Turin.
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Overview

Turin (Italian: Torino, Piedmontese: Turin) is a city in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, with a population of about 844,000 in 2023, and another 1.5 million across its metropolitan area. For many visitors it's simply the place where their budget flight lands then they jump on the coach to the Val d'Aosta ski resorts. It is however an outstanding destination in its own right, with its old-world aristocratic ambiance, grand boulevards and palaces, arcade streets, and cultural and artistic heritage.

Understand

"Taurini" first appears in history in 218 BC, when the tribe of that name was subdued by Hannibal. Over the centuries it grew into a sizeable city but was repeatedly attacked or occupied by foreign troops, and Italy was a patchwork of warring principalities. One powerful faction was the Savoy dynasty, relocating from their original Alpine home to re-base in Turin, and they embellished it in the 18th century with baroque palaces (not all of these for their mistresses), elegant boulevards and grand piazzas. Napoleon captured Turin and the Piedmont region in 1802, but after his downfall the Savoyards were re-instated and the city (now a royal capital) was further enhanced. The Savoyards just-about stayed on the right side of history during the revolutionary era of 1840-60 and the struggle to unify Italy, and Turin was for four years the country's first capital.

The city became an industrial powerhouse in the 19th century, especially through the automobile industry: "FIAT" stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, founded here in 1899, and Lancia set up in 1906. These sucked in labour from the poor south, and were subsidised by Mussolini. Turin was heavily bombed by the Allies during World War II but afterwards was restored to its former grandeur as a second Paris.

Car manufacture and other traditional industries withered in the late 20th century, as elsewhere in Europe, and the city became run-down, hollowed out and de-populated. It re-invented itself with new industry, design and services — not least to tourists — and in 2006 hosted the Winter Olympic Games.

The climate of Turin is continental, with cold winters and warm summers. Snow is common in winter and summer thunderstorms are not uncommon either. The wealth of indoor attractions and open spaces make the city a year-round destination.

Tourist information Tourist information centres are on Piazza Castello (corner with Via Garibaldi, daily 09:00-18:00) and on Piazza Carlo Felice (front of Porta Nuova station, likewise daily 09:00-18:00).

Get in

To the city: Arriva Bus 268 runs every 15-30 min from the airport to Caselle town, and Turin Porta Susa and Porta Nuova railway stations, taking 40-55 min; some buses extend to Lingotto. The bus into the city runs 06:00 to 00:30, and out to the airport at 05:00 to 23:30.

Flibco is a competing bus line, running every 30 min 03:30-23:00. Tickets can be purchased online, at the airport's ticket office, or directly from the driver (with a small surcharge; bank cards may be used).

The airport has its own railway station, Caselle Aeroporto, beneath the terminal building. This station is served by the Trenitalia Torino-Ceres railway line (SFMA line), which provides direct connections to major railway hubs in Turin, including Torino Porta Susa (for intercity and high-speed rail connections) and Torino Lingotto. Trains run frequently, approximately every 30 minutes, with a journey time of about 19 minutes to Torino Porta Susa. Tickets can be purchased online, at ticket machines in the station, or via the Trenitalia app.

Taxis are readily available outside the arrivals area of the terminal. Radio taxi services are also available. Car hailing services like Enjoy and Share Now also operate at Turin Airport. Pick-up and drop-off points are designated within the airport parking areas. There are also car hire desks in arrivals: you don't want a car in the city, but do need one to explore the mountains.

Other airports for reaching Turin are Milan Malpensa MXP, Milan Linate LIN, and Bergamo BGY. Of these, Malpensa has the best range of flights, and best onward transport: the SADEM bus runs direct from MXP Terminals 1 & 2 to Turin Porta Susa, hourly 08:00-22:00 and at midnight.

is the primary train station of Turin and closest station to the center of the city. The station contains 20 platforms and is a terminus station so through-trains will reverse direction. There's even a piano. Porta Nuova is on the Metro, with lots of buses (including the airport bus) stopping outside.

All international and long-distance trains call here, with direct services from Paris Gare de Lyon via Lyon, from Milan (50 min), Aosta (90 min), Genoa (90 min), Bologna (2 hr), Florence (2 hr 45 min), Venice (3 hr 30 min), Rome (4 hr), Naples (6 hr), Bari (8 hr) and by sleeper from Reggio DC (18 hr) for Sicily. From Switzerland, Germany and Austria, change in Milan.

is Turin's second most important railway station with nine platforms. Generally, all trains destined for Porta Nuova will stop at Porta Susa.

The old Porta Susa station at Piazza XVIII Dicembre is shut and empty, and horse-drawn buses ply there no more. The new station, adjacent south, opened in 2013, a long low steel hangar that looks like it wants to be a garden centre. There are ticket offices and machines, toilets, a café and a convenience store; there's no left luggage facility. There's limited seating and if you have an extended wait, you might be better in one of the nearby bars and cafés. Find these by exiting west onto Corso Inghilterra or going a little north (past the old station) onto Corso San Martino. Porta Susa station is on the Metro line, with a bus terminus (including for the airport bus) outside east on Corso Bolzano.

is Turin's third most used train station with 13 platforms, situated well south of the center of the city. The station is located near the Eataly and is a stop for trains heading into the city from Alba, Asti, Chivasso, Chieri, Ciriè, Cuneo, Fossano, Genoa, Pinerolo, Rivarolo and Savona.

