Overview to Turin: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
- Turin Information
- Eating & drinking in Turin
- Night life in Turin
- Getting around in Turin
- Things to do in Turin
- Where to stay in Turin
- Turin street map
Many travelers come to Turin on the assumption that it’s one of Italy’s lesser cities. But with views of the nearby Alps and, beneath the modern façade, over 2,000 years of history to uncover, the city can come as something of a revelation.
Running north to south and lined with shops and cafés, Via Roma is the city’s grand central thoroughfare. Spreading out from here lie three of Turin’s trademark squares – the Piazza Castello, the Piazza San Carlo and the Piazza della Republica.
Of these, the most interesting is undoubtedly the bustling Piazza della Republica (or the Porta Palazzo) whose hectic open-air market is held to be the largest in Europe. But with its fine baroque architecture, the magnificent Piazza San Carlo is only marginally less impressive.
To the north and west of San Carlo lies the Quadrilatero, the old city center which still corresponds to the Roman layout. Here, the streets around the pedestrianized Via Garibaldi offer up some of the city’s best shopping and strolling opportunities.
Tucked in behind the Palazzo Reale looms the Duomo. Built in the late 15th century, it’s the only remaining example of Renaissance architecture in the city; a fact overshadowed by its displaying of the controversial ‘Turin Shroud’ (said to contain an image of Jesus).
The city boasts a number of other top museums, many of which cluster around the Piazza San Carlo. These include the Museo dell'Automobile (for car fans) the Museo Nazionale del Cinema and (out to the west) the GAM, the city’s excellent modern art gallery.
However, the pick of the bunch is arguably the Museo Egizio on Via Accademia delle Scienze. It’s home to one of the best collections of Egyptian art and artifacts outside Cairo and has been steadily increasing its exhibits since the late 18th century.
Down to the south of the city center is the Parco del Valentino. On a typically foggy winter’s day, with its views of Rivoli Castle rising from the swirling mists of the River Po, it can be one of the more atmospheric quarters of a surprisingly atmospheric city.
