holds the world's second largest collection of Egyptian antiquities (after the Egyptian Museum in Cario), begun under Carlo Emanuele III in the mid-eighteenth century and added to over the ensuing centuries. A large space on the ground floor, designed by Oscar-winning set designer Dante Ferretti, evokes a vast temple with massive granite sphinxes, gods and pharaohs looming out of the subdued lighting. Upstairs, you’ll find decorated mummy cases and an intriguing assortment of everyday objects and even food – eggs, pomegranates and grain, recognizable despite their shrivelled, darkened state. The collection’s highlights are a statue of Ramses II and the Tomb of Kha and Mirit. The tomb, discovered in 1906 at Deir-el-Medina, is that of a 1400 BC architect, Kha, and his wife Mirit. Kha’s burial chamber contains after-life supplies, including a board game to while away the posthumous hours, as well as his own personal illustrated copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. And to ensure that Mirit kept up appearances, she was provided with a cosmetic case, wig, comb and tweezers.

Turin has been home to many major literary figures. Rousseau and Ruskin, Nietzsche, Flaubert and Twain all enjoyed sojourns here. Casanova wrote: “In Turin, the fair sex is most delightful, but the police regulations are troublesome to a degree.” Melville wondered at the architecture, commenting that even the poor breakfasted in elegant coffee shops. But perhaps Turin’s most famous literary resident is Primo Levi. Born at 75 Corso Re Umberto in 1919, Levi graduated in Chemistry from Turin University in 1941 before joining the partisans. Captured by the Nazis in 1944, he spent the rest of the war In Auschwitz. Returning to Turin, he wrote his two masterpieces, If This Is a Man and The Truce. You can visit the Centro Internazionale di Studi Primo Levi at Via del Carmine 13.

Make sure you leave some room to sample one of Turin’s signature products – chocolate, brought to the city by the Savoy family in 1559. Best known is the hazelnut milk chocolate Gianduiotto, which dates back to the nineteenth century. Some even claim that it was the Torinesi who introduced chocolate to France when chocolate making for export began in 1678.

You can sample the finest chocolate products in all Turin’s historic establishments, confectionery shops and chocolate factories: Gianduiotti, pralines, various cakes, hot chocolate, and the distinctive bicerin, which is a bit like a cappuccino but fortified with brandy, cream and chocolate. The supreme Torinese spot to buy chocolate is Gobino .

A forbidding fortified abbey anchored atop a rocky hill, the Sacra di San Michele is best approached via the small town of Sant'Ambrogio. From here, the steep ninety-minute hike is well worth the effort, both for the views and for the opportunity to soak up the eerie atmosphere. Climbing up to the abbey and hewn into the rock, a long flight of stairs – the Scalone dei Morti (Stairs of the Dead) – sets a morbid tone, for it was here that the skeletons of the monks used to be laid out for local peasants to come and pay their respects and to remind them of human frailty. The Romanesque entrance arch to the Gothic-Romanesque abbey church is carved with signs of the zodiac. If you don't fancy the climb, and have your own car, you can drive up to the abbey from the nearby town of Avigliana.

The grid street plan of Turin’s Baroque centre makes it easy to find your way around. Via Roma is the central spine of the city, lined with designer shops and ritzy cafés. It’s punctuated by the city’s most elegant piazzas: at one end Piazza Carlo Felice, boasting a small park; in the middle Piazza San Carlo, close to which are some of the more prestigious museums; and at the other end Piazza del Castello, with its royal palaces. On either side are pedestrianized shopping streets, more relaxed than Via Roma. North is Piazza della Repubblica, a huge square with the largest open-air market in Europe. To the east the porticoes of Via Po lead to Piazza Vittorio Veneto, slanting down to the River Po, from where it's a short walk to the Monte dei Cappuccini, with its stunning views of the city and the Alps. A stroll southward from Piazza Vittorio brings you to the extensive Parco del Valentino. Beyond here is the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile and the Lingotto Centre, home to the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli , displaying the Fiat magnates’ superb private art collection, while the hills across the river are crowned by the Basilica di Superga. Further south, beyond the city limits, lies the royal Stupinigi Hunting Lodge. Outside the city limits to the northwest stands the jewel in Turin’s crown: the magnificent Venaria Reale palace and gardens. A couple of notable sights in the area around Turin can easily be visited on a day-trip, including the Sacra di San Michele and the imposing Forte di Finestrelle , in the bucolic Chisone Valley.

Top image: The city center of Turin with Mole Antonelliana tower and Alps mountains panorama, Turin, Italy © Boris Stroujko/Shutterstock

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Discover italy.

Aosta Valley

The Aosta Valley is a paradise for visitors seeking outdoor experiences in nature while exploring history and traditions The smallest region in Italy, dotted with the highest peaks in the Alps, it is the ideal destination for anyone who enjoys winter sports and high-altitude walks. Its green valleys and fairy-tale castles make the Aosta Valley an enchanting place to experience all year round.

Piedmont is sure to enchant you with its mountains, hills, typical flavours and uniquely elegant cities An extraordinary heritage of art and history, culture and nature, characterises Piedmont, a region with a thousand faces, one more interesting than the other: cities of rare elegance, mountains that lend themselves to splendid skiing or walking, fascinating villages, hills that are among the best known in the world for their extraordinary wine production.

Lombardy: a dynamic land immersed in the present and reaching toward the future, but with an extraordinary heritage of art and nature Lombardy is a region in the north of Italy known for its industry and finance, of course, but also for its art and extraordinary landscapes, starting with the picturesque lakes and its mountains, Valcamonica and Valtellina in primis. Capital and symbolic city, Milan represents the industrious heart that goes hand in hand with other cities with a vibrant spirit.

Trentino is sure to amaze you with its immense natural heritage, the spectacular splendour of the Dolomites and fascinating sites steeped in history Discover Trentino’s culture of slow travel, taking the time to savour every corner among nature and cultural trails and educational farms. You will find hundreds of hotels offering wellness centres for truly relaxing holidays for the whole family in some of Italy's most beautiful villages, set in unique landscapes.

South Tyrol

Alto Adige is a dream place to discover all year round amidst green valleys and snow-capped peaks Combine the relaxation of spa treatments with the pleasure of fun in the snow for a real wellness boost amidst Alpine lakes, beautiful villages and state-of-the-art ski facilities suitable for all ages. All this and more in the majestic scenery of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Alto Adige.

Veneto, a region of wonder, with cities of art of undisputed beauty, as well as the most pristine nature The beauty of Lake Garda, the charm of the Dolomites, the sea of Jesolo, the hills covered with vineyards and the relaxing thermal baths, on top of an immense artistic and historical heritage, elegant cities such as Venice and Verona, quaint villages and breathtaking landscapes. Veneto is all this and much more.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli Venezia Giulia: a treasure chest nestled between sea and mountains A border region sandwiched between the Friulian Dolomites and the Upper Adriatic, blessed with an immense cultural heritage resulting from the influence of different cultures and peoples, cosmopolitan and modern, Friuli Venezia Giulia will also seduce you with its temptations of relaxation, sport and fun.

Tucked-away villages, secret little beaches and superb nature: how enchanting Liguria is! Liguria is a wonderful strip of land enclosed between the sea and the mountains, with pastel-coloured houses and breathtaking views. With lush unspoilt nature, many small towns to discover and an incomparable culinary tradition, it enraptures the eye and the heart.

Emilia Romagna, a region of unrivalled charm, with immense artistic beauty and unparalleled hospitality Emilia Romagna with its Riviera Romagnola offers beach tourism that attracts families and young people to its shores every summer. Rich in sites of historical and cultural interest, this region boasts a world-renowned wine and food tradition. Skilful hospitality does the rest, making Emilia Romagna an ideal holiday destination in every season. Video credits: Oliver Astrologo

Tuscany will win you over with its unique landscapes, cities of art, thousand-year-old history and fantastic food Tuscany’s magical atmosphere evolves day by day as you stroll around the cities of art, cycle in the parks, enjoy the sea or savour its typical products, in a region with a one-of-a-kind natural, cultural and historical heritage that has fascinated visitors for centuries.

From Assisi to Perugia, via Gubbio, Lake Trasimeno and Marmore Falls: Umbria is a truly enchanting tourist destination Peaks covered in lush forests and large valleys outlined by rivers, lakes and waterfalls; sorrounded by villages and castles, crossed by paths steeped in history, art and culture, in a natural environment that helps to restore the body and soul: Umbria, the Green Heart of Italy, is all this and much more.

Le Marche, a plunge into the history, art and architecture of a region with the scent of the sea and redolent of traditions and hospitality A great variety of landscapes and an infinite range of colours that make the area's natural beauty incomparable, plus an artistic heritage that fears no comparison: this is how the Marches, with an area of no more than 10,000 square kilometres, will captivate you forever.

Sardinia: a journey to the island of the emerald sea, nuraghi, unspoilt nature and millenary traditions Crystal-clear waters, beaches of soft, white sand, granite rocks framed by wild, fragrant Mediterranean scrub: welcome to Sardinia, an island of a thousand contrasts that will also seduce you with its unique archaeological heritage and its people's innate sense of hospitality.