You're unlikely to use the outlying stations of Rebaudengo Fossata, Stura, and Grosseto as a tourist, however they do offer service options if you stay in these areas.

is a nine platform station north of the city connected to tram line four.

is a five platform station north of the city centre with service solely by local trains of the city.

is a two platform station in the north west of the city with service solely by local trains connecting to Ceres.

By road The principal routes, on toll motorways, are: A4 from Trieste, Venice, Padua, Verona, Milan and Novara. From Geneva and northern France via the Mont Blanc Tunnel, then A5 down past Courmayeur, Aosta and Ivrea. A7 from Genoa to Tortona, then A21 past Alessandria and Asti. From Lyon and Grenoble in France via the Frejus Tunnel then A32.

By bus Flixbus have direct buses to Turin from Paris (10 hr), Lyon (5 hr), Geneva (4 hr 30), Zürich (6 hr), Munich (9 hr), Ljubljana (10 hr), Zagreb (12 hr) and Budapest (16 hr). Services within Italy are from Genoa (2 hr 30), Bologna (6 hr), Florence (7 hr), Venice (6 hr 30), Trieste (8 hr), Rome (10 hr), Naples (11 hr) and Catania (22 hr). Many other destinations can be reached by a single change of bus.

Marinobus have a direct bus from Paris (25 hr) via Frankfurt and Stuttgart.

There's no bus station: long-distance buses pick up and drop off on Corso Vittorio Emanuelle II near the intersection of Corso Inghilterra and Porta Susa railway station. Look out for other travellers clutching their luggage and looking hopeful or anxious.

Get around

Public transport Turin has an inefficient, integrated system of buses, trams and metro all operated by GTT. These run 06:00-00:30, and out of hours there are night buses fanning out from Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Their website has a journey planner and network map.

You must buy your ticket before you get on and validate it as soon as you board. All tabaccherie (tobacconists) sell transport tickets as do some bars and kiosks at stations. There are also vending machines at Metro stations. The standard ticket is the "City + Suburban 100", valid for 100 mins for unlimited bus rides plus one journey on the Metro. Longer season tickets will need photo ID.

Bus and tram stops are clearly marked with yellow signs, and display maps of the city routes. There may be electronic indicators at the stop and on board.

Turin Metro, opened in 2006, is a single line, Linea 1, with driverless trains. The south terminus is Bengasi. The line runs north to Lingotto, near the mainline Lingotto train station, the Lingotto Conference, Exhibition & Trade Centre, Eataly and the Automobile Museum. The line continues north under Via Nizza stopping at Spezia, Carducci, Dante, Fermata 8226 and Marconi to Porta Nuova railway station. It there turns west beneath Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II stopping at Re Umberto and Vinzaglio, then north again to Porta Susa railway station and Piazza XVIII Dicembre. It then runs west under Corso Francia into the suburbs, stopping at Principi d'Acaja, Bernini, Racconigi, Rivoli, Monte Grappa, Pozzo Strada, Massaua, Marche, and Paradiso to end at Fermi.

As of 2024, a westward extension of Linea 1 and a new Linea 2 are under construction, and Linea 3 is in planning.

Out-of-town: the GTT network and ticket includes the suburbs, but further out it's mostly the blue buses run by Arriva or Sadem. Again, try to buy your ticket before boarding, eg at a tobacconist, café or news stand. Consider also buying the return if you're going to a quiet spot that may lack ticket facilities.

Metro Rail operates service between Turin and many of the outlying communities. If your destination is one of these towns (which include such sights as the royal estate at Venaria and the mountain town of Bardonecchia), one option is SFM, the metro rail service of Turin. SFM tickets can be bought at the station or through Trenitalia. For more information, check out the Servizio Ferroviario Metropolitano website.

The city has a network of bicycle paths, though they're not all in good condition, and pedestrians will try to claim right of way. On the roads, cars, motor scooters and trams will scythe across your path.

Bike share services are run by Lime and RideMovi; use their Android or iPhone apps to register.

By car You don't need a car in town, and driving here is not for the faint-hearted. You need to beware the many restricted-entry streets, trams, and other motorists who may regard red lights and speed limits as merely advisory.

A good central parking garage is beneath Piazza Vittorio Veneto is Parcheggio Vittorio Park.

Car rentals: as well as the airport rental kiosks, there are down-town rental offices, e.g., Hertz, just outside Porta Susa train station.

There are three car sharing services in Turin, ShareNow, Enjoy and LeasysGO (which uses 100% electric cars). An electric scooter sharing service is run by MiMoto.

By taxi Taxis in Torino start the meter the moment your call is received. It is not customary to hail a taxi on the street, but there are taxi ranks at the main railway stations, at the corner of Via Sacchi and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, and elsewhere. You can also book via the WeTaxi app.

