| VITAL INFORMATION | |
| Population | 900,000 |
| Languages spoken | Italian |
| Currency | Euro (EUR); 1 Euro = 1.202 USD |
| Average temperature | Summer: 85°F; Winter: 75°F |
| High season | April to July |
With the bounty of beautiful cities to see in Italy, Turin (Turin in English, Torino in Italian), located in the Piedmont province of northwest Italy, has often been overlooked by mainstream tourists scrambling to hit Venice, Milan, Florence, and Rome. Not anymore.
In February 2006, Turin hosts the Winter Olympics, and the world will get a glimpse of what millions of visitors already know: Turin is a thriving town with much to do, see and experience. As you read this, the finishing touches are being put on Olympic housing complexes, railway stations, parks, and transportation and facility projects, all designed by world-renowned architects and urban planners and scheduled to be completed by February.
In the past, Turin was best known for being home to the Shroud of Turin, a piece of cloth that was reputedly laid on the tomb holding the body of Christ. Scholars, theologians and scientists have long debated the Shroud's legitimacy, which has only fueled its notoriety. But Turin is no one-cloth town, with its great architecture and parks, and historical ties to chocolate, cars, cinema, and royalty.
Turin is a great stop on a whirlwind European trip. It's neither outrageously expensive nor overwhelming in size or navigation, and is conveniently located within shouting distance of France, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany.
All amounts are listed in U.S. dollars.
Day 1: Atypical Turin
It's important to know a little about Turin's unique character. Unlike its northern neighbors Milan and Florence, whose denizens generally reflect the flash and glamour of designer Italy, Turin is humble and scruffy -- a city of hippies that has its roots firmly in an honest worker mentality. Consequently, its women are more restrained in dress and less glamorous than in the aforementioned cities.Because Turin is such a great walking city, generally the best time to experience everything it has to offer is from April to October, when you can enjoy a typically balmy Mediterranean climate. It is important to note that the month of August can be uncomfortably hot, prompting many bars, restaurants and museums to close down. From November to March, Turin can be bitingly cold and, as a result, is far less busy. Although it rarely actually snows in the city, the nearby Alps are covered in the winter -- it's a great time to enjoy the mountains.
artistic accomodations
If you don't mind spending a few extra euros, Hotel Boston Torino is a spectacular spot to serve as your base. The famous art hotel stands out even among famously unique European hotels. Located in heart of downtown Turin, Hotel Boston boasts a roster of rooms that are incredibly diverse, both in structure and in content.Design also varies, from straightforward rooms to angular two-floor suites, but all are judiciously decorated with various pieces of stunning art from Hotel Boston's seemingly bottomless trove of paintings and pieces. A stay here may be expensive while conferences are in town (and even more so for the Olympics, of course), but during other times, Hotel Boston offers relatively reasonable rates for such amazing and unforgettable accommodations (in the range of $200 per night).
For more budget-oriented travelers, there are scores of cheaper accommodation alternatives right in the city. Of particularly good value are a handful of bed and breakfasts that are located within walking distance of the central areas. Most of these are priced in the $50 to $60 range for doubles, though some run as cheap as $40 or less. Though you won't be as artistically stimulated as you would if you stayed in Hotel Boston, these B&Bs are generally clean, safe and comfortable.
hit the arcades
Turin is one of the greenest cities in Italy, with tree-lined avenues and parks throughout. It's important to spend at least a day on your feet to enjoy the greenery and the architecture. Valentino Park is a great place to start. Located in the center of the city, it's a huge, lush park with impressive gardens and an elegant 18th-century castle on its grounds.Though to a lesser degree than Venice, Turin is also a city of water, with four rivers that intersect, providing splendid views. Just west of Valentino Park are the banks of the Po River. Follow the arcade (there are 18 miles of arcades in Turin) south from the park along the river.
The views along the Po are awe-inspiring, and the bordering streets are lined with incredible baroque architecture, untouched since the 16th and 17th centuries. Note that the famed Turin Marathon is run through this stunning setting every September.