Lazio is not only Rome: landscapes and monuments of Lazio Rome, the capital of Italy and a unique open-air museum in the world, is enough to make Lazio one of the most beautiful and interesting regions. Even in terms of landscape, it boasts an area of great impact and remarkable variety, with its long coastline, beautiful hills and Apennine mountains. A destination to fall in love with.

Abruzzo, a journey through history between sea, mountains, flavours and unspoilt nature in parks and protected areas A region in central Italy, Abruzzo has two souls and one heart. Predominantly mountainous and hilly, it overlooks a beautiful stretch of the Adriatic Sea. Here, you will find the highest peaks of the Apennines, such as the Gran Sasso and the Majella massif, as well as the only Apennine glacier, but also some of the most popular beaches.

Campania offers landscapes, history, culture and a gastronomic tradition that the whole world envies A consistently mild climate, lush nature framing breathtaking landscapes, unspoilt villages and fairy-tale coastlines: this is Campania, a region that sums up centuries of cultures, between West and East, in a single Mediterranean jewel known for its unparalleled hospitality. A destination for the soul, the eyes and the palate.

Molise, a tiny region with grandiose landscapes: come and discover its history and culinary tradition Molise is a region steeped in history, characterised by numerous tasty food and wine delicacies, but also by rich nature reserves and villages that seem crystallised in history. A destination yet to be discovered, amid marvellous seashores and breathtaking high cliffs

Apulia: the sunny region between two seas and warm hospitality in places rich in history Located in the heart of the Mediterranean, it is a magical combination of artefacts, history, art and unspoilt nature, amidst beautiful coastlines and picture-postcard landscapes. This is Puglia, a region of golden beaches and crystal-clear waters, intense flavours and fascinating destinations: Castel del Monte, the trulli, the islands passing through towns kissed by a unique and unforgettable light.

Basilicata, a region of ancient origins, suspended between two seas and with mountains of great beauty Basilicata is a region where the passage of man has left its mark since prehistoric times. With the ancient name of “Lucania”, it is enriched by an incredible artistic heritage. Not to mention its never-boring panorama, which ranges from the Lucanian Dolomites to the Pollino Park, passing through two seas.

Calabria is the region of crystal-clear sea, the Riace Bronzes, Reggio Calabria and Capo Vaticano, a captivating mix of history and beauty Calabria, also known as the tip of the Italian boot, is a region in Southern Italy characterised by the incredible diversity of its landscapes, with the proximity of mountains to a splendid sea that attracts tourists from all over the world.

A dive into Sicily, where a sea of art, culture and nature will seduce you and become eternal love A predominantly hilly and mountainous area, but one that wins the hearts of tourists from all over the world with its wonderful sea and rich cities with a charm all their own. Sicily is a picture-postcard island characterised by the indelible marks of the people who have lived there and made it unique, amidst artistic and cultural testimonies of enormous value.

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16 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Turin

Written by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers Updated Dec 22, 2023 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

Despite its 20th-century history as Italy's industrial center, Turin (Torino) is an elegant and gracious city of wide avenues and squares lined by beautiful arcaded buildings. Long before it was the home of Fiat and Lancia, Turin was the seat of the powerful Savoy dynasty, and they were determined to make their capital city the rival of Paris and Vienna. Their palaces are its centerpiece, and the streetscape is the legacy of 17th-century Baroque architects Guarino Guarini and Filippo Juvarra.

Capital of the north Italian region of Piedmont, Turin traces its geometrical layout to its foundation as a Roman city, and an impressive gate from the time of Emperor Augustus is among its tourist attractions today.

After the French occupation under Napoleon, from 1798 to 1814, Turin became the center of the movement to unify Italy, a period known as the Risorgimento, when its glittering cafés rang with the discussions and plans of these activists.

The city seems to revolve around the broad Piazza Castello, bordered on one side by the Palazzo Reale and with the Palazzo Madama at its center. From here, the broad arcaded Via Po leads to Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the Po River. Find the best places to visit with our list of the top attractions and things to do in Turin.

See also: Where to Stay in Turin

1. Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum)

2. mole antonelliana (museo nazionale del cinema), 3. juventus stadium, 4. museo nazionale dell'automobile, 5. palazzo reale and armeria reale (royal armory), 6. piazza san carlo, 7. borgo medioevale and parco del valentino, 8. the cathedral and the holy shroud, 9. palazzo madama and museo civico d'arte antica, 10. san lorenzo, 11. santuario di santa maria consolatrice (la consolata), 12. day trip to reggia di venaria reale, 13. museo nazionale del risorgimento italiano (risorgimento museum), 14. galleria sabauda, 15. galleria d'arte moderna, 16. porta palatina, where to stay in turin for sightseeing, map of tourist attractions and things to do in turin.

Looking at Egyptian mummies and art may seem like one of the more unusual things to do in Turin, Italy, but, you won't find a better collection anywhere outside of Cairo, and it is Turin's most visited attraction. The Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze houses the Egyptian Museum, whose collections began in 1824 when King Carlo Felice acquired 5,268 artifacts excavated in Egypt.

These were supplemented by later expeditions, and today, the collections contain statues of various gods and of pharaohs of the New Kingdom, including Rameses II and King Thutmose III, along with papyruses, painted linens, a group of Shawabti figures and a Shawabti box, canopic vessels, mummies and sarcophagi, and two tomb chambers from Thebes.

Address: Via Accademia delle Scienze 6, Turin

Official site: www.museoegizio.org

From Piazza Castello , the arcaded Via Po runs to the Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the Po River. Just north of Via Po rises the huge Mole Antonelliana, begun by Alessandro Antonelli in 1863 as a synagogue, with a 168-meter-tall spire added in 1878 to 1880. Not only is this the most recognizable landmark on Turin's skyline, but the tower offers spectacular 360-degree views across the city to the surrounding hills and the Savoy Alps.

The ride to the top in the glass elevator is an experience you won't forget, as it provides a dizzying and dramatic look at the National Museum of Cinema , which occupies the interior of the building. The museum is perhaps best described by its designer, François Confino: "A full-immersion plunge into the world of images in motion and fiction." Even those with little interest in motion pictures will enjoy this museum, but you can also ride the lift to the top for a separate fee from the museum admission.

Address: Via Montebello 20, Turin

Strictly for football (soccer) fans and a must-see for followers of Turin's Juventus, the stadium is officially called the Allianz Stadium, but in Turin it's simply known as The Stadium. You can visit to see the museum and take a guided tour through the facilities, visiting the locker rooms, press box, and the pitch itself (but not a chance to sit in the stands).

Tours are offered in English, and exhibits in the museum are labeled in English, as well. In it you can see the trophy room, uniforms, memorabilia, and a film about the team and its fans. The shop is filled with Juv souvenirs. Note that the museum and stadium tour require separate tickets; one does not include the other.

Address: Corso Gaetano Scirea 50, Turin

The National Automobile Museum provides a comprehensive survey of the development of the motor car, with special attention to the Turin auto manufacturers, but by no means limited to them. The collection of antique and classic cars is outstanding, and multimedia exhibits tell their stories and put automobiles in a social and cultural context as well.

Among the cars you'll see here are multiple models of FIAT and Alfa Romeo, plus Italian makers Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati, Auto Bianchi, and Bugati. But you'll also find examples of Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz, even a Packard Super 8 and a BMW Isetta.

Address: Corso Unità d'Italia 40, Turin

Filling an entire side of the large Piazza Castello in the center of Turin, the former Royal Palace is a relatively plain 17th-century building, at least on the outside. But step inside to be dazzled by the Appartamento di Madama Felicità and 26 sumptuously decorated state apartments ( Reali Appartamenti ).

In the right wing, the former Royal Armory (Armeria Reale) contains one of the largest collections of arms and armor in Europe, with complete suits of armor and other items dating from the 15th to 19th centuries. The library, which has a separate entrance to the far left, is one of Italy's most impressive.

Beyond the Palazzo Reale are the beautiful Royal Gardens (Giardini Reali) at the corner of which (the entrance is on Corso Regina Margherita) is the Museo d'Antichità, filled with archaeological finds dating from prehistoric times through the late Roman era.

Address: Piazzetta Reale, Turin

Turin is a city of beautiful squares and avenues, but no place is lovelier than the arcaded Piazza San Carlo, surrounded by arcaded buildings and punctuated at one end by the matching facades of the churches of Santa Cristina and San Carlo . Beneath the arcades are some of Turin's most stylish shops and the historic cafés where Italy's Risorgimento was plotted in the mid-1800s.

In the center of the square stands an imposing equestrian statue of Duke Emmanuel Philibert (1838), who seems to be choreographing the activity below. Look on the pavement under the arcades for the works - often in progress - of Turin's talented chalk artists. Also under the piazza's arcades (as well as those along nearby Via Po) are some of the favorite places for shopping in Turin.

When you need a break from sumptuous palaces and grand architecture or are looking for free things to do in Turin, stroll toward the river and into the long green Parco Valentino. Here, you'll find Turin's own "folly" - a complete "medieval" village, an imaginative view of what one might have looked like, complete with its own castle, artisans' studios, and shops. Built for an exhibition in 1884, the borgo became such a local favorite that it has been maintained as part of the park.