See

Turin's main attractions include important baroque palaces and churches, an attractive arcade-lined street grid, an extensive network of arcades, famous coffee shops and several renowned museums. Five palaces in Turin and nine more in the region served as residences for the Savoy royalty and are now inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Torino+Piemonte Card gives you plus one child under 12 free access to all the museums and most other city attractions listed below. It does not include regular public transport but does include the bus to and from Venaria Reale (plus palace entry), the rack-railway to Superga, selected city tours, and a discount on the airport bus. At these prices you may struggle to break even, given the regular entry fees, and the hours needed to take in each of the top sights. All cards are timed from first use

Palazzo Reale. The Palace was built in the 16th century, modernised in the 17th and converted to a museum in 1946. The result is a wacky hybrid of medieval, baroque and bling. You enter via the palace gardens to reach the ticket office. The ticket covers five attractions:- Galleria Sabauda houses the vast art collection of the rulers of Savoy.- Chapel of the Shroud is accessed this way, and from a gallery looks into the Cathedral.- Royal Apartments: gilt, red flock, chandeliers, vast paintings, and everything else to impress.- Royal Armoury: dating from the 16th century, the 1833 collection of Sardinian king Carlo Alberto.- Royal Library: this contains some 200,000 print volumes, 4500 manuscripts, 3055 drawings, 187 incunabula predating 1501, 5019 16th-century books, 20,987 pamphlets, 1500 works on parchment, 1112 periodicals, and 400 photo albums, maps, engravings, and prints. It contains several works Leonardo da Vinci's: Codex on the Flight of Birds, his self-portrait, his study for the angel in his Virgin of the Rocks and his study for the angel in Verrocchio's The Baptism of Christ.

Museo Civico d'Arte Antica. This museum is within Palazzo Madama on Piazza Castello. It's misnamed, as the art collection is Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque, and more ancient (eg Byzantine) work is elsewhere.

CAMERA – Italian Centre for Photography. Impressive quality photography, with 3 or 4 exhibitions a year.

Museo Egizio. "The road to Memphis and Thebes passes through Turin" said Egyptologist Jean-François Champollion about Museo Egizio in Turin, second only in order of importance to the one in Cairo. Many artifacts were collected by Bernardino Drovetti (1776 - 1852) when he was consul of France in Egypt. In 1824, King Carlo Felice di Savoia purchased the diplomat's entire collection and housed it in the palace built in the 17th century by design of architect Michelangelo Garove (which was firstly Collegio dei Nobili, then seat of Accademia delle Scienze and still houses the museum). The visit begins with floor -1 hypogeous with History of the Museum (highlights - Mensa Isiaca, statue of Isis from Coptos, Iuefankh's Book of the Dead); taking the escalator we reach floor 2 with Material Culture Galleries, Predynastic, Old Kingdom, Textiles Gallery, Tomb of the Unknown (intact), Tomb of Iti and Neferu, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom (highlights - Gebelein Canvas, pleated tunics, faience hippo statuette, statue of Aanen, statue of Hel); taking Sanpaolesi staircase we reach floor 3 with Writing Gallery (highlights - double cartouche from Temple of the Aten, Papyrus of Kings, Judicial Papyrus, pyramidion from the Tomb of Ramose); returning to floor 2, then descending Mazzucchetti staircase we reach floor 1 with Village of Deir el-Medina, In Search of Life (human remains), Egyptian Gardens (on the terrace), Tomb of Kha and Merit (intact), Coffin Gallery, Valley of the Queens, Late Period, Ptolemaic Period, Roman and Late Antique Period (highlights - statue of Pendua and Nefertari, Erotic-Satirical Papyrus, Maya Chapel, Butehamon Coffin, animal mummies, amulets); the visit ends taking Mazzucchetti staircase to floor 0 with Gallery of Kings and Temple of Ellesiya (highlights - statues of Ramses II, Sethi II, Tutmosis III, Sekhmet).Analog services: cloakroom (floor -1 hypogeous), rest area "Caffè con ME" (reached from Room 7), museum shop (floor -1 hypogeous), kids area "Spazio ZeroSei Egizio" (reached from main entrance), Silvio Curto Egyptological Library (floor 1). Digital services: free wi-fi "Museo Egizio free", online audio guide "Webapp MUseo Egizio", 4 virtual tours to discover collection and exhibitions.

Risorgimento Museum. Fascinating exposition of the tumultuous birth of modern Italy, set in the very building where many events took place: Carlo Alberto and Vittorio Emanuele II were born here, and the first Italian parliament sat here. Garibaldi's campaign was in the context of revolutions and upheavals all over Europe, the greatest of all being the Industrial Revolution. It was a very literary and graphic age, so events are vividly shown in film, photos, political cartoons and other artefacts.

Galleria d'Italia. Galleria d'Italia is a museum chain to show off the art owned by Intesa Sanpaolo bank, the modern nobility. The Turin branch, opened in 2022, is in the Palazzo Turinetti di Pertengo and mostly displays photography. Their others are in Milan, Naples and Vicenza.

