Turin
Elegant, inventive, and endlessly surprising—Italy's most underrated great city.
About Turin
Turin is the city that gave Italy its unification, its royal dynasty, its first capital, its car industry, and its chocolate tradition. The former Savoy capital is a grid of grand boulevards, baroque palaces, and porticoed streets that feel more Paris than Rome. But Turin is no museum: it's a dynamic, creative city with a thriving contemporary art scene (the Lingotto building, Italy's answer to the Tate Modern), exceptional restaurants, and a coffee culture that invented the bicerin and espresso as we know them. The Egyptian Museum—the world's second largest after Cairo's—and the jaw-dropping Mole Antonelliana (now the Cinema Museum) are just the highlights. Turin also reinvented itself as a food capital, and the Eataly chain started here.
Best Time to Visit
April to June or September to November. The Salone del Gusto food festival (biannual, October) is world-class. Autumn brings white truffle season in the nearby Langhe. Spring is perfect for combining city and wine country.
Local Tips
- Visit the Egyptian Museum.
The world's second-largest collection of Egyptian artefacts is spectacularly displayed. A local will time your visit to avoid school groups and explain how the Savoy kings amassed this extraordinary collection.
- Ride the Mole Antonelliana lift.
The panoramic lift inside Turin's iconic spire-topped tower takes you to a viewing platform with 360° Alpine views. A local will combine it with the Cinema Museum inside and a bicerin at the nearby Caffè Al Bicerin.
- Do an aperitivo in the Quadrilatero.
Turin's historic market quarter comes alive at aperitivo hour with wine bars overflowing into the cobbled streets. A local knows the circuit of the best spots and the secret vermouth bars—Turin is where vermouth was invented.
(the local lens)
Meet the Local Experts
Your on-the-ground insiders . The ones who know the enduring favourites, the quiet corners and what’s worth your time.