Craftspeople sell and demonstrate period skills (if your suit of armor needs repairs, this is the place), and on weekends there are often hands-on activities, making this one of the city's favorite places to visit for families.

The park's lovely riverside setting so close to the historic and business center and its other attractions - the 1729 Botanic Gardens and the Savoys' fine Renaissance Castello del Valentino (1630-60) - make the park popular with locals and tourists. It's also a good place if you're looking for active things to do; the vehicle-free Viale Virgilio runs the entire length of the park, past restaurants overlooking the river. There's a boat landing where you can board the glass-enclosed boats for a river cruise.

Address: Corso Massimo d'Azeglio, Turin

Adjoining the Palazzo Reale, the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista was Turin's first example of Renaissance architecture, built between 1492 and 1498. The cathedral's main attraction to tourists is the Santa Sindone, Holy Shroud, which although only rarely on view is kept in a bulletproof, fireproof, and climate controlled vault behind the altar in the left transept.

A full-size replica hangs in the north aisle of the cathedral. The Holy Shroud is quite possibly the world's most studied and controversial artifact, but despite the studies and the research, it has never been proven or disproven to be the shroud of the crucified Christ.

Address: Piazza San Giovanni, Turin

The large Palazzo Madama is the centerpiece of Piazza Castello , standing alone in its center. At its core is a 13th-century castle built on the remains of the Roman east gate. The castle was enlarged in the 15th century and embellished by Filippo Juvarra in 1718 with the handsome west front - a fine example of Piedmontese Baroque architecture - and the magnificent double staircase.

Inside is the Museo Civico d'Arte Antica (Civic Museum of Ancient Art) , where you can discover Turin's history and artistic legacy from the ground up - literally. Begin in the Roman foundations with the collection of medieval stone work, sculptures, and jewelry; on the ground floor discover the 15th-century castle and art of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, along with the grand staircase and medieval courtyard.

On the first floor, the richly appointed 17th- and 18th-century state apartments hold collections of paintings and period furniture, and on the top floor are decorative arts, including ceramics, ivories, jewelry, fabrics, and glasswork from various eras.

Address: Piazza Castello, Turin

Don't judge the church of San Lorenzo, next to the Palazzo Reale, from the outside - step inside this Baroque (1668-80) masterpiece by Guarini and look upward for a surprise. Architecturally, San Lorenzo is considered one of the world's great churches for its unusual and boldly designed dome and lantern.

The round domed center is surrounded by eight curved bays and supported by intersecting ribs that support the lantern. Standing directly under its center, the symmetry and pattern of light from the windows makes it appear almost as a kaleidoscope. Notice the exuberant Baroque altar, too.

The Madonna was honored on this site as early as the fourth century, but the oldest part remaining is the Romanesque campanile, which was built sometime around AD 1000. When Guarini rebuilt the church in 1678 as a sanctuary dedicated to Mary, he retained the early tower.

His Baroque pilgrimage church is a feast for the eyes inside, lavishly decorated in colored marble inlay; pilgrims have added ex votos ever since its completion. In 1729, Filippo Juvarra added the oval chapel.

Address: Piazza della Consolata, Turin

Although it's only about 14 kilometers from central Turin, you'll need a day to see one of the world's largest royal residences. Designed as a hunting lodge for the Duke of Savoy, Carlo Emanuele II, in 1675, its Baroque grandeur and ostentation fit in with the Savoy's determination to make Turin "The Paris South of the Alps."

Although listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the palace is not well known. Combined with its size, this means that it is rarely crowded, and you can explore its grand galleries, residential apartments, and extensive formal gardens at leisure.

Highlights are the impressive Grand Gallery, the elegant Hall of Diana, and the Capella di Sant'Uberto and soaring Royal Stables, the latter two designed by Filippo Juvarra in the early 1700s. At the choreographed fountain shows in the Water Theater, 100 jets send water as high as 12 meters, while colored lights play through them.

Buses run regularly to the palace from Piazza Castello and Piazza Vittorio Veneto.

Address: Viale Carlo Emanuele II, Turin

Official site: https://www.lavenaria.it/en/visit

Near Piazza Castello, Palazzo Carignano (by Guarini, 1679-85) was the meeting place of the Italian parliament from 1861 to 1864, and it was here that the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed on March 14th, 1861. It's appropriate that this should now be the home of the Museum of the Risorgimento, which commemorates the movement that made unification possible and in which Turin played such an important role.

This is the largest museum of its kind, with mementos and relics of the campaign for Italian unity and of the two world wars displayed in 30 rooms. While this might sound overwhelming, the museum is so well organized and its displays so well presented with interactive exhibits, films, and audio tours that it creates a fascinating story even for those not well versed in Italian history.

Conveniently, you can choose an audio tour route based on your level of interest and time available, from 45 minutes to two hours.

Address: Via Accademia delle Scienze 5, I-10100, Turin

Inside the Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze is the Galleria Sabauda, an art museum containing some of Turin's greatest treasures. The collection includes pictures by the Piedmontese artists and by the Venetians Mantegna ( Madonna with Saints ), Paolo Veronese, Tintoretto, Tiepolo, and Canaletto, as well as notable works of Tuscan artists including Beato Angelico's Angels in Adoration .

The extensive collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings includes works by Jan van Eyck; Rogier van der Weyden; Hans Memling; Van Dyck; and Rembrandt, who is represented by an early painting, Old Man Asleep . One room is devoted to the Gualino Collection, with pictures by Botticelli and Veronese.

Address: Via Accademia delle Scienze 6 (enter from Via XX Settembre 86), Turin

The Galleria d'Arte Moderna contains one of the finest collections of modern art in Italy, with about 45,000 works in its collections. The concentration is on Italian artists such as Modigliani, De Chirico, Carrà, De Pisis, and Guttuso, but the collections have a number of works by Renoir, Utrillo, Paul Klee, Max Ernst, Chagall, and others.

The museum's slogan "All Art Has Been Contemporary" reminds viewers that works considered unconventional in their day (or brushed aside as inconsequential) are now staples of fine arts sought by the world's leading museums.

Address: Via Magenta 31, Turin

Official site: www.gamtorino.it/en/

Via Garibaldi was the Decimus Maximus, the main street of the Roman city of Augusta Taurinorum. Near the cathedral, you'll see the imposing first-century gate, Porta Palatina, the only remaining of the four entrances to the Roman city. One of the best-preserved Roman gates in the world, Porta Palatina's three-story wall is constructed of brick and connects a pair of polygonal brick towers.

According to legend, Charlemagne camped below the gate in 773. Beside the cathedral are the remains of a Roman theater, also from the first century AD. Only part of it is visible, the rest of it having been covered over by the royal palace buildings.

Address: Via Aosta, Turin

We recommend these hotels in Turin, all with easy access to the city's top tourist attractions:

• The location of the luxury NH Collection Torino Piazza Carlina is convenient for sightseeing, a short walk away from Piazza Castello and Piazza San Carlo. The restored old building has a lovely courtyard and a rooftop terrace; rooms offer minimalistic charm.
• Turin Palace Hotel also has a rooftop terrace with city views, as well as a spa with a Turkish bath and sauna. The mid-range rates include a breakfast buffet.
• Residence Sacchi offers modern apartments with kitchenettes at budget-friendly rates. It is close to the train station.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

Where to Go from Turin : Several appealing cities are nearby, some close enough for a day trip from Turin. If a look at Turin's palaces whets your appetite for more, you'll find a number of them in Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Genoa & Easy Day Trips . Or you can visit Milan with the help of our article on the Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Milan .

Finding the Best Alpine Skiing : Turin, which was the venue for the 2006 Winter Olympics, is a good base for skiers and winter sports enthusiasts. Several of Italy's best-known ski mountains are close to the city. Two of these, Courmayeur and Breuil-Cervinia, both north of Turin in the Val d'Aosta, are among the top ski resorts in Europe .

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Things to do and see in wonderful Turin, Italy

A full city guide to Turin (Torino) in Italy – Points of interest, things to do and see, museums, palaces, guided tours, plus info on hotels and transport.

• Post date November 26, 2018
• Post categories In Cultural Travel , Italy , Turin

Turin is a gem of a city that you shouldn’t miss when you visit Italy. 

With gorgeous palaces, wonderful museums, impressive architecture and beautiful urban nature, Turin is a perfect place for a city break or a relaxing holiday.

Turin (in Italian: Torino) is in the north west of Italy, close to the Alps, and you can use it as a great base for trips around the region of Piedmont.

Other cities in Italy, including Milan, Verona and Genoa, are not too far and you can easily include all of them alongside Turin when you plan your route around the north of Italy.

This guide includes some useful information on how to get to Turin, how to get around the city and where to stay. The rest of the guide includes the best highlights and points of interest in Turin.

How to get to turin – by plane, train or bus

Flying to turin.

You can reach Turin by plane with Lufthansa, Air France, Turkish Airlines and Alitalia. Search SkyScanner   or Google Flights to find the cheapest flights.

Caselle Airport is connected to Turin by bus and train. It takes between 45 minutes to an hour to reach the centre on the SADEM bus from the airport.