Foundation Accorsi-Ometto. Extensive display of furniture, painting and other decorative art.

Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali. Trad natural history display of rocks and stuffed animals in a former hospital.

Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea. Huge permanent collection of 19th and 20th century art.

Mole Antonelliana. The 167.5-metre tower is the highest work of masonry in Europe and you can ride a lift to the cupola at the top. Within it, the National Cinema Museum is a vast exhibition space spiralling up five floors. The themes of the floors are the archaeology of cinema, the video camera, a collection of cinema posters, video installations (with side rooms screening clips), and the Great Temple where you recline in comfy red chairs and watch — or is it worship? — Italian film classics projected on giant screens overhead. Artefacts include magic lanterns, optical illusions, photographs, drawings, models, props and costumes, such as the original cape worn by Christopher Reeve in Superman in 1978.

Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile. The collection houses over 170 vehicles, from 18th-century carriages to Formula 1 racers, and lots of gorgeous red sports cars.

Museum of Criminal Anthropology. Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909) was convinced that criminality was inherited, little influenced by environment and that criminals could be distinguished by their ugly atavistic features. It therefore followed that any ethnic group that didn't fit Italian concepts of beauty was inferior and should be subjugated. When Lombroso met Tolstoy, he rather spoiled the occasion by trying to measure Tolstoy's skull for signs of Slav atavism. His theories greatly suited the far right in Europe but were discredited after the fall of Mussolini. This museum displays his dingbat collection, but perhaps his legacy best lives on in the portrayal of film baddies.

Museo Nazionale della Montagna Duca degli Abruzzi. History of alpine mountaineering.

Museum of The New Prison. Spooky museum of prisons and punishments. Visit by guided tour; booking is recommended, and essential for the descent into the air raid shelter.

Museum of Oriental Art. This museum houses art from Kandahar, India, Southeast Asia, China and Japan. The third floor shows Buddhist and Tibetan culture. The fourth floor is Islamic and Arabian, mainly bronzes, ceramics and tiles.

Museum of the Shroud. The original Sindone or Turin Shroud is in safekeeping in the Cathedral and rarely displayed. This small museum displays a copy and studies the Shroud. It's a remarkable object whatever it is, a 4.4 x 1.1 m winding sheet charred by fire and appearing to bear the likeness of a man, matching the Gospel description of the crucifixion of Jesus. Multiple tests have produced contradictory results, or at least contradictory interpretations. It's only reliably known to have existed since 1390 when it was denounced as a forgery, and radio-carbon dating matches that. But no deliberate attempt to reproduce it has managed to capture all its qualities, especially the 3D effect of its photo negative, and neither natural nor artificial processes convincingly explain it. So just look and wonder.

Palazzo Barolo. Baroque bling palace, visit by guided tour. Its last private owner Carlo Tancredi Falletti di Barolo served Napoleon then worked tirelessly for relief of the poor; his palace then became an opera house.

Pietro Micca Museum. In 1706 the French besieged Turin for four months as part of the War of Spanish Succession, which embroiled all major European powers and their colonies. The defending Savoyards had dug 15 km of counter-sapping tunnels, to prevent the French burrowing in. That meant the French could only attack ineffectively from a distance. Pietro Micca sacrificed himself in detonating a tunnel that they were breaking into; a few days later the siege was broken by arriving reinforcements. Nine km of preserved galleries can be visited.

Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli. Striking modern building, maybe an orbiter's solar power module? - perched atop the Lingotti Centre. It houses the Agnelli's private art collection, with many big names represented.

Museo Lavazza. All about coffee and the Lavazza brand, in a former coffee factory.

Museo Ettore Fico. Only open for temporary exhibitions, but with a small permanent display of the work of Ettore Fico (1917-2004).

Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. Art exhibition gallery in a former automobile factory and outdoor sculpture park.

MACA. Science museum, child-oriented, limited English signage.

Churches Turin has some 150 churches, so only the most notable are described here. But almost all of them are worth looking into, if you happen to be passing and find them open.

Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. Large elegant cathedral dating from late 15th century, enlarged in the 17th to create the Chapel for the Shroud of Turin. However this chapel (rebuilt after a fire in 1997) is nowadays accessed as part of a tour of Palazzo Reale and can't be seen from the Cathedral; visit the nearby Sindone Museum to see a copy of the Shroud.

Chapel of the Merchants. A jewel of baroque architecture and sacred art built from 1680 by businessmen anxious to sanctify their dealings - they were, let's stress, "The Pious Congregation of Bankers, Shopkeepers and Merchants of Turin." One theme of the decor is the Magi, bearing the trade valuables without which the Christian church couldn't exist. The chapel was created within Chiesa dei Santi Martiri, a 16th-century Jesuit church. Its best-known artefact is the "calendario perpetuo" made by Giovanni Amedeo Plana in 1831. This predicts lunar phases, tides, days of the week and Christian holy days for 4000 years from Year Zero (1 BC in the Gregorian calendar); thereafter it's askew as it misses an extra leap-day tweak. It ranks among the world's earliest computers, though pipped by Babbage's "difference engine" of 1822.

