Turin
From MaxTravelz
Turin (Italian: Torino), a large city of about one million inhabitants, is set in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, a one-hour drive from the French border and slightly more than that from the Mediterranean sea.
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Understand
Turin was the first capital of modern Italy, and was the host of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. While it's not a famous cultural city like Florence or Rome, the setting is pleasant, with the Po River flowing through the city, and the Italian Alps off in the distance.
Turin is an important city of technology and industry, and the FIAT automobile company is based here. (The 'T' in the name stands for Torino).
Turin inhabitants are well known across Italy for their understatement and confidentiality and the city reflects this attitude.
Get in
By plane
The airport of Turin is placed north of the city and is named Caselle. The main carrier is Alitalia, Italy's flagship airline, which operates flight from every major European and Italian city.
Caselle is also a destination for some low fares airline.
The airport is connected to the city by bus and taxis.
By train
Turin has two main railway station, Porta Nuova and Porta Susa. There also a smaller station near Lingotto area.
Generally speaking, Porta Nuova is a station dedicated to mid-range and long-range trains, while Porta Susa is more likely arrival place for local railway, but you'd better check in advance where you need to go. Many trains also stops in both stations.
Both stations are managed by Trenitalia, the Italian state railways.
By car
- A4. From Milan and Venice.
- A5. From Ivrea and Aosta.
- A6. From Fossano, Ceva, and Savona.
- A21. From Asti, Alessandria, Genoa, and Piacenza.
- A32. From Frejus and France.
By bus
Get around
By public transportation
Turin has an efficient system of city connections with busses and trams managed by GTT . Currently, the first underground line is under construction and appears to be opened a couple of weeks before the Olympics. Both urban and suburban areas are served by an efficient network. Busses and trams cross the city from morning to late at night.
- Torino Pass
By bicycle
The City of Turin has recently completed a network of bicycle paths throughout the city.
By car
Car Rentals If you would like to rent a car, you can find all the main car hire companies at Turin Airport. Car rentals companies are grouped together immediately in front of the Domestic Arrivals, Ground Floor-Level Zero.
By taxi
- Pronto Taxi Tel: 011/5737
- Radio Taxi Tel: 011/5730
- Turin Airport Tel: (+39)11-991.44.19
- Main Railway station - Torino Porta Nuova Tel. (+39)11-54.73.31
- Via Sacchi ang. C.so Vittorio Emanuele II Tel: (+39)11-65.71.39
See
Turin's main attractions include important baroque palaces and churches, a regular and attractive street grid, an extensive network of arcades, famous coffeeshops and a number of world-renowned museums.
- 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 was opened in July 2000 in the building that symbolises Turin. The exhibition space covers 3,200 square meters and spans five floors. The themes of the floors are: the Archaeology of Cinema, the Film Camera, a Collection of Cinema Posters, Video Installations and the great Temple. In a spectacular setting the museum offers artefacts from the collection of the Maria Adrianna Prolo Foundation including: magic lanterns, optical illusions, photographs, drawings, models and other curious items.
- Museo dell'Automobile (Also Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, Biscaretti for short.), Corso Unità d’Italia 40, . 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 Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, Duomo di San Giovanni. 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. The next time it is slated to be shown is the next Jubilee Year of 2025.
- Egyptian Museum, . The Egyptian Museum houses the most important collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts outside Cairo. Founded in 1824 by King Carlo Felice after acquiring the collection of the archeologist Drovetti, 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 objets d'art, articles of daily use and funeral furnishings (including the Altar of Isis, the canvas painted by Gebelein, the intact tombs of Kha and Merit, and the exceptional cliff temple to Ellesjia). It's the second biggest Egyptian museum of the world, second only to Cairo.
- Palazzo Madama, Piazza Castello.
- Palazzo Carignano, Via Accademia delle Scienze 5 (close to Piazza Castello).
- Quadrilatero romano. Full of restaurants, it is the old roman town, north west from Piazza Castello.
- Via Garibaldi, pedestrian-only shopping zone nearby Piazza Castello.
- Galleria Subalpina, a pedestrian passage from Piazza Castello e Piazza Carlo Alberto. One of the most elegant place of the city.
