For this new article, I suggest a short getaway to Italy. To be more precise, I take you visit Torino. Located in the extreme northwest of Italy, Turin is close to the French border but also to the Alps. Throughout this article, we are going to see together all the things to do and see in Turin, but also some places to visit around Turin and finally, our practical advice that will help you prepare your stay in the city of Turin. .
Summary:
- The Mole Antonelliana and the National Film Museum
- The Egyptian Museum
- The Royal Palace
- The Carignan Palace
- The medieval town of Turin
- The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin
- The car museum
- The Palatine Gate
Practical tips for visiting Turin
- How to come to Turin?
- The best season to visit Turin
- How long to visit Turin?
- Where to sleep in Turin?
Opt for the Turin city pass and simplify your visit to the city. Free entrances, discounts and other advantages for your stay in Turin. Book your pass
Capital of Piedmont, Turin knows how to seduce its visitors with its architectural and cultural richness. Olympic city in 2006, Turin then revealed itself to the world and took the opportunity to permanently shed its industrial image. Between museums and royal residences, squares and arcades, magnificent views of the Alps and Italian charm, Turin invites you for a memorable stay. We take you to discover Turin and present the main museums, buildings and districts to visit in this city in the immediate vicinity of France.
Visit Turin: what to do?
With various museums and the royal residences of the Savoy family, Turin offers many unmissable visits. To guide you in organizing the program of your next stay, we have selected the main museums and monuments to discover in Turin. Note that the national museums and many buildings are free on the first Sunday of each month, a good plan to take into account if your trip is at the beginning of the month. We also advise you to take time to stroll through the streets of the historic center, discover the magnificent squares of the city, have an aperitivo or even enjoy Italian gastronomy.
- The Mole Antonelliana and the National Film Museum
- The Egyptian Museum
- The Royal Palace
- The Carignan Palace
- The medieval town of Turin
- The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin
- The car museum
- The Palatine Gate
The Mole Antonelliana and the National Film Museum
The Mole Antonelliana
Symbol of Turin, the Mole Antonelliana is the tallest building in the city with its 167 meters in height and one of the tallest masonry buildings in Europe. Its platform offers an exceptional panoramic view of Turin and its surroundings. An elevator with transparent walls allows you to reach the top of the Mole to enjoy the view. To avoid very long hours of waiting in one of the main attractions of the city, we strongly advise you to book your ride in advance and not to miss your time slot.
The National Cinema Museum
La Mole is home to the national cinema museum, which is none other than the most important museum in Europe devoted to the 7th art. In this city which was the cradle of Italian cinema, this museum retraces the history of Italian and international cinema and is one of our favorite museums in Turin with its five floors laid out in the heart of this superb building. Thanks to numerous objects, accessories or even costumes and interactive activities, you can discover in the permanent collections and the temporary exhibitions many filming secrets and relive the whole epic of cinema. Note that you can choose to visit the Cinema Museum without going up to the Mole Antonelliana, to see the panoramic view without visiting the museum or to buy a combined ticket to do both activities.
Book your guided tour in French
The Egyptian Museum
We then suggest a visit to the Museo Egizio, which is one of the largest museums in the city. If you are passionate about history, ancient Egypt or simply curious, this museum is the second largest in the world dedicated to Egypt, just behind that of Cairo. Mummies, sarcophagi or even temple reproductions, you will therefore have the opportunity to visit one of the most important collections of Egyptian antiquities in the world spread over four floors. A word of advice, as this museum is particularly popular in Turin, we strongly recommend that you book your entry in advance.
Skip-the-line ticket to the Egyptian MuseumSkip-the-line ticket and guided tour in French
The Royal Palace
The Royal Palace, or Palazzo Reale in Italian, is one of the essentials to visit during a stay in Turin. Residence of the royal family of Savoy since the 1997th century when Turin became the capital of the States of Savoy, the Royal Palace was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in XNUMX. In this palace located in the heart of the historic center of Turin on the piazza Castello, you will discover luxuriously decorated apartments and galleries, the armoury, the chapel of the Holy Shroud, the Gallery of Savoy, the royal library as well as the royal gardens. Note that the royal gardens, designed by the famous André Le Nôtre are accessible free of charge if you do not wish to visit the entire Royal Palace.
Book your guided tour in FrenchThe Carignan Palace
Another palace in Turin with the Royal Palace and the Madame Palace, the Carignan Palace houses the Italian Risorgimento Museum. In this museum, you will be able to discover all the unification of the States of Italy thanks to numerous documents. A visit that we recommend to all history buffs.
The medieval town of Turin
In Valentino Park, the medieval town is a historical reconstruction with typical architecture of medieval Piedmont which includes, among other things, a fortress, craftsmen's workshops, a drawbridge and a chapel. Walking through this village, you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a small town in Piedmont in the XNUMXth century. You will also have the opportunity to visit the Rocca, a typical stately fortress between dining room, underground and arms room. During your walk in the pleasant Valentino Park, we therefore strongly recommend a trip back in time to the medieval village.