Santa Maria di Monte dei Cappuccini. A late-Renaissance-style church on a hill overlooking the River Po. It was built 1583 to 1656 for the Capuchin Friars; the delay was through plague and the occasional war. A miracle supposedly occurred in 1640 during the French assault on Turin, when troops seizing the church were repulsed by a sheet of holy flame from the tabernacle. They slew all the defenders anyhow, no doubt in a faith-affirming sort of way. Cannonballs stuck in the walls recall the assaults of 1706 and 1799.

Basilica di Maria Ausiliatrice. Palladian church built 1865-68, originally as part of a care facility for poor and delinquent boys founded by Don Bosco (1815-88). He himself is buried here, along with 6000 bits and pieces of saints.

Parrocchia Sacro Cuore di Maria. Neo-gothic church of 1890.

Chiesa Maria Santissima Del Carmelo. This church was built in the 1730s for a Carmelite convent.

Santuario della Consolata. A church and Benedictine monastery may have stood here since the 5th century. Most of it is from 1680 to 1740, an over-the-top profusion of baroque.

San Lorenzo. This church was built from 1634 by Guarino Guarini to a complex baroque design, where square basilica plan and Grecian cross segues into circular, octagonal and elliptical forms. This creates a striking light-play, especially in the dome, which Guarini might not be pleased to know is dubbed faccia del diavolo, the face of the devil.

Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio. A neo-classical miniature pantheon at the far end of Vittorio Emanuele I bridge, closing off the view down Via Po. It was built to celebrate the defeat of Napoleon and return of the Savoy monarchy in 1814, but only completed in 1831.

Mausoleo della Bela Rosin. Rosa Vercellana (1833-1885) became the mistress of the future Victor Emmanuel II and had two children by him before she was 16. She was made a countess when his legitimate wife and queen died in 1855, and in 1869 when the king thought he himself might die, he hurriedly married Rosa. It was a morganatic marriage, so it conferred no crown or right of succession on her or her children. He survived to do the same thing over in 1877, likewise morganatic, then died. His Savoy dynasty wouldn't let this upstart floozie be buried next to him, so here lies La Bela. The neoclassical building was handed over to the city in 1970 but vandalised and fell derelict; it was restored in 2005 and now houses a public library.

Public spaces Piazza Castello is the grand square flanked to the north by the cathedral, Palazzo Reale and gardens. West are the church of San Lorenzo, Palazzo Chiablese (housing the fine arts admin, not open to the public) and the tourist office; Via Garibaldi is the one km-long pedestrian street west to Piazza Statuto. Via Roma the main shopping street branches south. The square is big enough for an entire palace to occupy its centre, Palazzo Madama, housing the Museum of Ancient Art. East is Teatro Regio with Via Po and Via Verdi leading off. 100 m north of the cathedral is a Roman city gate from the 1st century BC. West lies the 1 km x 1 km city district of Quadrilatero, on the site of the Roman colony. The street grid pattern has been preserved but the district was repeatedly built on, so the Porta is the only substantial Roman remnant.

is an elegant pedestrian mall running south from Piazza Castello to Piazza Carlo Alberto. Piazza Carignano is a block south of Piazza Castello, with Teatro Carignano on its west flank and the Risorgimento Museum within Palazzo Carignano east. Piazza Carlo Alberto has Palazzo Carignano to its west and the university library east. Piazza San Carlo is midway along Via Roma, the arcaded pedestrian street between Piazza Castello and Porta Nuova station. On its west flank is Palazzo Turinetti di Pertengo housing Galleria d'Italia. Northwest, Galleria San Federico is a glitzy mall parallel to Via Roma, with a hotel and Cinema Lux. North is the Egyptian Museum. is an elegant square at the foot of Via Pomba laid out mid-19th century and formerly used as a market. Galleria Umberto I is a covered mall built in 1890, between Via della Basilica, Piazza della Repubblica and Via Milano. is the grand centrepiece of Valentino Park along the riverside. This 17th century palace now houses the Faculty of Architecture of the Polytechnic University of Turin. On its north flank is the Botanic Museum (below). The illuminated fountain at the north end of the park is derelict.

Botanic Museum. Small collection and somewhat run down.

Borgo Medievale at the south end of Valentino Park is an open-air reconstruction of a medieval village and castle. It's closed for rebuilding until late 2025. is at the foot of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, spanning the Po to Crimea district. It was opened in 1907 but criticised as being plain and slabby. Giant heroic statues were therefore added at each end. is an odd building at Via Giulia di Barolo 9, corner with Coro San Maurizio, nicknamed Fetta di Polenta for its resemblance to a thin yellow slice of polenta. It was built from 1840 when the Vanchiglia district was laid out, designed by Alessandro Antonelli the architect of Mole Antonelliana. It narrows to a pinch of 54 cm, little more than a street facade, even a flatiron building has a plumper tip. It's now a private residence so you can't go in, and be grateful you don't have to live here.

