HOW TO SPEND A WEEKEND IN TURIN, ITALY

Are you visiting northern Italy soon and are looking for suggestions on how to spend a weekend in Turin, then look no further than our simple guide to exploring the Piedmont capital. The city of Turin is one that is often overlooked by tourists for more popular destinations like Milan, Verona and Venice. With the city being overlooked presently, it is not such a bad thing as it has not yet been overrun by crowds of tourists making it ideal to spend a weekend in Turin at a more relaxed pace.

Did you know that before Rome, Turin or Torino as its called by the locals was the capital city of the kingdom of Italy? Not many people know that Turin is an important culture and business centre in the Northern region of Italy and its also known for its architecture and fine cuisine. Did you know that the car brand FIAT, chocolate brand FERRERO, the drinks MARTINI and LAVAZZA coffee all call Turin home? I certainly did not know until our visit to this deceptively large city but can be toured on foot.

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HOW TO SPEND A WEEKEND IN TURIN, ITALY

When I was planning our girls-only trip to Torino, I thought about ways to spend a weekend in Turin without overwhelming ourselves. Whenever I travel with my parents, I always have to take into consideration that they are not as fast-paced as I am. Therefore, travelling with my mum and sister, I decided to make our visit to Turin a more relaxed affair. We had an incredible 4 days in the city but decided to explore other cities in Northern Italy.

When it came to touring the metropolitan city of Turin, we knew we had to explore some of its popular sites and do a bit of shopping before Christmas. Visiting the city at the beginning of December meant we could enjoy the winter sun whilst the city started to decorate up ready for the festive season. The highlight of our trip was visiting the small but very well-stocked Christmas market, it gave us a little flavour on our journey.

For those searching for ideas on how to spend a weekend in Turin, our simple guide has essential information on where to stay, things to do and suggestions on where to shop and eat. Torino has a great public transport system so even staying in the outskirts of the city, it was easy to navigate the town.

Piazza San Carlo

Piazza San Carlo is the most beautiful and the main square in Turin, it was laid down between the 16th and the 17th century in a baroque style. There are two twin churches of Santa Cristina and San Carlo Borromeo at the south end of the square and an equestrian statue of Emanuele Filiberto in the centre of the square. Visiting the square early in the morning guarantees good uninterrupted shots all around the square.

Madama Palace

Madama Palace is a baroque building that gained its name from the two queens of House of Savoy and was the first senate city of the Kingdom of Italy. Today the building houses the Turin City Museum of Ancient Art which is very appropriate since the site at which the palace stands today was where the gates in the Roman walls was located. The museum is open daily except for Tuesday, definitely would recommend a visit.

Royal Palace of Turin

The Royal Palace of Turin is a 16th-century palace with 17th-century modernisations and in 1997 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This Baroque building is a historical place of the House of Savoy (Royal Dynasty) and construction began in 1645 by order of Regent Christina Maria. Today the Royal Place is a museum and houses the shroud of Turin, the holy shroud is thought to bear the image of Christ. Even though during your visit you won’t get to see the linen cloth, the Royal Palace of Turin is grand and absolutely beautiful.

Mole Antonelliana

Mole Antonelliana is the iconic landmark of Turin, initially, the building was meant to be a synagogue but due to lack of funds, it was donated and created into a tower. The building is named after its architect, Alessandro Antonelli, construction began in 1863 and ended in 1889. Today the Mole Antonelliana is a cinematic museum detailing the history of cinema since the 1800s and it is worth a visit.

Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist

The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic cathedral and the seat of the Archibishop of Turin and was built in 1498. During our visit to the Cathedral, we learned two things, that it is where the Chapel of the Holy Shroud is kept and the tomb of a Turin native who died young. The Cathedral is one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations outside of Rome.

Egyptian Museum

Museo Egizio or the Egyptian Museum is the world’s second-largest collector of Egyptian artefacts outside of Egypt. This archaeological and anthropological museum is located off Via Accademia and is a must-visit locale in Turin. I am a sucker for museums and Museo Egizio does not disappoint with over 30,000 artefacts to explore.

Basilica of Superga

The Basilica of Superga is the ‘church on a hill’ and was built from 1717 to 1731, it is thought to have been built in a late Baroque-Classicism style. Though the church is dedicated to our Lady of Grace, the Royal crypt is the burial site for the Savoy family. The Basilica is sat on a hill making it the perfect location to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city.

Via Roma

Via Roman is the main street in Turin and a must-visit location as it’s filled with many shops, side streets, cafes and souvenir shops. Because our visit was at the beginning of December, every day via Roma was filled with locals and tourist trying to grab those Christmas bargains and purchase that perfect gift. Via Roma sits between the train station (Porta Nuova) and Piazza Castello, it’s a beautiful 15-minute walk from one end to the other.

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Our time in Turin especially our weekend in Turin was spent sampling all the food we could find as we toured the city on foot. If you’re limited on time and want to explore more areas that we recommend going on a walking tour or getting on a city tour bus. I would highly recommend purchasing a city card because a lot of the city attractions and included in the price of the Turin City Card.

In terms of recommendations of where to stay in Turin, I would say anywhere close to Porta Nuova or Porta Susa would be ideal. But we stayed in Hotel Cascina Fossata which was well priced for 3 people for 3 nights and its located in an area called Fossata in Turin. The only downside if you’re not driving is you need 2 trains to get to the main train station.