Everyone talks about visiting Rome, Venice and Florence. Everyone is sharing TikToks from the Amalfi Coast and Instagram Reels from the Cinque Terre. But to experience the real Italy – the one where the restaurants are full of locals, there’s nary a souvenir shop in sight, and there’s almost never a queue to get into the city’s (secret!) world-class museums and galleries – to experience that Italy, you should visit Turin.
Located in northwest Italy in the region called Piemonte, Turin (or Torino in Italian) is a breath of fresh air in a country grappling with over-tourism. It’s a big city, with lots of things to see and do, but few tourists have caught on. In this guide I’m going to explain exactly why Turin is worth visiting, and why you should visit Turin this year (or on your next trip to Italy).
Prefer to listen? The podcast of this travel guide is now on YouTube!
#1 – Turin Was the Original Capital of Italy (And It Has the Palaces to Prove It!)
Before there was Rome, there was Turin. In the early 1800s, the movement to unify Italy was called the Risorgimento. Turin was at the heart of this movement, with great thinkers and politicians meeting in the city’s cafes (more on those below) to organize the creation of a unified Kingdom of Italy. When the movement was successful, King Vittorio Emanuele II declared that Turin would be the capital of the new nation.
Fortunately, Turin was already well-equipped to serve as the Italian capital, since it had previously been an important city to the House of Savoy, a wealthy dynasty who controlled most of what is now Piedmont in northwest Italy. The Savoy family built a ring of castles, nicknamed the Crown of Delights, around the outskirts of Turin and within the city center. Exploring these royal palaces is one of the best reasons to visit Turin: they rival the opulence of Versailles or Charlottenburg, but with a fraction of the crowds.
Savoy Palaces in Central Turin
These Savoy palaces are within walking distance of Porta Nuova train station:
- Palazzo Reale – Turin’s Royal Palace is located on Piazza Castello in the city center. Inside, you can see the opulent interiors commissioned by the Savoy families who called the palace home, along with the armory (shown above) and royal library.
- Palazzo Madama – This Savoy palace must be a Gemini, as it has two faces: a pretty Baroque front facade and a utilitarian back wall. Inside you’ll find the city’s history museum and a collection of decorative arts from around the world. It’s worth visiting just to take the elevator up the medieval tower for panoramic views of the historic center.
- Palazzo Carignano – Once the home of the Princes (and Princesses) of Carignano, this palace now houses both the National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento and royal apartments.
- Castello del Valentino – Inside Parco del Valentino (along the Po River), this palace is now the Faculty of Architecture for the Turin Polytechnic. It’s worth stopping by to see the exterior when you’re in the park, but going inside requires a convoluted booking process (currently the online portal shows no availability for the rest of 2024?).
Savoy Palaces Accessible by Public Transportation
You’ll need to hop on a bus, tram or metro to reach these palaces that are a bit further afield:
- Villa della Regina – Located on a hilltop just across from the city center, Villa della Regina isn’t the most beautiful palace, but it does have great views. The interior doesn’t rival the palaces in the city center, but there are some beautiful frescoes on some of the walls.
- Palazzina di Caccia of Stupinigi – The Savoy’s favorite hunting palace, Stupinigi has a wow-factor facade and sprawling gardens. Your visit will take you to the stables, library, central hall and royal apartments.
- Venaria Reale – Another Savoy hunting palace, Venaria Reale recently underwent a massive renovation and restoration, making a visit to this royal site worthwhile. Your ticket gives you access to the palace interior (including the famous black-and-white Great Gallery) and the gorgeous gardens (featuring contemporary sculptures).
- La Mandria Regional Park – Behind Venaria Reale you’ll find La Mandria Regional Park. Best explored by bicycle, this is Europe’s second-largest enclosed park and has a small, red-brick Savoy palace in its center.
