Our love for Italy, its people, architecture, and food culture is all on display in this vibrant northern Italian city.
With a backdrop of the Alps, Turin in northern region of Piedmont is truly cosmopolitan city. It’s charm lies in the old cafés and restaurants that line the cities boulevards and grand Piazza’s.
Wandering the streets of Turin, you quickly absorb it’s well-worn beauty. For a few days, we had great enjoyment just simply walking around, discovering all the city has to offer. We were often found ourselves stopping in at one of the many bars for a coffee while swooning over the smartly groomed locals.
Nothing is more Turinese than the aperitif, invented here in 1786. The aperitivo is a ritual here; traditional requires that pre-dinner drinks be accompanied by canapés, and enjoyed before going on for dinner. And for visitors like us, its perfect excuse people watching over a drink and salty snacks at a bar.
Like all great cities, Turin has left its mark on international culture, particularly its gastronomic legacy. Lavazza coffee, thirst quenching Leone pastilles, Savoy biscuits, Grissini bread sticks and Martini vermouth all originated here. As a result, Turin the capital of the Piedmont region is considered to be the food basket of Italy, and has some of the countries best food credentials. Piedmont has the most wines granted the DOC status (Denominazione de Origine Controlla) – a certificated that the wines locally grown and made – than any other province.
Elegant colonnaded arcades
We love that Turin is a city designed for walking. Summer or winter the elegantly dressed Turinese walk (and cycle) for kilometers under the shelter of the distinctive arcades. The buildings are important to the city, and lucky for us, they have held onto them as well as the many of the bars, tea rooms, cafés and restaurants tucked under the porticos.
Step back in time at the old-world Baratti & Milano to a time when ornate and opulent décor was du rigour. This flamboyant interior – in the liberty style – still greets customers with it’s yellow marble bar, bronze sculptures and gilded stacco. makes it the perfect place to indulge in the Turin’s famous coffee, the Bicerin. Made by layering espresso, chocolate and cream into a glass, with the idea being to sip all the layers tasting the different flavours.
The rich history of Turin is on display with a treasure trove of architectural and decorative styles – from the Royal House of Savoy – home of Italy’s Royal family – to baroque churches, piazza’s, medieval vestiges and neo-gothic buildings, all oozing charm from a bygone era.
The 17th century Piazza San Carlo is the city’s most expansive piazza. Lined with Baroque buildings, it’s the Turin’s most handsome of all it’s large squares. A traditional Turinese café occupies each of the squares four corners, with the twin churches of San Carlo and Santa Cristina completing the end of the square.
For a commanding view over Turin, head over the river Po and up the hill to the late Renaissance-style church Monte De Cappuccini. It’s the perfect spot to take picture-perfect shots; beautiful memories of this of this lovely unassuming Italian city.
Our local tip
With the famous food hubs of Alba and Asti at your doorstep, make sure to add on a few extra days. Day trips out of the city to experience the surrounding villages that are famous for some of Italy’s best red wine, truffles and hazelnuts. Some of our favourite villages to visit are Barbaresco, La Morra and Serralunga.
We have stayed in a lovely old B&B in Bossolasco that we would highly reccommend. It’s an ideal place for a base to explore the wine area of Piedemont.
Location
Our visit
Our visit to Turin was in August and it was very hot. Off season months of May – June or September – October when the weather is cooler would be ideal.
Driving from Zurich we found it relatively easy to find our way to the hotel in the central historic area. We stayed five nights in Turin, and then headed up the fabulous Aosta Valley. We stoped in the beautiful resort towns of Courmayeur and Chamonix, then into France via the Mount Blanc tunnel.
The drive from Mont Blanc was just breathtaking especially on the decent to Martigny and Sion in Switzerland. We then drove onto the Lake Maggiore in the Ticino Switzerland.
If you prefer to head to the coast from Turin, Finale Ligure is a low-key resort town on the Italian Riviera. It is a two hour drive away. Situated at the base of a limestone mountain with pristine beaches, it’s where many Turinese choose to spend the summer months. We loved our stay there.
Interested to know more? See our Postcard from Turin and our story on Lake Maggiore.