Turin also serves as the historical cradle of Italian cinema, and still enjoys status as a celluloid base. It's likely that at some time during your trip, you'll run into television or movie crews filming in the center of town. Turin's cinematic history is well documented at the National Cinema Museum, a must for film buffs ($7 admission).
The museum houses five floors of exhibits and shows continually running movies. Those of you who aren't movie geeks will have to be satisfied with the view of the city from the observation deck that sits atop La Mole Antonelliana, the Museum's host building. At one time, the structure's tower was the highest masonry structure in Europe, standing at over 500 feet.
turin dining & nightlife
Turin serves up the best of traditional Italian food, with a few local twists. Along with the usual pizzas, paninis and pastas (gnocci and agnolotti are especially popular here), there's also salama d'la duja (a lardy type of salami sausage) and salame d'oca (goose meat), along with some well-known local cheeses such as the soft and relatively mild Toma. Salt fiends will be glad to learn that anchovies are plentiful and in style in Turin.For dinner on the first night, enjoy a budget-friendly yet delicious and ambient dinner at La Gaia Scienza, located on Via Guastalla. Housed in a beautiful 15th century building tucked just behind Piazza Castello, La Gaia Scienza offers terrific pasta dishes, including a tasty penne alla zarina, made with lumpfish eggs, smoked salmon and vodka with olive oil. Most entrees here go for around $15, but you'll want to stick around for the delicious desserts, including various richly textured cakes. Off the beaten path yet conveniently located, and with a friendly staff that aims to please, La Gaia Scienza is cozy without being contrived.
Like most other Europeans, Turin residents like to slog down plenty of beer. Nonetheless, there are other local booze specialties to sample in the city. Martini and vermouth are both locally distilled and are considered great options for adventurous mixes. But wines are the real local pride and joy. While there are some decent whites (including some cheap champagnes), by and large it's best to go red. In fact, one of the best red wines in the world, Barolo, is made nearby.
Consequently, sampling the wine bar scene in Turin is a must, and there is a great selection of cool spots to hang at. On your first night, get dizzy drunk at Arancia di Mezzanotte, a sly little spot right down the road from La Gaia Scienza at Piazza Filiberto. This sleekly designed bar-restaurant caters to trendy young clientele, and boasts one of the best turnouts of attractive, well-dressed women in the city. It's open late, has a great wine list and serves some dynamite canaps for the permanently peckish.
Day 2: Fiats & football
In the morning, walk straight from your hotel to the Museo dell'Automobil, one of the world's finest car museums. Turin is Italy's Detroit, having been the main site of car manufacturer Fiat's assembly lines since the '20s. While many auto jobs have left the area as Fiat has lost market share in the past few decades, a base of factories remains.Commemorating Turin's status as the Italian Motor City, the Museo dell'Automobil has one of the world's coolest collections of classic cars. There are 170 in all, many of them old Fiats and Ferraris along with other international classics from various eras.
In the afternoon, soak up the sporting culture in one of Italy's most athletically-inclined cities. Although Turin residents enjoy boating, golf, skiing, and other outdoor activities, this is Italy, so football (soccer for North Americans) is king. Turin is home to one of Europe's best known and most successful teams, Juventus. Plan your trip so you can catch one of the club's games, most of which fall on Sunday afternoons.
A quick cab ride will take you to Juventus' home at Stadio delle Alpi, where you can cheer and sing among the rabid and rancorous Italian fans, and heckle hated rivals such as AC Milan and Roma. Tickets for Serie A games can be obtained at the stadium, at many of the major newspaper kiosks in town, or online at Juventus.com. Prices range accordingly from around $12 for the distant cheap seats to roughly $250 for central boxes.
anticipate the antipasti
Antipasti is particularly good in the Piedmont region. The lovely restaurant Al Garamond is centrally located near the Po River, and will satiate the needs of even the most ravenous antipasti fiend. Served in an unassuming trattoria environment, Al Garamond serves up a range of great appetizers. The standout (designating any plate here as such is saying something) is the goat-cheese ravioli.For those who aren't interested in mere appetizers, try bold main dishes like the sturgeon carpaccio with foie gras, or the Jerusalem artichoke timbale with anchovy sauce. The wine list and service are both inviting and excellent.