Trains to turin

The city’s main train stations are Porta Susa or Porta Nuova. It has two other stations that are a bit farther from the city centre – Lingotto FS and Porta Dora.

You can reach Turin by train from Italy’s major cities like Milan, Venice, Bologna, Rome and Florence. You can also take a train from Paris directly to Turin.

Use  Omio to find the best prices. It’s a European search engine for trains and other modes of transport that makes your search fast and easy and has an English language interface.

Getting to turin by bus

You can travel to Turin by bus from other cities in Italy and France.

Again,  Omio makes it simple to search for bus tickets across Europe.

How to get around turin – public transport in turin

It’s easy to get around on foot in Turin.  The city is perfectly walkable , and the grid design of the streets makes it very easy to navigate.

Public transport in Turin includes  buses, trams and metro.

There are ticket machines at metro stations, and you can also buy them from newsagents, tobacconists, and bars around the city. You cannot, however, buy tickets on the bus or tram, so  remember to get them in advance .

You can buy a ticket for 100 minutes, a daily ticket, or 48 / 72 hour passes.

Validate your ticket when you get on the bus or tram before the first stop by placing it on the yellow machine. On the metro, scan the ticket to open the barrier.

You can use Google Maps for transit directions in Turin. The schedules may not always be up to date, but the directions are correct.

An extra tip: Bus and tram stops have numbers on them.  Those numbers will appear in your Google Maps directions. Use them to know if you’re in the right place.

Where to stay in turin

When you visit Turin, plan to stay in the city centre.

This way, the vast majority of the attractions, as well as the train station, will be within walking distance.

Turin has a good selection of hotels, vacation rentals and B&Bs to choose from. Here are some of the best ones:

B&B Via Stampatori  is at a perfect central location, housed in a beautiful historical building and offers good value for money.

Torino 1854 Affittacamere  is a centrally located modern guest house, close to Porta Nuova train station.

Hotel Victoria   is a stylish hotel close to some of Turin’s main attractions – The Egyptian Museum and the Mole Antonelliana (Cinema Museum).

NH Collection Torino Piazza Carlina  is a hotel in the city centre, with en suite rooms, inside an elegant historic building.

Tours in Turin

Turin guided walking tours.

You can take a free walking tour in Turin that will give you a great introduction to the city.

I joined an introductory tour a few days after arriving in the city and it gave me a very good and much-needed overview of the history, the main points of interest and the most important buildings in Turin.

This is very different from the City Sightseeing bus tour because buses cannot enter all the small, cobbled streets.

The guide took us through beautiful medieval streets and showed us the main squares, palaces, churches and historical cafes in the city.

Turin has so much to offer to tourists that it might be a bit overwhelming at first. This tour is invaluable if you want to get to know the city within a couple of hours.

Take a bike tour of Turin

Go sightseeing on an electric bike! The Turin E-bike Tour  will take you to the city’s landmarks in a small group with a local guide.

This is a time-effective way to see several different parts of the city in one tour.

You ride the e-bike through the historical centre, but also reach Valentino Park which is a bit farther away, and cross the river to end the tour with a beautiful panoramic view of the city.

Turin self-guided tour

You can take walking tours in Turin by yourself with an audio guide. 

Self-guided audio tours are a budget-friendly option for exploring the city and covering all the highlights on a flexible schedule.

City sightseeing hop on hop off bus

Turin’s City Sightseeing bus  takes you around the city to see some of its points of interest, departing from a very central spot at Piazza Castello.

This is very different from a guided walking tour – the bus can take you across the river and can travel long distances.

It’s a hop on off bus, meaning you can get off at any stop that interests you and explore the area, and then hop on the next bus (Line A comes round once an hour and line B every 90 minutes). You can get a 24 or 48 hour ticket.

Turin’s beautiful architecture and views are best seen from the upper deck. I suggest you sit on the top deck on the right –  it’s the best position in order to take photos along the way.

You’ll get a map showing all the points of interest and earphones to plug into the panel next to your seat.

The commentary is available in 8 languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. There’s also commentary for kids in English and Italian on Line A.

Line A is one of three different lines to choose from – A, B and C. I recommend you start with Line A, which will take you to some of the highlights.

You’ll pass through Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Villa della Regina, Monte dei Cappuccini, Parco del Valentino, Piazza Carlo Felice and some more sites. It will give you a great introduction to Turin.

You can combine it with Line B, which will take you outside the city centre to more remote points of interest.

I travelled on both lines A and B on the same day. It’s doable unless you want to get off at each and every stop, in which case you may want to buy a 48 hour ticket.

Line C will take you even further away, all the way to Venaria Palace.

On the map you get, have a look at the discounts to other attractions in the city that you can get with the bus ticket.

Prices vary according to the lines you choose, the time of year and other factors.

Top things to do in Turin

Piazza castello.

The main square in Turin is Piazza Castello (Castle Square).

There is a tourist information office in the square, which I suggest you visit when you arrive to find out what’s going on in the city.

There’s another tourist information office right across the street from Porta Nuova train station,

The square has two of the main sightseeing points of interest in Turin: The Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale) and Palazzo Madama – two palaces now used as magnificent museums.

You will find out a lot more about the square when you take a guided walking tour.

The Mole Antonelliana

The Mole Antonelliana is Turin’s iconic symbol, an interesting building with a dome that dominate Turin’s skyline.

Originally built as a synagogue back in 1848, the building now houses Turin’s  National Cinema Museum .

There’s a panoramic lift you can take to go up the Mole and see the city from above at the viewing platform.

Piazza San Carlo

You will definitely pass through this square while walking around in Turin. It’s less than 10 minutes away from the other main square, Piazza Castello.

Nicknamed the “living room of Turin”, Piazza San Carlo is a large square, impressive in its beauty.

Some of Turin’s famous historical cafes are in the arcades on either side of the square..

At one end of the square are two Baroque churches, Chiesa di San Carlo and Santa Christina, that are almost identical but not quite.

Turin’s historical coffee shops

Turin is famous for its coffee and for its old, historical cafes. These are absolutely charming coffee shops with amazing decor!

At the tourist information centre in Piazza Castello, I found a the “Torino Coffee Card”, offering five cups of coffee for €4.50 at five of Turin’s historical cafes: Caffe del Bicerin, Caffe San Carlo, Caffe Elena, The Tea – Torrefazione Moderna and Gelateria Pepino.

I especially liked Caffe San Carlo, it’s gorgeous and you’ll notice quite a few people coming in to take photos. You can even pick up a leaflet while you’re there that will tel you about the history of the cafe.

Turin’s excellent museums

There are many museums to visit in Turin.

I visited Turin’s museums with the Torino+Piemonte 3-Day City Card :

Here are some of the top museums to visit in Turin:

The national cinema museum

One of Turin’s most famous museums, dedicated to the history of cinema and cinema today, with a very impressive exhibition.

The egyptian museum

Turin is well known for this museum, that hosts a huge collection of items related to the art and culture of ancient Egypt.

Museum of the risorgimento

A place to learn about an important part of Italy’s history through a huge array of pictures, documents and other items.

More about museums in Turin

The beautiful palaces of turin

Turin has a lot of palaces to explore, many of them turned into museums and are open to the public.

Just like with museums in Turin, you can get a discount on admission to Turin’s palaces (and many other tourist attractions) with the  Torino + Piedmonte Card .

Here are some of the most famous palaces in Turin:

the royal palace of turin

The most famous palace in the city, this is in fact a complex of several exhibition spaces, including the Royal rooms, which are stunning. A must when you visit Turin.

palazzo madama

This palace is right at the city centre in Piazza Castello next to the royal Palace. It hosts the Museum of Ancient Art with works from different periods: Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art.

palazzo carignano

Inside this extremely impressive building, you can see reconstructed Royal apartments. You have to join a guided tour to see this palace.

The viewing point at monte dei cappuccini

If you love seeing the city from above, I highly recommend this viewing point. It’s located by the River Po on a hill and has a long, wide terrace overlooking the city.

Climb the hill and get beautiful views of Turin from above. It’s one of the city’s best viewing points.

Go up there on a clear, sunny day to enjoy the splendid scenery.

If you take the City Sightseeing bus, it has a stop close to the hill where you can get off to climb it, and then hop on the bus again later.

Street art in Turin

There are some great murals around the city of Turin.

It took me a bit of time to discover Turin’s street art by myself, but you can join a street art tour in Turin and let a guide show you around.

If you want to explore by yourself, head to  Parco Dora  and you’ll find a huge open-air museum of urban art.

It’s a celebration of street art by both Italian and international artists, with a great range of styles, from large murals to graffiti lettering.

MAU – Museum of Urban Art  – is another open-air museum not too far from Parco Dora.

You’ll find a map on the wall on Via Rocciamelone, and from there just stroll along that street and the ones nearby and spot the artworks all around – murals, paintings, paste-ups etc.

Notice how the street art blends nicely with the restaurants, the houses, and even the benches.

Galo Art Gallery  in the city centre is an exhibition space dedicated to urban art and pop art and is well worth a visit.

Valentino park and castle

One of the loveliest green spaces in Turin. It’s a large park right by the River Po, so when you walk along the river (which I highly recommend you do, because it’s just beautiful), you will eventually reach this park.

