Turin: Culture Capital
Description:
Looking for a trip that touches some of Turin's and Piedmont's heritage? Then this could be the one for you. Turin's history is long and varied. From being a Roman camp some 2000 years ago it became the official residence of Duke of Savoy in the fifteenth century. Over the next three hundred years the city expanded and developed into one of Europe's great cities. Today Turin is proud to display its rich heritage through its art, castles, culture, royal residences and majestic churches.Turin Tip: The 'Torino+Piemonte Card'. This hands you the keys to the city... and the whole Region! For a period between 2 and 7 days you can move freely around Turin and Piedmont and save money. The card allows free admission to more than 160 cultural sites as well as rides on all the city’s overground public and tourist transport. There are also reductions on guided tours, the City Sightseeing Torino open-top bus, the ChocoPass, ski lift systems and equipment, winterand summer sports, car rental, entertainment and much, much more!
Author: Adrian Petersen
Day 1 - Turin
Start your day at Piazza Castello and take your time, everything is within easy reach so there is no need to rush! This is the centre of Turin where the main streets of Via Po, Via Roma and Via Garibaldi converge. All around you are some of Turin's most famous buildings. So make sure you take a break and enjoy a coffee. Try one of Turin's most historic cafés Baratti & Milano. For lunch head for the elegant Galleria Subalpina, just off the Piazza Castello and you will find Arcadia, a restaurant offering traditional local Piedmont cuisine and a Sushi bar. This place gets very busy at lunch time with locals so book in advance if you can. After lunch continue to explore this remarkable area. Later sample an aperitivo. Most cafés and bars offer them from 19.00 onwards and many have buffets with enough food to last you the whole evening.
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Galleria Subalpina
Location:
view in google mapsPiazza Castello
10123 Turin, Italy
4
Palazzo Madama
Location:
view in google mapsPiazza Castello
10122 Turin, Italy
Phone:
+39 011 443 35015
Arcadia
Location:
view in google mapsGalleria Subalpina, Piazza Castello
10123 Turin, Italy
Phone:
+39 (0) 11 56 13 898Day 2 - Turin
Today begin your day at Piazza San Carlo. Stroll around this elegant square with its shops, cafés and restaurants sheltering under cooling arcades. Sip a coffee at the famous Caffé Ristorante Torino and admire the "Caval 'd Brons", the bronze statue, at its center. In front of ‘Caffè Torino’ you should notice a bull inlaid in the pavement. The tradition is to stand on the bulls balls and it will bring you luck!
In the afternoon explore the palaces and churches that surround you or enjoy a little shopping in nearby Via Roma. For dinner how about splashing out? Try Balbo
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Piazza San Carlo
Location:
view in google mapsPiazza San Carlo
10121 Turin, Italy
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Caffè Torino
Location:
view in google mapsPiazza San Carlo, 204
10121 Turin, Italy
Phone:
+39 (0) 11 54 51 185
Santa Cristina
Location:
view in google mapsVia Roma
Piazza San Carlo
10121 Turin, Italy
Phone:
+39 011 53 5181 (Tourist Information)Day 3 - Turin
Head for the "Mole", Turin's most iconic building, home to the National Cinema Museum. Inside, the spectacular panoramic glass lift offers you views of the Museum's interior as you ascend 85 metres to the top. Not bad for €5.00. From here the view over the city is breathtaking. A note of caution, if you are a university student! Apparently students from Turin's University have a superstition that if they go to the top of the "Mole" then they will never graduate. You have been warned!
Now its time to head for the church of San Filippo Neri in Via Maria Vittoria. It has a large rectangular nave covered by a barrel vault with stuccoes and elliptical windows. After lunch be prepared to be amazed at the Egyptian Museum which is the only museum other than the Cairo Museum to be dedicated solely to Egyptian art and culture. The decipherer of Egyptian hieroglyphs, Jean-François Champollion, came to Turin in 1824, and famously wrote, “The road to Memphis and Thebes passes through Turin”.
In the evening for dinner try Taverna delle Rose, Via Massena 24, a few minutes walk from Porta Nuova Station to sample traditional Piedmont cuisine. Their antipasti is excellent.
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Mole Antonelliana
Location:
view in google mapsVia Montebello 20
10124 Turin, Italy
Phone:
+39 ( 0) 11 53 51 813
Museo Egizio
Location:
view in google mapsVia Accademia delle Scienze 6
Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze
10123 Turin, Italy
Phone:
+39 011 561 77764
Taverna Delle Rose
Location:
view in google mapsVia Andrea Massena, 24
10128 Turin, Italy
Phone:
0039 011 53 83 45