The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin
St. John the Baptist Cathedral, also called the Dome, is Turin's must-see church. Dating from the Renaissance, it is famous for housing the Holy Shroud, although its authenticity remains disputed. Originality of the building, the campanile is built with red bricks while the main building is in white marble.
Book your guided tour in French of Turin
The car museum
Turin can also be considered the capital of the automobile in Italy since it is home to the headquarters of the legendary manufacturer Fiat. A visit to the automobile museum where you will discover one of the most beautiful collections of vehicles in the world is therefore essential. Indeed, the museum presents the history of the FIAT linked to the city and also exhibits many models of cars from the oldest to the most recent to immerse you in the epic of the international automobile. For Formula 1 enthusiasts, you will also have the chance to see the models of the Ferrari team.
The Palatine Gate
The Palatine Gate is one of Turin's oldest remains with one part dating from Roman times and the other from medieval times. This door was one of the four access doors to the Roman city Augusta Taurinorum. The building includes a central door which offers two accesses to pedestrians and two accesses to tanks as well as two crenellated towers added in the Middle Ages. Nearby, the Palazzo Gate Market takes place in Republic Square. With around 1000 traders, this market is the largest open-air market in Europe.
What to visit around Turin?
Since Piedmont is a very rich region, you can take advantage of your stay in Turin to make a few getaways among the many options offered. We give you some ideas in the immediate vicinity of the city.
The Royal Palace of Venaria
If you liked the great royal residences, we give you an appointment north of Turin to visit the Royal Palace of Venaria. Former residence of the royal family of Savoy, the Royal Palace of Venaria is quite simply one of the largest palaces in the world. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has unique architecture and superb modern gardens that will seduce you.
Book your guided tour in English of the Palace of Venaria
The Zoom Torino zoo
During your visit to Turin, you can also visit the Zoom Torino zoo. Covering more than 180 square meters, this zoo has the particularity of leaving the animals free in areas that reproduce their natural environments in Asia or Africa. A park that promises you a unique interactive experience in Italy.
Book your entry to Zoom TorinoThe Sacra di San Michele
Finally, we recommend one of our favorite visits outside Turin, the Sacra di San Michele. Located about 30 kilometers west of the city, the Sacra di San Michele is an abbey with sublime architecture. Symbolic monument of the Piedmont region, it is located at the top of Mount Pirchiriano at 962 meters above sea level and on the historic pilgrimage route to Rome.
Book your excursion from TurinPractical tips for visiting Turin
I guess Turin has no more secrets for you now. It is therefore time to move on to the practical advice section for organizing your stay in the city of Turin.
- How to come to Turin?
- The best season to visit Turin
- How long to visit Turin?
- Where to sleep in Turin?
How to come to Turin?
Turin is not far from the French border, so you can reach it quite easily by car.
But the easiest way will be to get to Turin by plane, or even by train. Indeed, a direct train connects Chambéry Challes-les-Eaux station to Turin station in less than 2h40.
Otherwise, by plane, you will have the possibility of having direct flights from Paris or Brussels-Charleroi; otherwise flights with a stopover from provincial airports such as Lyon, Nantes or Marseille.
Turin airport is north of the city, around 30 minutes away by car. To reach the city of Turin from the airport, you have regular shuttles that operate these routes every day for 7€.
Rent a car: see the offers
Train tickets to Turin: see the offers
Arriving by plane in Turin: see the offers
The best season to visit Turin
If you want to visit Turin with sun and little rain, then you will have to favor the summer period, i.e. the months of July and August. In summer, it will be hot, but without exceeding 30 degrees on average, which is perfect for visiting a city.
In winter, temperatures drop to around 0 degrees. Certain periods will also be very rainy like autumn and spring. Avoid if you want to visit Turin quietly, without rain.
How long to visit Turin?
The city of Turin has many beautiful things to visit, especially if you enjoy visiting museums, churches and other cultural and historical places. So for a first discovery of Turin, I recommend that you plan a long weekend, about 3 days. This will give you enough time to soak up the city life and visit its main tourist spots. If you wish to stay more than 3 days, this is quite possible given the number of museums to visit in the city. This will also allow you to enjoy the surroundings of the city and plan some excursions.
Where to sleep in Turin?
Turin remains a fairly large city. We have therefore decided to dedicate a specific article to answer this question. You will find a presentation of the different neighborhoods where to stay in Turin and the most beautiful addresses in the city, as well as other accommodation such as apartments or more accessible hotels.
See all accommodations in TurinRead the article: Where to sleep in Turin?
This article is coming to an end! I hope it will have made you want to discover this beautiful city of Turin. Tell us in the comments if you already know Turin, your favorite places and addresses, or if you want to visit it soon. Do not hesitate to ask us all your questions, we will answer with pleasure.