It’s perfect for a picnic, a leisurely stroll and of course jogging and cycling.

As you walk around the park, you’ll spot the beautiful Fountain of the Twelve Months (Fontana di Dodici Mesi) and its marble statues.

Valentino Castle is inside the park. Historically this was one of the Residences of the Royal Savoy Family; today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site housing the Architecture faculty of the Polytechnic University of Turin.

It’s open for visitors and is included in the Turin Royal Pass .

The medieval village

Turin has a beautiful reproduction of a Medieval village in Piedmont, inside Valentino Park. It was created in 1882-84.

When you enter the village, called Borgo Medioevale, you can walk around the little streets and see the houses and the fortress and enjoy the unique atmosphere.

It has some small artisan shops and places to buy souvenirs. There are also guided tours you can take. When I visited, the tours were only available in Italian, but it may be possible to do a tour in English too.

The elegant gallerias of Turin

Turin has some incredibly beautiful gallerias or covered passages housing shops, cafes and cinemas.

These are essentially shopping arcades, but they look so elegant that it’s hard to believe that’s all they are.

Galleria Subalpina  is the most gorgeous one. It connects Piazza Castello and Piazza Carlo Alberto, so you will walk through it quite a lot when you hang out in the city centre.

Galleria San Federico  is another stunning passage in the centre, and home to Lux Cinema, one of the oldest in the city.

Galleria Umberto I , close to Porta Palatina, is another historical galleria, hosting shops and cafes under its glass ceiling.

Art Nouveau in Turin

Turin was called the capital of Art Nouveau at the beginning of the 20th century, and indeed it has some wonderful examples of Art Nouveau architecture.

The Italian version is called Liberty Style.

You’ll spot these especially in the quarter called Cit Turin and in the district of San Salvario.

The curvy lines and wonderfully detailed floral motifs can be found along Via Luigi Cibrario and Corso Francia, starring the historical Casa Fenoglio-Lafleur.

Also, don’t miss Palazzo della Vittoria or the House of Dragons!

San Lorenzo church

Located in Piazza Castello, right next to the Royal Palace, San Lorenzo church looks like a normal house on the outside, but is absolutely gorgeous inside.

It was designed by Guarino Guarini, the architect who’s name you’ll hear a lot when you visit Turin, and it has a dome that is very impressive to see from inside the church.

This church is where you can see a replica of the famous holy shroud of Turin (“La Sindone”). The real shroud is inside the Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista, but is rarely presented to the public. You can see the replica in a small room inside the church.

Contemporary art in Turin

Contemporary art is thriving in Turin. It even has a  special city pass .

The city hosts the international contemporary art fair – Artissima – every year in November, with nearly 200 galleries from around the world participating.

The night of contemporary art also takes place at the same time, with museums and galleries open for free or for a small fee till late at night.

Turin has some prominent galleries and exhibition spaces dedicated to contemporary art that are worth checking out. Here are some of the main ones:

Castello di Rivoli

This contemporary art museum has a large permanent collection plus temporary exhibitions in a historical building. There is a free shuttle bus to take you there from Piazza Castello every Saturday and Sunday.

Fondazione Merz

A contemporary gallery located in a former power station that hosts temporary exhibitions and art events.

Fondazione sandretto re rebaudengo

A place that supports Italian and international artists, commissioning new works of art and presenting temporary exhibitions.

This museum is dedicated to both contemporary and modern art, so you can find twentieth-century works as well as contemporary ones.

Mef | museo ettore fico

In an abandoned industrial site, this art space offers three annual exhibitions, plus cultural events and workshops.

Turin’s theatre – Teatro Regio

The theatre is right next to Piazza Castello, behind Palazzo Madama.

It is a huge theatre with four stages and is well worth a visit.

You can take a guided tour of the theatre with a guide that will tell you about the history of the building, point out interesting things to notice about its architecture and design (there’s a lot to notice!) and will even take you backstage.

The theatre hall itself is a delight, with red and purple design. If you go there for an opera or a concert, you will obviously see it from the inside, otherwise, the guided tour will take you into the hall.

There are tours in English and Italian and you need to buy the tickets in advance at the box office.

Porta palatina

A preserved Roman gate, just a few minutes away form the Royal Palace in Turin, this is an ancient monument that’s worth checking out. It was one of the entrances to the city in the roman period.

Balon flea market

Turin’s flea market near Porta Palazzo takes place every Saturday morning and every second Sunday. It’s a cheerful, lively and colourful market, with antiques and collectibles, crafts and live street music.

If you look up into the sky when you walk around Turin, sometimes you’ll see a hot air balloon in the sky.

This is the Turin Eye, it will take you up 150 metres above the city for a marvellous view. Pick a clear, sunny day for the best pictures.

It stays in the same location, so you won’t be floating around Turin, but you will still get to see a lot of the city.

If you want to fly around, check out the  Hot Air Balloon Flight over Piedmont and Turin .

The basilica of superga

Get a spectacular view of the city and its surroundings, including the Alps on a clear day, from this viewing point up a hill overlooking the city.

The basilica is close to Turin and you can take the historic rack-railway train or go up the hill by car and cable-car.

Day trips from Turin

You can use Turin as a base for many day trips or weekend trips in Italy.

Here are some ideas:

Milan is about 1 hour away from Turin on the fast train. It’s a great idea for a day trip from Turin. Highlights include the Gothic Milan Duomo and the celebrated La Scala Theatre and Museum.

Venaria Palace is a very easy day trip from Turin. I wrote a full review about it.

Florence is about 3 hours away from Turin on a fast train. It’s best to stay overnight, as there’s a lot to see. Some of the highlights include the world-famous Uffizi Gallery and the Florence Duomo . 

Day trips to lakes close to Turin: If you feel the need to get out of the city and see some nature, you can visit some beautiful lakes, including Lake Como, Lake Garda and Lake Orta.

Check Omio for available transport options.

Save this Turin travel guide on Pinterest

I’d like to thank Turismo Torino for their collaboration. All opinions are my own – I really fell in love with this city!

• Tags Airbnb , City Guides , Culture , History , Hotels , Museums and Galleries , Street Art , Tours , Vacation Rentals

There’s just not enough time to go to all these amazing destinations! Wow! Susa sounds beautiful. I love it!

Turin is excellent, not tourism overrun and they have a great food culture. The slow food organisation started here. Tetra madre every 2 yrs is a not to miss event if your a lover of pure food

Wow, I have never seen a Turin travel guide as comprehensive as this one! I’m definitely adding the Bacon flea market since I love crafts and hear street music. Also, I am so curious about this Medieval Village. Looks so vintage and time didn’t do anything here!

Thanks! I’m sure you’ll enjoy Turin 🙂

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www.aboutturin.com - Travel Guide To turin, italy - HOME | CONTACT US |  SITE MAP

About turin ..., ... your tourist guide about turin, welcome to about turin.

Dear visitors, welcome to aboutturin.com . This is a no-profit web site conceived to give useful information about one of the most beautiful cities in the world: Turin. We collected here a lot of information about history and customs of the city. You can easily navigate About Turin website through the different sections:

The city of Turin where you will find general information about the city of Turin , from the history of the city to its economy , passing through art and culture and its famous people . In the section dedicated to events you will find information on scheduled exhibitions and fairs without neglecting folkloric events.

Information about Turin: here you can discover the city of Turin by looking at its famous monuments , visiting its museums , having a rest in its beautiful parks , browsing the local markets and walking through the itineraries that we recommend.

Would you like to discover Turin with a guided tour ? Thanks to the collaboration with Viator we offer to you the best guided tour to visit Turin or the possibility to book an hop on hop off tour .

Turin Tourist Guide: wether you want to visit Turin in a day or inseveral days, here you can find a lot of useful information for your stay. You can find here information on how to arrive in Turin and how to move in the city once there, where to find accommodation and where to get tourist information . You can get info about the weather in Turin and useful tips on how to spend your free time there, whether you choose to go to the gym or shopping , to spend an evening to the theatre or to have a tour to the Murazzi's area. And if you have troubles in finding streets, then you can have a look at our road maps or useful maps to move around Turin .

Useful addresses in Turin: in this section we gather for you useful contacts that you may need in different occasions: whenever you need an emergency number , the address of a consulate for foreigners in Turin , internet points to surf the net, if you need to rent a car o a bike or just looking for a laundry , please browse our pages!

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A local’s guide to Turin: five great things to do

Slow food expert Silvia Ceriani celebrates the industrial past and sustainable future of ‘Italy’s Detroit’, with gourmet markets, grand palazzos and kitsch cocktail bars

Silvia Ceriani lives in Turin and works for the Slow Food movement on events such as Terra Madre , Slow Cheese and the Slow Wine Fair

Nothing in Turin compares to the spectacle put on each Saturday at Porta Palazzo market . Out in the main square, outside the two covered markets, are raucous fishmongers and the cheapest fruit and vegetables stalls. My advice is to forget the modern Mercato Centrale – it’s more a trumped-up restaurant mall trying to look like Barcelona’s famous Boqueria – and head for the Antica Tettoia dell’Orologio , perfect for cheeses, salami and even white truffles. Then carry on out the back for the outdoor farmers’ market, where contadini sell incredible vegetables and wild herbs.