- Cathedral of Superga. On top of the hill near Turin, this cathedral was built in thanksgiving for a victorious battle against French and houses the tombs of the House of Savoy. In 1949 a plane carrying the entire Turin FC team fell 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 is the best view of Turin, with the magnificent Alps behind. You can reach the top by car but also by a little chain-train. Ask for the Trenino per Superga.
- Rivoli Castle, . 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. You can reach it buy bus or taxi.
Do
- A trip to Superga and to see the beautiful view of Turin from there.
- A walk on Roma street from Porta Nuova Station to Piazza Castello thru Piazza San Carlo to see how scenic this city can be.
- Have a break in one of the historic cafes located around Piazza Castello, such as Mulassano or Baratti&Milano(est. 1873).
Learn
Work
Buy
Eat
Budget
- Obelix, Piazza Savoia, like a pub, nice place, better in spring and summer. With 8-10 euro you can have an 'Aperitivo' (wine or drinks) with tons of entries... just like a buffet only at dinner (18:00-20:00).
- Gennaro Esposito, Via Passalacqua 1/g (Piazza Statuto), 011535905, 15 euro, only few tables but one of the best pizza in Turin.
- Fratelli La Cozza, Corso Regio Parco 39, 011 859900, 20 euro, nice place and pizza.
Mid-range
- 'L Birichin, Via Vincenzo Monti 16/a, 011657457, ]. $35-$45.
- 'Arcadia, Galleria Subalpina (Piazza Castello), 0115613898 beautiful place, sushi bar.
Splurge
Drink
- Vinicola Al Sorij Via Matteo Pescatore 10c (close to Piazza Vittorio), 011 835667, wine and entries.
Sleep
Budget
- Hotel Due Mondi Via Saluzzo, 3. (Savoyard City) Singles, doubles, and suites. Breakfast included.
- Bed & Breakfast Casa Romar
- Hotel Nizza-Turin
- Hotel Conte Biancamano
- Hotel San Carlo
- Doria, Via Academia Albertina, 42 (near to Porta Nuova Train Station, Center) +39 011 889300 Single 30euro, double 40euro. TV and bathroom in the room, very friendly staff.
- Serenella, Via conte Luigi Tarino, 4 (Center) +39 011 837031 Double 31euro. Clean and nice, fantastic price for Torino (note: at the Youth Hostel in Torino you pay 14euro for sharing the room with other 9 people; here you can share your room with one person for 15.50euro, and it's much closer to the city center)
Mid-range
- Hotel Artua'&Solferino via Brofferio, 3. (Piazza Solferino). Rooms for 1-4 people. Internet access and parking available. $80-$200
Splurge
- Grand Hotel Sitea Via Carlo Alberto 35.
- Le Petit Hotel Via San Francesco d'Assisi, 21.
- Le Meridien Lingotto Via Nizza 262. Four-star business hotel in a former Fiat factory located just outside city center. $200 and up.
- Hotel Diplomatic Via Cernaia 42.
- Hotel Victoria Via Nino Costa, 4. Three-star. Junior Suites feature two-person jacuzzi bathtubs. Free wireless Internet in most rooms and lobby.
Contact
Stay safe
Cope
Get out
- House of Savoy residences and hunting reserves. The city of Turin is surrounded by magnificent XVI, XVII and XVIII residences, like Royal Palace and Carignano Palace (in the centre of the city), Valentino Castle (inside the city, near the Po river, within Valentino Park), Rivoli Castle (10 km west of the city), Stupinigi Hunting Pavillion (between the town of Orbassano and Nichelino, south of the city), the Racconigi Castle (near border with Cuneo province).The two main Savoy's hunting reserves, La Mandria Park and Stupinigi Park, are now natural reserves.
- The Alps. Turin is a city that feels its mountain legacy and their proximity is why so many inhabitants have second homes in the thousands of little valley villages. During Summer, if you have a day and want to relax, take a trip to Gran Paradiso National Park, or Orsiera Rocciavrè Park, or Val Varaita Park. During Winter, the Alps offer a wide range of ski resorts, from one of the world's greatest, Via Lattea, to a number of small ski areas which are less crowded and cheaper.
- Saint Michael’s Abbey (Sacra di San Michele) a fascinating ancient abbey built on top of a rock at the beginning of Susa Valley.
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