- Castello di Rivoli – I saved the best for last! Castello di Rivoli is located in Rivoli, just west of Turin (accessible by metro and then bus, taking about an hour). To get to the castle you have to walk up the hill through the medieval center of Rivoli, which is beautiful. When you reach the palace you’ll find one of Europe’s best contemporary art museums, with the works displayed against the striking backdrop of the former royal residence. 🎨 Read more about visiting Rivoli here. 🎨
Most of these Savoy palaces are included in the Three-Day Torino + Piemonte Card, which is an excellent value if you want to visit a few palaces and museums (see below).
(Unfortunately, Turin’s time as the capital of Italy was short-lived, as after four years the capital was moved to Florence for five years, before eventually settling in Rome.)
#2 – There Are Almost No Crowds in Turin
Cities like Rome, Florence and Venice see upwards of 20 million tourists every year. Over-tourism on these Italian cities has resulted in impacts like Venice implementing a €5 tax on day trippers who come on busy weekends, and Rome implementing fines of up to €400 for people who sit on the Spanish Steps.
One great reason to visit Turin is to escape these crushing crowds. Turin remains far from most tourists’ Italy itineraries, with only about two million tourists visiting each year. This feels even more refreshing when you consider that Turin’s historic center is much larger than, for example, Florence’s city center… so you have one tenth of the tourists in a much larger area. Visiting Turin actually fees like you’re in Italy, not in Disneyland.
I visited the Porta Palatina Archeologial Site in the historic center of Turin on a weekend afternoon, and there was almost nobody else at this (free!) Roman gate.
#3 – Turin Has World-Class Museums
Of all the cities in Italy, Turin has some of the most impressive and diverse museums. Unlike other cities, where most of the museums are limited to Renaissance art and regional history, Turin is home to several contemporary museums with unique collections.
National Cinema Museum
I never get tired of visiting this world-class museum located inside the Mole Antonelliana. Your visit starts with a celebration of the history of cinema, all the way from early shadow puppets to modern CGI. Then, you move into the tower itself, where you’ll find rooms dedicated to different genres of movies, a sky-high cinema and temporary exhibits twisting around the walls of the dome. At the center is a glass elevator, which whisks you up the tower to an outdoor viewing platform with panoramic views of the city.
Egyptian Museum of Turin
Considered to be the world’s second-best Egyptian Museum (only Cairo has it beat!), Turin’s Museo Egizio has more than 30,000 Ancient Egyptian artifacts. These include twenty-four human mummies, seventeen animal mummies, an eighteen-meter papyrus scroll and the entire Temple of Ellesyia.
MAUTO – Automobile Museum of Turin
Turin is the automotive capital of Italy – the name FIAT actually stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino. Near the FIAT headquarters you’ll find the National Automobile Museum, where more than 200 cars from 80 companies are on display. From classic cars to high-performance sports cars, they’ve got it all. While you’re in the near, head over to Lingotto (the original FIAT factory) where you can still visit the rooftop race track.
Pinacoteca Agnelli
Another important museum in Lingotto is the Pinacoteca Agnelli. The Agnelli family were the founders of FIAT, and they later expanded into other brands such as Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. With great wealth came a great art collection, which the family has now put on display in a purpose-built gallery on the Lingotto rooftop. Expect to see works by artists like Manet, Matisse and Picasso.
Lavazza Museum
Coffee addicts will want to visit this museum just north of the city center (it’s an easy walk!). There, you’ll receive an interactive Lavazza coffee cup that activates a number of exhibits exploring the history, manufacturing and culture of Italian coffee. Of course, your visit will end with a coffee tasting before you exit through their fragrant gift shop.
All of the museums listed above, and many of the city’s other art galleries, are included in the Three-Day Torino + Piemonte Card (which is also available for one, two or five days at the link).
#4 – A City to Explore on Foot – Rain or Shine
Remember the royal Savoy family who once ruled over Turin and its surroundings? Well, people that fancy certainly couldn’t be expected to walk in the rain! Instead, they decreed that the main streets in the center of Turin would be lined with covered pedestrian walkways, called portici, which now allow visitors to walk from the Porta Nuova train station to Piazza Reale and onward to Piazza Vittorio Veneto at the banks of the Po River. In total, the city has 18 kilometers of covered walkways that protect pedestrians from rain, snow and sun.