Turin is terrific for discovering Piedmont cuisine. My two favourite restaurants are in the centre. Consorzio is for adventurous offal enthusiasts: veal sweetbreads and heart roasted with cherries and wild herbs, and ravioli filled with Turin’s classic finanziera – a sweet-and-sour stew which includes veal brain and rooster crests among other scary ingredients.

Vegetarians needn’t despair though – at Antonio Chiodi Latini the chef cooks sublimely creative vegan fare: even the simplest dish, insalata mista , is a stupendous mix of ingredients, colours and aromas.

Green space

Turin has many green spaces, from huge parks to romantic squares. But during lockdowns I found a signposted walk from Isabella Bridge over the Po, following Corso Moncalieri on the right bank into Parco Leopardi, then winding up to the Faro della Vittoria – a bronze statue at the highest point. The views over Turin are wonderful. The statue is a first world war memorial and the path is lined with tributes to fallen soldiers. I found it quite emotional during the Covid period.

Inspiration

Far from the crowds that visit our most famous cultural spots – the Egyptian Museum and the avant garde OGR arts hub – my inspiring place is the Museo dell’Uomo on Corso Massimo d’Azeglio. It’s actually three 19th-century museums in an immense palazzo, dedicated to, respectively, the weird and wonderful worlds of human anatomy , criminal anthropology and exotic wax fruits . They immerse me in the ambience of 19th-century Turin – a dark, macabre city of fanatical collectors, and a perfect contrast with the outside world, where everyone is glued to their smartphones.

Neighbourhood

To get a feel for Turin’s unique industrial history – we were the Detroit of Italy – take the metro to Lingotto. It’s 10 minutes from the grandiose city centre, but feels like another world, created around early-20th-century factories. The former Fiat factory that gives the neighbourhood its name is forging a new identity, with the Agnelli collection art gallery, and its mythical rooftop – a colossal racetrack where cars were tested – is about to open to the public, filled with flowers, plants and herbs. The factory that used to make Carpano vermouth now houses Eataly , showcasing Slow Food produce, and next door is the newly opened Green Pea , a futuristic, 100%-sustainable mall. Lingotto is quiet at night, but don’t miss a cocktail at my favourite watering hole, the utterly kitsch Il Coguaro (Cougar) bar.

Turin is the home of the aperitvo. Unfortunately, this has mushroomed into the trend of apericena (formed by adding cena – dinner – to aperitivo), where the price of the drink rises to about €10, accompanied by a buffet of pasta, salads and pizza. It sounds great but I avoid it as the quality of the food is poor, and not even that cheap as you inevitably order a second drink. Much better is a genuine bar with great music like Lanificio San Salvatore , where they make their own vermouth – a big trend here – inspired by a recipe invented in India by an eccentric 19th-century Piedmontese entrepreneur.

Near the Porta Palazzo market, the hip rooms of the 1820 San Giors hotel (doubles from €84 room-only) are all decorated by local artists.

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2 Days in Turin, Italy: Itinerary + Need-to-Know Info

Last Updated: May 5, 2023 //  by  Ashley Smith 1 Comment

2 days in Turin, Italy was another trip I never expected to take. Like my trip to nearby Aosta, this little excursion to Turin was entirely unexpected and unplanned. 

In fact, I had never even heard of Turin until the day before I headed out in its direction. It was like that time I brushed off a guy at a bar and my friend was like, “You know that’s Channing Tatum, right?” Me: “Umm who?” (I’m now quite familiar with both.)

And just like my one day in Aosta and my 2 days in Tivoli , my friend and I chose to visit Turin based on the fact that its font size was bigger on the map than all surrounding town names. Did this make me a trailblazer? Was I bravely heading out into Italian lands unknown?

“Oh, so Turin has a population of 2.2 million, used to be the capital of Italy, is the country’s third richest city behind Rome and Milan, and somewhat recently hosted the Olympics?” Trailblazer I am not.

This post was originally published in 2020 but has been updated for 2023.

Table of Contents

Why visit Turin, Italy?

Well, my friend and I decided to visit Turin after completely blowing off a separate 2-week trip after just three days. This left us to wander the Alps region aimlessly—not unlike the Cliffhanger on The Price is Right . Just strolling through the mountains, trying to avoid the edges, and hoping to come out the other side with A BRAND NEW CARRRRR!

But you should visit Turin because it’s a massive and interesting city that is somehow still a total secret. Oh, and because it’s the city that brought us Nutella. We’re not worthy!

What is Turin famous for?

So yes, Turin, Italy is the home of something called gianduja —a chocolate/hazelnut spread invented in the early 1800s that over time evolved into the Nutella we all know, love, and have written into our wills.

Turin is also the home of such auto manufacturers as Alfa Romeo and a little thing called Fiat (hehe).

Is Turin worth a visit?

Absolutely. Now, while Turin is not one of my favorite cities in Italy (I still haven’t decided exactly how I feel about it), I can’t deny that it is one of the most interesting .

Turin is unlike any other city I’ve visited in Italy. Sure, Turin’s ginormous package contains aspects of other Italian cities all rolled into one, but it also feels like its very own country in many ways.

There’s plenty to do during 2 days in Turin, but a visit would also be great for a long weekend or even just a day trip from Milan. And if you’re a chocolate lover, there will be someone to show you around your new apartment.

Also check out my post on visiting Courmayeur, Italy . It’s nestled in the Alps just a few hours north of Turin and offers great food, a charming town, and beautiful hiking.

Where is Turin, Italy?

Turin (known as Torino in Italy) is up in the northwest corner of Italy, just over the Alps from Switzerland and France . It’s actually the capital of Italy’s Piedmont region which you’ve probably heard of if you’re a wine drinker. I am a beer drinker. So when you want to discuss the Hallertau region of Germany—the world’s premier hop-growing region—let me know.

Turin is just a couple hours’ drive from the Alps in one direction and Milan in the other. But, with a top speed of 214 mph, the 2019 Alfa Romeo C38 Quadrifoglio can you get there in under the time it takes to eat one Nutella & Go .

How to get to Turin, Italy

If you’ve got a 2019 Alfa Romeo, by all means drive that sucker! For those of us who can barely afford the washer fluid it’ll take to clean off the obliterated insect carcasses you amassed by driving 219 mph, there are other ways to arrive in Turin.

Turin is served by its own international airport (TRN) but is close enough to Milan (MXP) if you’re planning to spend some time there first.

In my case, I was already in the city of Aosta which is just an hour and a half away. My friend and I booked seats on the Flixbus for around 10 euros. After our 2 days in Turin we took the Flixbus back to Aosta and then on to Chamonix, France .

Taking the Flixbus to Turin

Look, the Flixbus is cheap, it showed up on time every time, and it got us there in one piece. You can’t really ask for much more than that… in Italy.

Did the driver’s co-pilot have to get out the bus user manual to figure out why the bus kept flashing a giant red warning that blinked STOP! STOP! STOP! for the entire bus ride? Yes. Did I think that was going to be my last bus ride ever? Also yes.

On my second Flixbus ride, did the driver have to pull off at a gas station to ask for directions? Yes.

Again, and I can’t stress this enough, this. is. Italy. The fact that the bus showed up on time (nay, showed up at all ) and got us to our destination and all for under 10 euros is huge . Material for the next Three Stooges reboot aside, I would take the Flixbus a hundred times over.

Where to stay during your 2 days in Turin

Seeing the absolutely enormous size of Turin, I wanted a hotel in a central location—somewhere within a decent walking distance to everything I wanted to see. Look, if I’m going to completely ditch a 2-week hiking trip in favor of… whatever you wanna call the adventures that followed, I’m still going to get my steps in.

NH Torino Santo Stefano

So during my 2 days in Turin I stayed at the NH Torino Santo Stefano and I didn’t set foot inside a vehicle the entire time.

This hotel is in the perfect location—centrally located near all the top things to see and do in Turin. It’s just a block over from the main plaza and the royal palace, a few blocks from Mercato Centrale (a huge food market that will play an important role in my 2 days in Turin), and sandwiched in between some casual ancient ruins.

It’s also just a 40-minute walk from the bus station! Yeah okay, I’m trying to make that sound better than it is, but when visiting the town Nutella built, you may need to burn a few extra calories. You’ll see.

The NH Torino Santo Stefano is a beautiful (and huge) building with really nice rooms and some incredibly indulgent air conditioning (about as rare in Italy as not getting shoved out of the way by an old woman). It’s rated a 9/10 overall on Booking.com with a 9.7/10 for it’s location! 

Book your room at the NH Torino Stefano here on Booking.com or Expedia .

How to spend 2 days in Turin

During my 2 days in Turin I learned a valuable lesson about European travel. One I’d only ever heard about but never actually witnessed firsthand. I call it: the August Exodus.

The month of August (yes, the whole damn month, have you ever been more jealous than you are right now?) is when Europeans typically take their vacations. What that meant for my 2 days in Turin was:

• Many places we wanted to go shut down for the month.
• The city was all but abandoned.
• It was hard to find a place to eat.