La Venaria Reale. Built as a royal hunting lodge from 1675, this grew and grew into a humonguous bling palace, trying to outshine Versailles. It became a barracks and was knocked about in Napoleonic times, remaining military until the 1930s, then the vandals set about it. Restoration was piecemeal until 1996, then a ten-year project brought it back to its former baroque opulence. Highlights include the Salone di Diana, the Galleria Grande, the chapel of Sant’Uberto and the Scuderie (stables). The Gardens are a modern re-imagining. The palace was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.

La Mandria. The "hunting lodge" grew into such a vast palace that what was needed was a new hunting lodge. However, King Victor Emmanuel II needed somewhere to ensconce his mistress La Bela Rosin, so this new lodge in turn became so big and blinged up that . . . life can be really tough when you're a plutocrat monarch. Wild boar, deer and rare breeds of horse roam the park, which has multiple access points. In the 20th century it acquired a golf course and a motor-racing track.

Basilica of Superga. This hilltop basilica was built in thanksgiving for the 1706 defeat of the French at Turin. Often incorrectly called a cathedral, it's in sort-of-classical-with-baroque style, and houses the tombs of many nobles of the House of Savoy. Superga hill derives its name from Serrapergia meaning "mountain between the hills". Nearby is a monument to the air crash of 1949, which wiped out Torino FC. Get here by car, bus, rack-railway, or the hiking trails, but the approach road is narrow with no sidewalk so it is not safe for walking.

Infini.to. Two shows midweek and three at weekends, only in Italian.

Villa della Regina. A royal palace and gardens on a hill east edge of the city. It's modest by Savoyard standards but plush with Chinese and Baroque interiors. This reflects the era of Anne Marie d'Orléans, in residence from 1692. Next to the Villa, the Queen's vineyard has been productive since the 1600s, and its "Freisa di Chieri DOC - Villa della Regina" red wine is on sale here.

Moncalieri Castle. This castle was built as a fortress by Thomas I of Savoy, but enlarged into a pleasure palace in the mid-15th century. From the 19th century it was especially used by queen mothers and princesses. Today it houses the Carabinieri, though the castle and its apartments can be visited. Reservation required.

Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi. Royal hunting lodge built from 1729, and like Veneria Reale its embellishments then got out of hand to create something a Disney princess would swoon over, grand halls and galleries and salons with putti and nymphs in industrial quantities. It houses a huge collection of Piedmontese furniture in its Rococo interiors. Outside is the Parco naturale, the hunting park and gardens, but Fritz the resident elephant has long gone.

Zoom Torino. Spacious zoo exhibiting animals from around the world.

Castello di Rivoli. The hilltop castle was built around 900 AD but from the 17th century had so many incomplete extensions, abandoned or wrecked by the French, that owners and architects risked being driven mad. One who did go mad was King Victor Amadeus II (1666-1732), who horrified noble society by publicly marrying his mistress here; he was deposed and incarcerated within the castle to stop him declaring war on Milan or Poland or heaven knows where. The building later became a barracks but fell derelict until restored in the 1980s. It's now a museum of contemporary art.

Cerrutti Collection is an exhibition space of the Rivoli museum, in a modern building on Vicolo dei Fiori one km west of the castle.

Do

Parks: closest to the centre is Parco Valentino, ranged around Castello Valentino (above) on the riverside. is a large green space upstream, at the confluence of the Po and Dora river.

Teatro Regio. The city opera house is active Oct-June. It was opened in 1740 but burned down in 1936. Reconstruction took until 1973, with a modern building behind the original facade, seating 1500.

Teatro Carignano. The city's oldest and premier theatre, opened in 1753. It was wrecked by fire in 1786 but swiftly rebuilt to the original plan, and from 1936 to 1973 it was the opera house during Teatro Regio's lengthy closure.

Teatro Colosseo. A modern concert hall seating 1500.

Other theatres include the Alfieri, Stabile, Astra, Tedaca, Gioiello and Erba; Teatro Araldo has closed down. Alfa Teatro is a puppet theatre. Stadio Olimpico the Torino FC football ground hosts the biggest live events, see below, or they're held in the adjacent Pala Alpitour aka Inalpi Arena. is a mansion of 1713, centrepiece of Tesoriera Park, that's now a concert venue. OGR (Officine Grandi Riparazioni) is an events venue at Corso Castelfidardo 22.

Juventus FC. "Juve", founded in 1897, play soccer in Serie A, Italy's top tier, and have almost never been out of the top flight. Allianz Stadium, capacity 41,000, has a club museum.

Torino FC. "Toro" also play in Serie A. The original club was founded in 1906 and dominated until 1949, when team and staff died in the Superga air crash. They had mixed fortunes thereafter and went bust in 2005, so this is a phoenix club. The stadium, capacity 28,000, was built in the 1930s and renovated for the 2006 Winter Olympics, and for some obscure reason is no longer named for Benito Mussolini.

Stadio Primo Nebiolo is a multi-use facility (capacity 7200) in Parco Ruffini in the west of the city. It hosted Torino FC from 1993 to 2009 but no longer has a resident team. Golf: courses around the city are Le Rosine, Stupinigi, Colonetti, Moncalieri, Ciliegi, Druento and La Mandria. Or if your game's none too good, try Torino Disc Golf in Parco del Meisen.