Turin is also home to Europe’s longest pedestrian street: Via Giuseppe Garibaldi. Linking Piazza Reale to Piazza Statuto, it is lined with inexpensive shops, cafes and restaurants. It’s not my favorite street (it caters more to teenagers with a few euro in their pocket than people looking for an authentic Italian atmosphere) but it certainly contributes to the city’s walkability.
And finally, Turin has three gorgeous covered arcades (similar to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in front of the Duomo in Milan). Galleria San Federico is a beautiful 1930s Art Nouveau arcade just off Via Roma. Galleria Subalpina has an opulent interior garden with cafe tables spread amongst the greenery. Galleria Umberto I is hidden behind Porta Palantino – the best time to visit here is around Christmas, when the glass ceiling is illuminated with a lighting display designed by a contemporary artist.
#5 – Turin Is for Chocolate Lovers
I always feel nostalgic when I’m at Costco in Canada around the holidays and I see the huge boxes of chocolates manufactured by the chocolate company Turin. However, the nostalgia quickly wears off when I remember that “Turin” branded chocolates are actually from Mexico, and they’re owned by Mars, Inc. (the company behind Mars Bars, who also make Skittles, Milky Way, Snickers and Twix).
There’s a reason that this international conglomerate uses the name Turin in their chocolates though, and that is Turin has a rich (and decadent, and delicious!) chocolate-making history, and is among the best cities in the world for artisanal chocolatiers. In fact, Turin hosts an annual chocolate festival called Cioccolatò, and for ten days each autumn the entire city celebrates this delicacy. As well, Turin was the first city in Italy to import chocolate from abroad (thanks again to those royal Savoys!).
The best way to sample a variety of chocolates in Turin is on a guided food tour. I was invited on this Turin food tour, featuring different types of chocolates, wine and cheese (and more!) and can highly recommend it! 🍫🍷
#6 – Turin Is for Coffee Lovers
Everyone has sipped an espresso, but almost nobody realizes that Italy’s most iconic coffee was invented in Turin. It was the city’s famous cafe scene that inspired hotelier Angelo Moriondo to invent the espresso machine, pushing steam and water through the finely-ground beans to produce the rich drink that we enjoy today.
Turin is also the home of Lavazza, one of the best-known coffee brands around the world. As I mentioned above, you can visit their museum just across the river from Palazzo Reale. Caffè Vergnano is another well-known coffee brand that is headquartered in Santena, on the outskirts of the city.
Turin’s coffee history doesn’t stop there. One of the most iconic things to do in Turin is to enjoy a coffee at one of the city’s historic cafes, many of which date back to the 1700s. I recommend Al Bicerin (known for its namesake drink of espresso, chocolate and cream), Caffé Fiorio (which was popular with aristocrats and has the interior decor to prove it) and Caffé Torino (simply for the name).
#7 – Step Into Your Favorite Movies in Turin
For many years Turin was the cinematic heart of Italy, with local film studios producing more movies than even Rome. While it is no longer the biggest movie-producing city in Italy, Turin is still an important city for both film production and storytelling. The city has a number of film studios and is the setting for some of Italy’s best-known movies and TV shows.
One of the most famous movies filmed in Turin was the original 1969 movie “The Italian Job”, starring Michael Caine. In its famous car chase scene you can see classic Italian cars bump down the stairs of Palazzo Madama, race underneath the portici and even swerve through the Galleria Subalpina. Take a look!
A few other movies with important scenes set in Turin include:
- Profondo Rosso (Deep Red) – David Hemmings strolls through an empty Piazza CLN (shown above) at night, accidentally witnessing a murder in an apartment above the square. Some scenes were also filmed at Villa Scott, a stunning Art Nouveau mansion across the river from the historic center.
- Dopo Mezzanotte (After Midnight) – The overnight security guard in the Mole Antonelliana falls in love with a woman on the run.