Now, this wasn’t all bad. Because the city was mostly empty, we were able to see the city’s biggest sights ( they don’t close) with no crowds and almost zero time spent waiting in line.

However, because the city was all but abandoned, it did give off a creepy, somewhat post-apocalyptic vibe. When you see a city as incredibly enormous as this one virtually empty… it definitely has a science fiction-y feel. And not in a good, Baby Yoda kinda way.

Also, Italy in August is hot AF—AF meaning as a fever because it was, indeed, 101°F.

2 days in Turin itinerary

If you’re on a time budget, you really only need 2 days in Turin to see the biggest sights. Many people visit Turin on a day trip from Milan, but you really do need more time. You probably also need a much fancier wardrobe than you brought with you to Milan, but you’ve already figured that out huh?

Torino+Piemonte Card

To get the most out of your 2 days in Turin, pick up the Torino+Piemonte card. This card is a money-saving sightseeing pass that gets you free admission into all the top things to do in Turin (+ some other perks).

It comes in 1, 2, 3, and 5-day options and can be picked up when you get there. You can purchase the Torino+Piemonte card at Turin’s main tourism office or pre-purchase it if you’d rather just have it and not have to worry about it when you get there.

Don’t worry, you’ll have many others things to worry about like, “I’m sweating so much I just had to wring out my bra in a public restroom.”

Pick it up before you go. Forget about having to waste precious time finding the tourism office and pre-purchase your Torino+Piemonte Card here.

2 days in Turin: day 1

After arriving in Turin we made the 40-minute trek from the bus station. We changed clothes in the hotel lobby restroom, ditched our bags at reception, then headed out into the city in search of much-needed food.

Focacceria Blob

Unexplainable name, delicious food. One of my favorite things to eat in Italy is zucchini street pizza and Focacceria Blob has it… and plenty more.

This place was always packed when we walked by. Plus, they have outdoor and indoor seating and the food and service are great. It was the perfect place to replenish the 8 days worth of calories we just burned walking from the bus station.

Turin Tourism Office

After lunch we walked over to Piazza Castello (Turin’s main square) to the Turin tourist information center. (Just a minute or so from Focacceria Blob–seriously that name.)

In here, we purchased our Torino+Piemonte cards and picked up a map of the city and some helpful advice. Now, there are multiple “tourist information centers” around Turin, but this is the main one. The others are little more than randomly placed trailers. 

The websites do little in helping you find them, so I’ve put the location of this one on at the map above. 

Piazza Castello

After the tourism office, spend some time checking out Turin’s main square. I imagine this plaza is more crowded every other month of the year, but in August it was delightfully devoid.

Gorgeous architecture and important buildings line this huge plaza on all sides. One of those being the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Royal Palaces. Others include another former palace turned fancy art museum, shops, restaurants, churches, a park, monuments, and more.

Monte dei Cappuccini

Funny name, amazing views. From Piazza Castello, Monte dei Cappuccini is a 30-minute walk through beautiful piazzas, along the Po River, and up a winding hill road.

At the top, you’ll find the Church of Santa Maria al Monte dei Cappuccini and the Convent of the Capuchin Friars—completed in 1656. While the church is beautiful and all, you’re really up here for the panoramic views of Turin.

From the church’s front porch (if you will) you can see the entirety of this expansive city and all the way to the Alps. (On a clear day that is. Not on the sweltering day in August when I was there.)

This awesome view is free and very easy to get to.

National Cinema Museum 

From Monte dei Cappuccini, Turin’s National Museum of Cinema is an easy, breezy 20-minute walk (downhill this time!). The Museo Nazionale del Cinema is Italy’s 13 th most-visited museum, so that’s something.

The museum is dedicated to all things cinema-related. In it you’ll see:

• Early cinematographic equipment
• Memorabilia from famous movies (mostly in Italian cinema)
• Exhibits on different parts of film-production
• A variety of rooms dedicated to many film genres
• A massive movie screen with recliners so you can chill

All of this is found inside the Mole Antonelliana Tower—a beautiful and historic building once intended to be a synagogue.

The National Cinema Museum is one of Turin’s main tourist attractions and, because of this, I had higher expectations for this place than what it delivered. Maybe if I was a movie buff? Maybe if I was Italian? I’m not sure.

Regardless, visiting the Museo Nazionale del Cinema is definitely a unique experience.

Mole Antonelliana Observation Deck

Inside the National Museum of Cinema, you can take the completely glass-enclosed panoramic lift up to the rooftop observation deck. 

This elevator travels from the floor of the museum, through the completely open space and to the top in under a minute, completely supported by wires. Acrophobes, shield your eyes! It’s cool, but it’s also super freaky. And why they didn’t call this the Wonkavator in a nod to classic cinema is beyond me.

Even in the dead of August, the only (relatively short) line we had to wait in led to this elevator. However, neither the museum admission nor the Torino+Piemonte Card cover the cost of visiting the observation deck.

Architecture and dinner

After the Cinema Museum, take some time to just wander around the city. Turin’s architecture is a mix of that from many other Italian cities, but still uniquely its own.

Turin offers a mix of Renaissance, Art Nouveau, Rococo, Baroque, and Neo-classical architecture that seemingly stretches on into infinity. It also has over 11 miles of porticos—the product of a King who wanted to take his daily stroll around the city without having to carry an umbrella.

If you visit in August, chances are you’ll get trapped in a multitude of torrential downpours yourself and be turned away from the few restaurants that are actually open that month. Probably not what the King had intended, but here we are.

Because the majority of their seating is outside, we were unable to find a seat at the many restaurants we tried. We ended up eating dinner at Mei Shi Mei Ke. And even though “Chinese raviolis” were not the Italian dinner we had planned, this place did not disappoint. I highly recommend!

If you’ve got more of Italy in your plans, check out my guides to 2 days in Florence , 5 days in Sorrento , and why you should stay in Salerno when visiting the Amalfi Coast after this one.

2 days in Turin: day 2

Depending on what time of year you visit, Day 2 of your 2 days in Turin may start out a little differently.

Start at one of Turin’s historic cafés

Café culture in Turin is serious business. The city is full of over-the-top fancy cafés serving over-the-top drinks. It’s a land of crystal chandeliers, tuxedo-ed baristos, and lap dogs with your lattes. Unlike you’ve donned a mink stole for breakfast, you will feel underdressed.

Some of Turin’s most famous cafés are:

• Caffé Mulassano
• Caffé San Carlo
• The Caffé Fiorio
• Caffé Torino
• And Caffé al Bicerin

Try a bicerin

And in these cafés, you must try a Bicerin. Bicerin is a morning drink native to Turin that’s part espresso, part milk, and part thick hot chocolate. This drink has been around since the 18 th century and 300 years is about how long it took me to drink mine.

If you’re a chocolate lover, you will totally dig the bicerin. Being indifferent to chocolate the way I am, this was wayyy too much for me. Needless to say, my friend drank two bicerins that day.

Where to get bicerin

Being as famous as it is, you can find bicerin at any of Turin’s fancy cafés. Be prepared for prices that coincide with how large and excessive the chandelier at your chosen café.

The most famous spot to grab a bicerin is the aptly named Caffe al Bicerin… which was obviously closed for the entire month of August.

Instead, my friend and I went to our second choice, the beautiful Caffé San Carlo. (Followed by a visit to a normal Italian café for a normal cappuccino at the counter. Ashley needs a little more caffeine and a little less melted Hershey bar to start her day.)

Bicerin is pronounced bee -cher-een and is the Piedmontese word for “small glass.” It’s typically served with a palate-cleansing shot of sparkling water.

Egyptian Museum

After whichever morning beverage you choose to start the second of your 2 days in Turin, head over to Turin’s Egyptian Museum .

The Museo Egizio is the world’s oldest museum entirely dedicated to Egyptian culture. It houses one of the largest collections of Egyptian antiquities in the world (the 2 nd largest, just behind the museum in Cairo).

This museum is the crown jewel of Turin tourism and will take up a good chunk of your 48 hours in Turin if you let it. It showcases an awesome collection of artifacts and is, indeed, large .

Some of the museum’s highlights include:

• A vast collection of papyrus – including a piece believed to be the world’s oldest painted fabric
• The oldest copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead
• An entire Egyptian temple
• And like a million other things

Turin Cathedral

The Turin Cathedral was built during the last years of the 1400s and is located just off Piazza Castello next to the Royal Palaces. While it is a large and beautiful cathedral, the real reason for stopping in here is to…

View the famous Shroud of Turin

Located in a small chapel inside the Turin Cathedral is the Shroud of Turin , a piece of cloth bearing the image of a man. Some believe this man to be Jesus Christ and the piece of cloth to be his burial shroud. This cloth and its significance are the cause of both extreme celebration and much controversy.

Royal Palace of Turin

Directly beside the Turin Cathedral is the city’s Royal Palace —a historic palace of the House of Savoy. It was originally built in the 1500s and is now a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Inside you can tour a relatively large number of rooms including:

• Numerous apartments, halls, and ballrooms
• The grand staircase
• The dining rooms
• The incredible throne room
• The Royal Gardens
• My favorite, the Royal Armory
• The Royal Library
• An Art gallery and antiquity museum
• And the Chapel of the Holy Shroud (yes, that one again)

Before arriving, I had pretty low expectations for this place. If you’ve seen one European royal palace, you’ve seen them all, no? Well, actually no. This place blows them all away! The number of rooms you can visit here far exceeds any other palace I’ve visited. Plus, the sheer opulence in this place is simply shocking.