Swimming pools: over a dozen, with three of various sizes in the Stadio Olimpico complex. Torino Marathon is first week in November. There are also fun runs over various distances. Milano-Torino is a one day bike race over 199 km between the two cities, held in March.

Events Torino Jazz Festival is late April. Turin Book Fair is in May. Kappa FuturFestival is a techno music festival in Parco Dora in July. Terra Madre Salone del Gusto celebrates local produce and Slow Food. It's held in even-numbered years over a week in September, in Parco Dora. Torino Film Festival is held over a week in November. Cioccola in the first week of December is all about chocolate, and why you ought to buy more of it for Christmas.

Learn

University of Turin (Università degli Studi di Torino, UNITO) was founded in 1404. As of 2022 it had 78,900 undergrads, 2300 postgrads and PhD students, 2150 academic staff and 1880 non-teaching staff. The main Campus Luigi Einaudi is just off Via Po, but there are departments all over the city, and further out though some outlying campuses are now in the separate University of Eastern Piedmont based in Alessandria, Novara and Vercelli.

Polytechnic University of Turin (Politecnico di Torino, PoliTo) was founded in 1859 and majors on engineering, architecture, urban planning and industrial design. In 2020 it had 20,900 undergrads, 14,700 postgrads and PhD students, 980 academic staff and 890 non-teaching staff. There are multiple campuses and departments across the city.

Buy

Supermarkets downtown are small convenience stores, typically open to 21:00 daily. Carrefour Express is the main chain. Via Roma is the elegant pedestrian mall from Piazza Castello south to Porta Nuova railway station, with a mix of upscale brands and budget chains. Via Lagrange is parallel to Via Roma, two blocks east, with La Rinascente department store. Via Po is another line of arcades from Piazza Castello southeast to Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the river Po, with FRAV at its head then a series of small stores. Via Garibaldi is a km-long pedestrian street in Europe from Piazza Castello northwest to Piazza Statuto. It has clothes shops, bars, a Footlocker store and a branch of Muji. Quadrilatero the district northwest of Piazza Castello has many independent stores. Via Pietro Micca west from Piazza Castello to Piazza Solferino has several clothing stores. Bookstores: Luxemburg International Bookshop is at Via Accademia delle Scienze 3 just off Piazza Castello and it's your best destination for English-language novels, EFL teaching materials and foreign magazines and newspapers. La Feltrinelli is a national chain with a branch on Piazza Castello at the junction of Via Po.

Porta Palazzo. Big street and indoor market for food produce, clothes, houseware, ethnic products, handicrafts and second-hand articles. On the second Sunday of each month there's a smaller antiques and flea market called Gran Balôn.

is a vast food hall, the foundation store of what has become an international gourmet grocery chain. It's at Via Ermanno Fenoglietti 14, corner of Via Nizza, midway between Spezia and Lingotto Metro stations, and open daily 10:00 till 23:00. There's another outlet 3 km north on Via Lagrange, open daily till 22:00. Centro Commerciale Lingotto (formerly 8 Gallery) is the general shopping centre just south of Eataly. it's a long corridor with shops, the NH Hotel, Agnelli Art Museum, and a cinema. The shops are open daily 10:00-21:00 and the restaurants till 23:00. Lingotto Metro is in front on Via Nizza. Edge of town shopping centres, which you'd only visit with a car, include Montecucco and Shopville Le Gru west, Le Fornaci southwest, Area12 north, and Botticelli, Porto di Torino and Outlet Village northeast. Gifts: Rich, smooth gianduja chocolate is a local speciality, if you can resist gobbling them yourself.

Eat

Turin has good public water, surging out of the nearby mountains. You'll see public drinking fountains everywhere, usually in the shape of a green bull, locally called Turet. Restaurants will happily serve you a carafe of tap water and not hassle you to buy bottled.

Many restaurants serve Piedmontese dishes, obviously, but the other regional Italian cuisines are also well represented.

Turin and the region of Piedmont has a very distinct regional cuisine that you will not often find easily around Italy.

Traditional dishes that you should look out for include vitello tonnato, tajarin, agnolotti, and bagna cauda.

In addition, there are a number of traditional products from Turin such as torrone, bicerin, grissini, and gianduiotto.

Budget La Piadineria is a chain with about 20 city locations, serving wraps; they have 3 outlets in or by Porto Nuova station.

Grom. Renowned ice cream chain. Their other outlets are on Via Accademia delle Scienze, Via Garibaldi, Corso Romania and Via Nizza.

Piola Cianci. Popular place for fast inexpensive antipasti and main meals.

Focacceria Lagrange. Nice place to eat light and crispy focaccia. Fast service. Mostly takeaway but they have a few tables inside and out.

Gofreria Piemontèisa. Gofri are waffles Piedmont style, thin with sweet or savoury fillings.

La Stuzzicheria. Good local good pizza and excellent farinata.

Bicyclette. Impressive variety of sweet and savory crepes; high quality dough and ingredients.

Pizzeria Ristorante Gonzales Torino. Simple local pizzeria, can feel crowded and grubby.

