Turin (called Torino by the locals) is a city in the Piedmont region of Italy that sits near the French border and the Alps. Back in November when my dad was visiting me in Grenoble (France), we decided to take the short trip over the Italian border to visit this great city. We took a short three and a half hour bus ride early Tuesday morning. Since we left at 5:45 AM, we fell asleep while leaving France and woke up in Italy! We spent two whirlwind days in Turin before catching the bus back to Grenoble the next evening. Here are some of the highlights.
Torino Specialties
Turin celebrates a rich history with various delicious specialties. They are known especially for coffee and chocolate. Roll up to the local café to try an espresso, but beware that sitting down costs extra. If you don't want to pay extra, do like the locals and drink your coffee at the counter.
Their famous chocolate called Gianduiotto is smooth chocolate and hazelnut in the shape of a golden brick or possibly an upturned boat. It is said that at the time when cocoa was very expensive, local producers mixed it with roasted hazelnuts to make a more affordable product. Today, this is one of the favorite souvenirs that tourists can take home but also a treat that locals like to buy for themselves.
Their famous chocolate called Gianduiotto is smooth chocolate and hazelnut in the shape of a golden brick or possibly an upturned boat. It is said that at the time when cocoa was very expensive, local producers mixed it with roasted hazelnuts to make a more affordable product. Today, this is one of the favorite souvenirs that tourists can take home but also a treat that locals like to buy for themselves.
Turin also boasts some delicious alcoholic drinks and is credited with starting the aperitif (before dinner cocktail) trend. One of my favorite aperitifs that I tried in Turin was the Aperol Spritz. You should also try the local wine and why not some bubbly Prosecco? Just a word to the wise, look up your quantities in the metric system before going, or you may very well end up with an entire carafe of wine for what you'd imagine is the price of one glass. The prices of wine and food are very affordable.
Of course, pasta is another "must try" item when in Turin (or anywhere in Italy)! It comes in all shapes and sizes. You can have your pasta with tomato and meat sauce, clams and cream, or veggies. In any case, the pasta is always the highlight of the dish. My advice, ask your server what they recommend. My dad got the best pasta of the trip from our server's recommendation.
City Exploring
Besides eating your way through the city, I also recommend taking a moment to look at your surroundings. There is a variety of plazas, streets and walkways. We lucked out and happened to arrive at the perfect moment for a free walking tour departing from the tourism office at 10:30 am. Our guide, Angelo, was incredibly knowledgeable of the history and uniqueness of Turin. Our walking tour lasted a few hours and covered good ground. I really feel like I learned a lot from our guide.
Photo Opportunity
Our walking tour was all in the city center, but I wanted a view from the city from above. For this, we climbed up the hill to the Museo Nazionale della Montagna. At the museum, there was an area outside that was a great stop to take some pictures of the city from above. Even in November, the sun was shining bright! On the way down, we also visited a church that was established in 1831.
There are so many more spots to visit in Turin that what I have to tell you, but that'll give you a good idea of what to expect and a couple things to do. Just wandering around the streets and finding the old, winding alleys or the large avenues is an experience in itself. Don't worry about getting lost. We found our way easily around town, and if ever we were feeling a bit tired or needed a break, there was a café around almost every corner. Enjoy!
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Some extra advice:
To stay: Best Western Plus Hotel Genova (by the train station, the best Best Western you'll ever stay in, complete with fresco ceilings and faux Roman pillars)
To eat: Ristorante Marcello at Corso Stati Uniti, 4, 10128 Torino (so good we ate there twice!)
Free Walking Tour: http://www.freetourturin.com/
