Even though Turin City is not a famous travel destination like Florence or Rome, the setting is pleasant, with the Po River flowing through the city, the genteel hills overlooking the city and scattered with pleasant villas and the Italian Alps off in the distance. This is why the famous architect Le Corbusier defined Turin as "the city with the most beautiful natural location in the world".
Many people consider Torino the European capital of Baroque: many palaces and churches were built in this style during the kingdom of the Savoia. It isn't the typical Italian city, with red and yellow buildings: is a bit more French; wide boulevards with white buildings make the city centre more similar to Paris. Around the city, a crown of churches and castles, some up on a hilltop, some lost in a park, provide plenty of interesting views.
PLACE TO VISIT
Mole Antonelliana - Turin's landmark building was completed in 1888 as a synagogue. The 167.5-meter tower is the highest work of masonry in Europe and it now contain one of the finest cinema museum of Europe.
The National Cinema Museum - The museum opened in July 2000 in the building that has come to symbolize Turin. The exhibition space covers 3,200 square meters and spans five floors. The themes of the floors are the Archaeology of Cinema, the Video Camera, a collection of cinema posters, video installations (including a number of small rooms screening clips on themes such as Turin in the movies, love stories and experimental film), and The Great Temple (where you recline in comfortable red chairs and watch classic Italian films projected on giant screens overhead). In a spectacular setting the museum offers artifacts from the collection of the Maria Adrianna Prolo Foundation including magic lanterns, optical illusions, photographs, drawings, models and other curious items. Amongst a fascinating array of other movie memorabilia, be sure to check out the original cape worn by Christopher Reeve in Superman. If you're a certain age, that's incredibly exciting!
Museo dell'Automobile - Some may place this above the Uffizi as a showcase of Italian art. The collection houses over 170 vehicles, from 18th-century carriages to Formula 1 racers, and lots of gorgeous red sports cars. The museum is under restructuring and the re-opening is scheduled for 2011.
The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist - The Cathedral's Chapel of the Shroud houses the controversial Shroud of Turin, which is stored in a vault below the Duomo. It is only displayed by papal decree, and the last time it was shown was during the Jubilee Year of 2000.
Egyptian Museum - Houses the most important collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts outside Cairo. Founded in 1824 by King Carlo Felice after acquiring archeologist Drovetti's collection, the museum contains 30,000 exhibits. It documents the history and civilization of Egypt from the paleolithic to the Coptic era through unique exhibits and collections of objects d'art, articles of daily use and funeral furnishings.
Palazzo Madama - Piazza Castello. Recently re-opened after a long refurbishment, it is attracting many tourists. It was home of the Queen, and is a mix of medieval and baroque rooms. There's a room with red sofas to take a rest after the visit, with a magnificient chandelier, and a cafeteria in one of the rooms.
Quadrilatero Romano - Full of restaurants, it is the old Roman town, northwest of Piazza Castello.
Valentino Park - the biggest park in Turin central area. This park is situated along the Po river and in its area you can find the Valentino Castle, and the Medieval Village (Borgo Medievale).
Cathedral of Superga - On top of the hill near Turin, this cathedral was built in thanksgiving for a victorious battle against French. Today, it houses the tombs of the House of Savoy. In 1949 a plane carrying the entire Turin FC team crashed near the cathedral, killing one of the greatest football teams ever. At the crash site a plate memorializes the dead. The top of the hill offers the best view of Turin, with the magnificent Alps in the background.
Castello di Rivoli - In the small town of Rivoli, east of Turin. Houses one of Europe's most important Contemporary Art Museums. The Castle of Rivoli is a unfinished XVIII castle that stands on top of Rivoli hills. Corso Francia (France Road) is one of the world's longest streets and was built because of the desire of the House of Savoy to connect Royal Palace in the center of Turin with Rivoli Castle.
La Venaria Reale - outside the town of Venaria, 10 kilometres north east of Turin. Restored to the baroque magnificence that inspired it when it was built in the mid 17th century for duke Carlo Emanuele II di Savoia, the Reggia of Venaria Reale was inaugurated in October 2007, after two centuries of abandon and decay, and eight years of intense restoration. In the first year since it opened to the public, Venaria Reale has welcomed approximately 1.000.000 visitors becoming one of the most popular spot in Italy.
River Po Park - The Piedmontese part of the longest river of Italy is protected as a natural park. Its benches ar full of interesting and unexpected views onwards the town and the hill and are enriched by the Castle of Valentino, Medieval Burgh and Gran Madre church, which mirror on river Po.
Armeria Reale - Turin's Royal Armoury contains one of the best exhibits of arms in Europe, dating back to the 16th century. The collection was put together in 1833 by sardinian king Charles Albert.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Turin's international airport is placed 15 km north of the city and is named after Italy's former President Sandro Pertini. It is located in the town of Caselle, connected to Turin city by a convenient motorway. The main carrier is Alitalia, Italy's flagship airline, which operates flight from some European and Italian cities. Caselle is also a destination for some low fares airlines, for example Ryanair and Easyjet. The airport is connected to the city by train (to the station of Porta Dora, which is useless. Arriving at the Porta Dora really is like arriving in the middle of nowhere.), bus (with a regional bus service, which is long) and taxi (which is expensive, and the reason that the connections by public transport are so bad).
By train - Turin has three main railway stations, Porta Nuova, Porta Susa and Lingotto FS. Generally speaking, Porta Nuova is a station dedicated to mid-range and long-range trains. Porta Susa (under renovation) serves some local trains, but the trains for Milan - leaving from Porta Nuova - also transit there. You'd better check in advance where you need to go. Many trains also stops in both stations. no Trains coming from/going to the south of Turin, for example, Genoa, Cinque Terre, Bologna, depart from Porta Nuova via Lingotto FS, to those cities.