It was awesome visiting this place in August which meant we were two of only a few people in the entire palace that day.

Chapel of the Holy Shroud

So, they keep the Shroud of Turin in a small chapel inside the Turin Cathedral, yes. But between the years of 1611-1694, they built a massive and stunning chapel into the Royal Palace to house this famous relic.

The Shroud was kept there from 1694 until April 1997 when a devastating fire struck the Chapel. The Shroud has been in the Cathedral ever since, awaiting the reopening of the Chapel of the Holy Shroud. Any day now…

Climb the bell tower

Back over by the entrance to the Turin Cathedral you’ll see the cathedral’s bell tower. While most people talk about the views from Monte dei Cappuccini or the observation deck of the Mole, the views from the cathedral’s bell tower were my favorite.

From here you can see some of the surrounding buildings up close including the ancient Roman ruins and the rooftop of the Chapel of the Holy Shroud.

This bell tower was built between 1468 and 1470 and it sure as hell looks like it inside. You can climb the 210 steps up to the observation deck for great views and even greater air flow, and to see the bells close up.

Admission into the bell tower is only a few euros but is included in the Torino+Piemonte Card anyway. With the other observation spots being so popular, this one felt like a complete secret. Click here for visitor information .

Mercato Centrale

Day 2 of our 2 days in Turin turned out to be just as tough as the first to find a place for dinner. The large majority of places we looked for were closed for August. The rest were already full.

So… my friend and I ended up eating dinner at Mercato Centrale , a giant food market a few blocks behind our hotel.

Mercato Centrale is akin to a Time Out Market or similar where food vendors of all varieties set up shop. These kinds of markets are my favorite—you can try a little of many things and each person in your party can eat what they want.

And being Italy, the options in here are incredible. You can’t go wrong anywhere you choose.

Optional Turin Tours

Had I known ahead of time I was going to be spending 2 days in Turin, I would’ve made plans to take some tours to get as much out of this mysterious city as I could. Here are some great examples I’ve chosen for you:

Street Food Tour Deluxe

The main thing I wish I could’ve experienced during my 2 days in Turin was the city’s incredible food scene. Turin is known for so many significant culinary aspects: gianduja for one, but also aperitivo, Barolo wine, and white truffles. 

• 20+ food tastings
• Wine and coffee tastings
• You very own “food ambassador”
• And is completely immersive into Turin culture

This tour has all 5-star ratings and is sure to be your favorite Turin experience.

Highlights of Turin Small Group Walking Tour

This 2-hour walking tour of Turin puts you with a local guide to learn all about the city of Turin. You’ll walk through many of the city’s famous squares, learn about the history and food of Turin, and much more. Another tour drowning in 5-star reviews.

3-hour Turin Chocolate Tasting Walking Tour

Turin is a city that has turned chocolate into an art form. On this guided 3-hour tour, you'll hit up at least three chocolate shops and learn all about this city's relationship with chocolate.

Highlights and hidden gems of Turin Bike Tour

This guided 3.5-hour bike tour of Turin takes you to some of the most notable locations in the city. It's a great way to get oriented to this interesting city and you can choose from either morning or afternoon tours!

What I learned during my 2 days in Turin

My 2 days in Turin wasn’t perfect but I’m still so glad I got to experience it. And if anything, I learned a lot.

On visiting in August

Visiting Turin (and anywhere in Italy for that matter) during the month of August is both great and terrible. 

It was nice to visit the city’s top attractions with virtually no crowds and no lines. However, there were still a handful of top sites we didn’t get to see because they were temporarily closed. One of those: the famous Basilica of Superga. 

Getting meals was also difficult as restaurants were either closed for the month or completely and unapologetically full. But that’s not to say that everything I ate in Turin wasn’t still amazing .  

I’d be interested to visit this city during a more popular time–but after seeing the size of this city, I can only imagine the pure chaos of a high tourist season.

Is Turin expensive to visit?

As far as Italian metropolises go, I didn’t feel Turin was all that expensive. Bicerin aside, everything else–hotel room, sightseeing, food–seemed to be reasonably priced. (A glass of bicerin will run you around 7 euros–the cappuccino I got to wash it all down was 1.40€.) 

Making dinner reservations

If you’re planning to spend 2 days in Turin, I definitely recommend making dinner reservations if there’s a specific place you have in mind. And doing so well in advance, especially if you’re visiting in August. 

Given that our whole time in Turin was improvised, we didn’t have much of a choice. And this is what happens when you choose destinations based on font size. 

More info for 2 days in Turin

• Heading to Turin? Find great places to stay here !
• But where do I personally recommend? The NH Torino Santo Stefano
• Need a rental car? Check out the best local deals here .
• Don’t forget to pick up an Italy guidebook for your other Italian adventures.
• And this must-have Italy customs and culture guide .
• Like this post? Have questions? Hit me up on Instagram .

When will you spend 2 days in Turin? Let me know below!

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About Ashley Smith

Ashley is a historian and Oktoberfest expert & tour guide. She has traveled to 33 countries and specializes in quick trips throughout Europe and the Americas that prioritize hiking adventures, museums of all kinds, cultural experiences, and jam-packed itineraries. She hails from Memphis, TN and currently lives in Boston with her husband and two feline sidekicks.

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TORINO+PIEMONTE CARD

For 24*, 48, 72 or 120 consecutive hours  you'll get:  .

• free admission for an adult and one child under 12 in the most important museums and exhibitions in Torino, in the castles, fortresses and Royal Residences in Piemonte. Tickets booked online with the card are subject to availability; • discounted ticket in many other cultural sites all over Piemonte; • reduced ticket on the main tourist services of Torino : panoramic lift in the Mole Antonelliana ;  Sassi - Superga rack tramway ; “ Venaria Express ” shuttle bus, on board the bus City Sightseeing Torino and the small electric minibus Torino Eco City Tour ; • discounts on temporary exhibitions , main activities, guided tours, unforgettable experiences and major events in the whole region.

* The 24 hours version is valid for a maximum of three free entries in the participating museums. No access limit for other cards.

The torino+piemonte card junior, aimed at people younger than 18, is available for a single duration valid up to 72 hours. , the 96 hours royal pass allows entry to the royal residences only. for further information visit the dedicated page ..

What's more, with a little supplement and just in combination with a Card only at the TIC of  Torino  you can get a special fare on public transports tickets, while stocks last.

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Fentanyl alert triggered in Italy, found in heroin dose

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• ANSA English

ROME , 30 April 2024, 17:30

ANSA English Desk

© ANSA/EPA

The National Early Warning System for Drugs (NEWS-D) coordinated by the Department for Anti-Drug Policies (DPA) has issued an alert for the presence of fentanyl found, through tests carried out by the Higher Health Institute (ISS), as a cutting substance in a dose of heroin seized a few weeks ago in the Perugia area, the first time this has happened in Italy, sources said Tuesday.     In liaison with Cabinet Secretary Alfredo Mantovano, the National Prevention Plan against the Misuse of Fentanyl was therefore activated, which provides for the alert to be sent to all police forces and administrations.     The Calabria-based 'Ndrangheta, Italy's biggest, richest and most powerful mafia due to its control of the European cocaine market, is now interested in getting into the fentanyl trade, Mantovano said as part of his intelligence service oversight brief last month.     "Fentanyl is not a traffic limited to the US. In the EU there are signs in Portugal and GB. Our intelligence signals an interest of 'Ndrangheta even if they are testing the market to verify the advantages of their insertion into the market," he said during the presentation at the premier's office at Palazzo Chigi of the 'National Plan of prevention against the improper use of fentanyl and other synthetic opiates'.     Mantovano described fentanyl, which has ravaged the USA and is gaining a foothold in Europe, as "the zombie drug, with as little as 1-2 milligrammes potentially being lethal".    

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Minister Guilbeault to hold a media availability from the G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Turin, Italy

From: Environment and Climate Change Canada

Media advisory

Media representatives are advised that the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, will hold a media availability via teleconference from Turin, Italy, where he is promoting Canada’s ambitious climate policies during the Group of Seven (G7) Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment.

Turin, Italy – April 29, 2024 – Media representatives are advised that the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, will hold a media availability via teleconference from Turin, Italy, where he is promoting Canada’s ambitious climate policies during the Group of Seven (G7) Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment. The Minister will also provide an update on the ongoing negotiations as part of the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) taking place in Ottawa.

Event: Media Availability Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2024 Time:  10:30 a.m. (EDT)/4:30 p.m. (CEDT) Location: Teleconference

Media representatives are asked to register by contacting Media Relations at Environment and Climate Change Canada to obtain further details.

Kaitlin Power Senior Press Secretary and Communications Advisor Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change 819-230-1557 [email protected]

Media Relations Environment and Climate Change Canada 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free) [email protected]

Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Twitter page

Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Facebook page

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