- Sul Piu Bello (Out of My League) – This love story has scenes set in the places where the young Torinese hang out, like the city’s contemporary art galleries and riverfront parks.
- An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts – This isn’t a movie, but rather a recent Italian Netflix series about a young TV producer overcoming a broken heart against a background of Turin’s pedestrian streets, wine bars and former factories that have been converted into art galleries.
The best place to learn more about Turin’s cinematic history is at the National Cinema Museum, which is included in the Three-Day Torino + Piemonte Card (I know I keep linking to it, but that’s because it’s so good!). The card gives you free admission, but you have to reserve your entrance time in advance on their website (it’s easy!).
#8 – The Day Trip Opportunities Are Unparalleled
If you’re considered an extended stay in a city in Italy, Turin should be at the top of your list of possibilities. Not only can you have an authentic Italian experience without the crowds, but you’ll also have incredibly easy access to the beautiful cities, towns and landscapes that surround Turin. Most are accessible by bus or train as a day trip, though having your own vehicle gives you some extra time in each of these special day trip destinations.
I have a complete guide to the ten best day trips from Turin. Click through and you’ll find towns like Alba (the region’s wine capital), Asti (major Tuscan vibes here) and Bra (home to the world’s most important cheese festival!). You’ll also learn about visiting Sacra de San Michele, shown above, a mountaintop abbey in the nearby Italian Alps.
#9 – Turin Is Where Black & White Magic Meet
One of the best reasons to visit Turin is to immerse yourself in its magical history. I’m not particularly superstitious, but even I could feel the magic in the air when I would walk through the historic city center in evening. It is said that there are two magical triangles on our planet: the white magic triangle has points in Lyon, Prague and Turin, and the black magic triangle has points in San Francisco, London and Turin. Being the convergence point of these two triangles, Turin is steeped in mysticism, legend, mythology and folklore.
It’s not just me and the fortune-tellers who think Turin is magical. In the 1980s, Joseph Ratzinger (who would later become Pope Benedict XVI) dispatched a special team of Vatican exorcists to the city in hopes of solving two problems: what the church perceived to be a literal demonic invasion, and the resultant amateur exorcisms that threatened the church’s monopoly over demon-fighting. 😉 In 1975, Italian writer Georgio de Maria also wrote the novel The Twenty Days of Turin, which was only recently translated into English. In the story a mysterious, macabre force overtakes the city and causes the deaths of hundreds… but then is never spoken about again.
The best-selling tour of Turin is the Magic Turin Tour of Black Magic and Dark Arts, which has more than 1,000 positive reviews. This two-hour tour departs daily in the late afternoon and evening, and whisks you around the city by bus or minivan (depending on the language and number of participants) to the secret sites where Turin’s magical history comes to life.
#10 – The Nightlife Scene Has Something for Everyone
I first visited Turin in my early twenties, and I most recently returned in my early forties. One of the things I love most about Turin is that its nightlife scene has something for everyone, no matter your age, musical preferences or energy levels that night.
Turin has one of the best aperitivo scenes in all of Italy (in my experience, only Trastevere in Rome can compare). An aperitivo is an early-evening cocktail hour where your drinks are often accompanied by food, either from a buffet where you can serve yourself or as a mixed plate of snacks (called a tagliere) brought out by the server along with your drink. Drinking, nibbling and chatting is one of the most popular pastimes in Turin, and it’s one I recommend every traveler try while they visit the city. You’ll find the best aperitivo spots in Piazza Vittorio Veneto and in the Quadrilatero Romano, especially along Via Sant’Agostino.
If drinking and dancing is more your style, you’ll want to visit the Murazzi, which are the former boathouses along the Po River. Located below street level, inside the embankment’s arched walls, these have now been converted into popular cocktail bars and nightclubs. They are busiest in the spring and summer, when the warm nights attract students from Turin’s university and polytechnic.
Have I convinced you that Turin is worth visiting? I hope so!
Before you go, read my comprehensive guide to spending a long weekend in Turin. Whether you have two, three or more days, I’ll help you make the most of your time in my favorite Italian city.
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