In the last few years, Turin's nightclub scene has been upgraded significantly. It's not quite as wildly trashy (and cheesy) as the euro-discos in Milan and Florence, and there are many great places to get hammered and try some of your A Night at the Roxbury moves. Discos and clubs are open until as late as 4 a.m., although some tend to keep the booze flowing until the last person leaves. Entry can cost anywhere from $12 to $15 at the cheap end to $25 to $30 for swankier joints.
There are few prime clubbing areas, but the Murazzi district along the Po River has the best variety. Doctor Sax is the longest standing and still the best of the former boathouse clubs in the area, and boasts the advantage of not subjecting clientele to Haddaway tunes.
Day 3: Shrouded in mystery
Although it isn't even on display, you've just got to pay homage to the world's most controversial piece of cloth while in Turin. The Shroud of Turin is different things to different people. Some believe it is the cloth that covered Jesus Christ when he was placed in his tomb, and that his image was somehow recorded on its surface. Skeptics contend that the shroud is a medieval hoax or forgery.The shroud is no longer regularly displayed in its home at the Cathedral of San Giovanni, but there is a comprehensive display of photographs and information that are worth a quick gander. This is still the most visited spot in Turin. For history or archeology buffs, just down the street is the Museo Egizio, which houses the second-finest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the world.
castle hopping
Turin is literally surrounded by castles. It's not possible to see all of them over a three-day visit, especially considering that some are located well outside of town. But luckily, many of the great ones are in the city, and a few can be visited on foot in a single afternoon. There are three in particular one should try to check out.After grabbing a quick lunch at a stand or caf bordering on the Piazza Costello (the main square in the city), you'll be in the shadow of Palazzo Madama. Madama was built on the site of one of the original gates to the town during the Roman era, and incorporates those gates in its design. It was transformed into a castle in the 15th century. Madama is best known for its baroque facade, and is home to the Museo Civico d'Arte Antica, a museum of great repute.
Continue in the baroque tradition by heading to Palazzo Carignano, a oddly-designed building with a curved brick facade. Browse the halls and visit the former apartments of the princes of Carignano, with their frescoed ceilings and walls covered by mirrors. About 3,000 works of art and relics are displayed in the castle.
To finish off your tour, move on to Palazzo Reale, a former residence of Italian royalty. First built in 1646, several major additions have been added to this palace in every century since then. The original sections feature a grand staircase leading from the entrance hall and the swank Throne Room, a magnificent piece of 17th century architecture.
dining at combal zero
After spending the first two nights on a reasonably tight budgetary leash, feel free to splurge on your last night at one of the most renowned restaurants in Europe: Combal Zero. Housed in a wing of a 13th-century medieval castle, Combal Zero provides awesome views of the city and surrounding region. The weird and wacky menu changes regularly, but if you're lucky you'll be treated to a recurring favorite, zuppizza, a liquid pizza reconstructed from the bottom up.Combal Zero embraces the unconventional, and your eating instruments will likely consist of an exacto knife, mallets and even your hands. A fixed-price six-course meal here goes for around $175.
good times in turin
As of early 2006, the city of Turin will no longer be Italy's best-kept secret. Hosting the 2006 Winter Olympics is bound to transform this city to some degree; let's hope that Turin's unique character and charm isn't lost in the process.tips for the trip
Resources:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/europe/italy/turin
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/turin/ - Turin
http://www.initaly.com/regions/piedmont/olympics.htm
http://www.footprintguides.com/Turin/
http://www.museonazionaledelcinema.org/
http://www.museoauto.it/mambo/
Turin Travel Guide
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