Caffè Mulassano. Charming atmospheric cafe on the main square.

Baratti & Milano. Elegant cafe on the main square, founded in 1858.

Lobelix. This bar serves a nightly aperitivo - your drink buys access to the food, which runs out towards 21:00.

Gennaro Esposito. Offbeat design and combos, excellent Neapolitan pizza.

Fratelli La Cozza. Pizzeria and seafood. Try for a balcony seat for views down the boulevard.

Tre Gallini is a similar place at the southwest corner of the piazza. Gallini are chickens, galli are roosters.

Sfashion Cafè. Pizzeria and south Italian dishes in kitsch jazzy surroundings. It's owned by Piero Chiambretti (b 1956) the TV entertainer and presenter.

Gelateria Pepino. An ice-cream parlor founded in 1884. They were personal favorites of Benito Mussolini, and during his regime Pepino sent daily ice-cream deliveries to the dictator in Rome.

Caffè San Carlo. Glitzy cafe with upscale meals.

Da Mauro. Good reviews for their home cooking. Great value for money, come early or you won't get in.

Arcadia. Beautiful place with Italian and Japanese cuisine. The Japanese is just sushi and bento-box offerings, stick to the Italian.

Caffè Fiorio. Swanky old-style cafe for desserts and ice cream, several reviewers felt the quality and service didn't live up to the decor.

Spada Reale. Restaurant with Piedmontese, Tuscan and Sicilian offerings.

Trattoria Imbianchini & Decoratori. Piemontese and other north Italian cuisine.

La Livella. Stylish restaurant with moderate prices.

Trattoria San Domenico. Traditional Italian food, with Sardinian specialities.

Pizzeria Due Torri. Good pizza and pasta dishes. Friendly efficient staff.

Eataly on Via Nizza by Lingotto metro station: see "Buy".

Antica Bruschetteria Pautasso. Specialises in local Piedmont dishes, including bagna cauda.

Osteria del Frate. Good food in Piedmontese style, friendly staff.

Mezzaluna. Friendly staff serving vegan versions of Italian and other dishes.

Porto di Savona. High quality Piedmont cuisine.

Ristorante Del Cambio. A posh restaurant serving Piemontese delicacies, occasional flops but mostly great reviews. They even offer a tasting menu for vegetarians. You want to be in the palatial main dining salon not in Farmacia cafe or Cavour bar.

Mare Nostrum. Excellent southern Italian and Sicilian seafood fish dishes. The starter is a must, just one entry on the menu, but you receive six small dishes of the day.

Piano35. This teeters atop a skyscraper designed by Renzo Piano, occupied by Intesa Sanpaolo Bank. High scores for food and service, and you're paying for the rooftop view.

Drink

The main concentration of bars is along the river near Ponte Vittorio Emanuele, while the historic centre has many charming old-world cafés.

The late night spots are around Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Murazzi, Lungo Dora Firenze at the corner of Via Reggio, Largo Saluzzo in San Salvario and Piazza Santa Giulia.

Caffe al Bicerin. Home of the classic Torinese drink, the Bicerin, a mix of coffee, hot chocolate and cream. But pricey and long queues.

Birrificio Torino. Brewpub restaurant with six beers brewed on premises. Good menu with recommended matched beers. More restaurant than pub, it can be very busy.

Caffe Rossini. Calls itself a restaurant, but it's really a café and late-night pub with music and a young crowd.

Lab Vittorio. Small lively bar with good cocktails and tapas. They have another bar at Via Mazzini 5.

Distilleries in the city mostly make vermouth and grappa. They include TUVÈ, Aquaglia, Arudi, Cornelio and Ducale.

Sleep

Casa Romar. Simple pensione, rooms are en suite but on upper floors with no lift. Good transport to city centre and free parking.

Hotel Nizza. Basic but decent-value hotel next to the station. All rooms en suite with air-con. Pets are welcome.

Hotel Bologna. Central location, good value and friendly staff. No breakfast facilities.

Hotel Due Mondi. A bit shabby, but good location and fair value for money.

Holiday Inn Turin - Corso Francia. Boxy, modern well-furnished hotel. Underground parking.

Hotel Artua'&Solferino. Creaky but central pensione by Re Umberto parking lot.

Hotel Diplomatic. Tired old hotel but convenient for Porta Susa station.

NH Lingotto Congress. Business hotel in a former Fiat Lingotto factory. Large high-ceilinged rooms, with a rooftop race-track.

Hotel Victoria. Charming central hotel with spa and oriental theme.

NH Santo Stefano. Great location opposite Palazzo Reale in historic centre, this hotel gets good reviews for rooms and service. Also has a beautiful spa.

Grand Hotel Sitea. Rooms well appointed, and well serviced. Good restaurant, helpful staff. Short walk to Piazza San Carlo.

AC Hotel Torino. 4-star, part of Marriott chain. Good-sized, well-furnished rooms, good breakfast buffet. Parking on premises.

Principi di Piemonte. Elegant 5-star hotel in the centre of the historical district, gets great reviews for comfort, dining and service.