Best Things to Do in Turin

Turin is home to many royal residences, with six in the city center alone. All feature priceless works of art with lavish interiors, including the Palazzo Madama in Piazza Castello, an extravagant palace and the city’s most ancient. It’s played a leading role in the history of Turin from Roman times through today. The Porta Decumana was located here in the Roman era, providing access to the city. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it was transformed into a defensive fortress, eventually becoming the city’s most powerful center. Today it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring over 60,000 different works covering 10 centuries of Italian and European art. Other must-visits include Palazzo Reale (the Royal Palace of Turin) with its dazzling Roman and Greek archaeological treasures. It served as the seat of power for the Savoys for at least 200 years and is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most well-preserved royal residences.

Turin’s Egyptian Museum, Museo Egizo, is considered among the world’s best when it comes to priceless ancient Egypt artifacts. Located between Piazza Castello and Piazza San Carlo, it was established back in 1833, starting with a collection from other museums which has been expanded significantly over the decades. Today it includes over 30,000 treasures with some 6,500 on permanent display. You’ll see everything from sarcophagi and papyrus to statues and real mummies. Learn about the history of the museum on the first floor which also includes collections on the Valley of the Queens, Tomb of Kha, the Coffin Gallery, and artifacts from the Late Period, Ptolemaic Period, Roman Period, and Late Antiquity. You’ll see the Nubian Room, Temple of Ellesiya, and Gallery of Kings on the ground floor, while the second floor features the Tomb of the Unknown, the Tomb of Iti and Neferu, the Predynastic period, Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom.

The Porta Palatina is one of the many Roman ruins that are still standing today, despite being built over 2,000 years ago in the 1st century BC. Located next to the Holy Shroud of Turin in the archaeological park of the Palatine towers, it’s considered the world’s most well-preserved Roman gateway from the period. The immense gateway represents the primarily archaeological evidence of Turin’s Roman phase and is one of four that once stood here and would have served as an access point to the center of the inner city through the walls that once surrounded ancient Turin. It stands nearly 100 feet high and includes two large circular towers, with a central wall section that features numerous individual arches. Near the gate on the ground is part of the guardhouse from the Roman period, with furrows on the stones caused by the wagons frequently used for transit still visible.

When standing in Turin’s city center, you can see Basilica di Superga perched atop a mountain. Located in the northeast outskirts, it sits at around 2,300 feet above sea level offering spectacular views over the city and the surrounding countryside on a clear day. A magnificent example of baroque religious architecture, it was designed by Sicilian architect Filippo Juvarra. Built in 1731, it has a gorgeous white and orange design with ornate décor and many columns. The interior is opulent and includes a dome where light streams through a series of arched windows. A tour not only reveals even more remarkable details, but you’ll learn about the story of the Savoys, a former Italian royal family. Discover some of their tombs and head to the terrace for the breathtaking view that the 18th-century Swiss-born philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau was so enamored with, he called it “the most beautiful sight that can strike human’s eyes.”

Turin and the Fiat are synonymous, with the 1920s Lingotto factory that launched the iconic Fiat 500 located here in Turin. It was the largest in Europe and the most advance, manufacturing more than 80 different automobile models, including the famous Torpedo and the legendary Topolino that was the first version of the Fiat 500. It was built between 1936 and 1957 when the new version of the Fiat 500 was presented. Car production ended at the Lingotto plant in 1982, but new life was given to the enormous building thanks to the famous architect of London’s The Shard, Renzo Piano. A city within a city was created, with everything from offices to a shopping mall, hotels, and even a tropical garden. The test track on the building’s roof was preserved and a garden was added with yoga, meditation, and fitness areas, ideal for a walk and fabulous views of Turin and the Alps.

Another great way to immerse yourself in Turin’s food culture is to learn to cook some of its most delicious signature dishes. You’ll don an apron and head into a kitchen with an expert cook where you’ll be instructed on the preparation of several dishes based on regional recipes. The hands-on experience typically includes a starter, fresh pasta, and a dessert. Once it’s finished, you’ll sit down to enjoy your creations alongside some tasty local white or red wine. You’ll not only learn some new skills in the process, but you’ll have the chance to mingle with the locals and take home a souvenir that’s a lot more valuable than a trinket or a t-shirt. You’ll be able to reproduce some of your favorite dishes for friends and family, sharing a slice of Turin with those who weren’t lucky enough to visit.