Tourism in Turin

Royal Palace of Turin

The Royal palace in Turin was built by the Savoy family when Turin was the capital of Savoy. It is strange today going round the impressive and elegant seat of what was once a notable and important country that no longer exists and seems almost forgotten in European history.

Palatine towers

These were an original Roman gateway into the city. They seem quite intact and are quite impressive, although they were extended and maintained beyond the fall of the Roman Empire. The are just behind the area were the Royal Palace and Duomo are, and well worth a visit.

Mole Antonelliana

The Mole Antonelliana is a landmark of Turin, towering as it does way up above the city. Apparently it was originally built as a synagogue when Turin was the capital city of Italy, but it did not get finished before the capital moved to Florence and the Jewish community could no longer finance it's construction., It ended up being taken over by the state who finished the building, which has scince been used to house museums.

Nowadays it is home to the national cinema museum, which is very well implemented and interesting. It deals with all cinema, not just Italian films. The really impressive aspect is the central area which runs from the floor right up into the dome, it is an enormous space, really overpowering. In the center of this area there is an open elevator which takes visitors up to a viewing platform on the top of the dome. Very exhilarating!

Turin Cathedral (Turin shroud)

The most notable thing about Turin cathedral is the chapel which houses the Turin Shroud. This is believed to have covered the body of Christ after his death and is one of the most important Christian relics in the world.

Egyptian museum

Apparently Egyptian history is a specialty of Turin University. Over the years a large Egyptology museum, attached to the university, as been built up. It is the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts outside of Egypt, and is a very modern type museum with interactive and multimedia displays. Wall to wall with classic Egyptian objects.

Valentino's castle

The Castello di Valentino is another house built by the Savoy family in it's rich and elegant heydey. It is an impressive building and house the faculty of architecture of Turin university.

The castle sits in it's own park in the center of the city by the banks of the river (this is now an open public park), and offers a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of Turin city center. There is also a historical botanical garden in the grounds.

Superga

The Basilica di Superga, an impressive building in it's own right, is built atop a high hill that towers over the city and offers a bird's eye view of the city against an awesome backdrop of the western alps on the opposite side of the city.
Part of the fun is getting up there, there is a rack railway which makes the steep climb up to the top.

Lingotto

Lingotto was the largest car factory in the world when it was built in the 1920's. When it ceased to be used for manufacturing it was turned into a commercial complex that includes a shopping centre, cinemas, an exhibition center and offices. There is something unique about this building, even just wandering around the shops there is an impressive feel about the building that reeks of it's industrial past. It is considered a landmark project in urban regeneration and wandering around it you can understand why!

Eataly

Eataly is an indoor market specialized in regional produce from small producers. In addition to buying the culinary delights, there are several bars and cafes scattered around the market where you can dine on the specialty and first class quality foods without paying top restaurant prices.