OVERVIEW
Turin owns a huge heritage represented by cultural institutions that operate in the most diverse fields of knowledge and are united by a great dynamism. Home of a renowned university, especially famous for its studies in history, economics and sciences, and its world class School of Engeenering at the Polytechnic, Turin also houses a number of cultural institutions of international repute thanks to their splendid libraries, collections of rare and ancient books and priceless documents, as well as the organisation of numerous prestigious activities.
SIGHTS
Discovering Torino means exploring twenty centuries of history. Walking along its streets is like visiting an open-air museum. Palazzo Carignano, designed by Guarini, was home to the first Italian Parliament. Today it houses the Museum of the Risorgimento. Also by Guarini in the Baroque Piazza Carignano is the Galleria Sabauda and the Egyptian Museum, which, founded in 1824, is the world's oldest and the second most important. It houses more than 30,000 items, including the black granite statue of Ramses II, the tomb of the architect Kha and a large collection of papyruses and objects.
Turin's historical heritage includes the Savoy Residences; buildings of outstanding historical and architectonic interest, some of which offer an unusually lively range of cultural activities and exhibitions, whose interest is not only local.
GETTING THERE
by air:
'Sandro Pertini' Airport (Caselle Torinese): The Città di Torino Airport (Sandro Pertini), open to commercial and international traffic, is 15 kilometres north north west of the town centre and is connected to the motor-way system via the North ring road. Present modernisation works have placed this air station in the vanguard in Europe and even more reliable and safe, beside increasing its already first class receptivity. The Airport is the natural arrival point for international tourism, especially during the winter season, for connection with the splendid mountain resorts of Piedmont and the Valley of Aosta. A continuous coach service operates at the airport for Turin and vice versa.
Another airport is active North West of town, at Collegno, for private flights and Air Clubs. It is often the venue for amateur flying events.
by train:
Rail connections with Turin and its stations: FS tel. 147-888088.
Information on national trains:
Porta Nuova: Turin's central rail station where trains leave from and arrive at all destinations. Its location in the town centre makes it easy to reach by public transport. It faces on the beautiful Piazza Carlo Felice, which central Via Roma starts from. The station houses car rental agencies, a restaurant, news-stands, a Free Shop, cash dispensers, tobacconists and bars.
Piazza Carlo Felice/Corso Vittorio Emanuele
Telephone +39 011 56.13.333
Main lines for /Milan, Verona, Bolzano and the Brenner Pass in the direction of Austria and Germany / Venice, Trieste, Alessandria, Genoa, Rome, Naples and Reggio Calabria / Bardonecchia-Modane, Paris and France / Cuneo, Savona, Ventimille, towards France / Aosta / Pinerolo, Torre Pellice
Porta Susa: The traditional through station for Milan and East and West bound trains in general. Located in Piazza XVIII Dicembre, it allows easy urban, suburban and extra-urban bus line connections. It houses a bar/restaurant, a news-stand, a tobacconist and a cash dispenser.
Telephone +39 011 55.85.13
Torino Lingotto: A strategically important station, once only hooked up to goods junctions, it now connects Turin with Southern Italy, particularly the Cuneo area and Liguria. It has been refurbished recently and is complete with all services. It is located in the southern area of town close to Moncalieri and the 'Lingotto' Conference Centre.
Piazza Pannunzio, 1
Telephone +39 011 66.53.757
Torino Dora: The Cinderella of Turin's rail stations. Located in north-western part of the town, it mostly serves local trains to the Canavese area (TO-CERES), managed by Satti.
Piazza General Baldissera
Telephone +39 011 22.17.835
by car:
Highways Connections:
A4 Turin-Milan-Venice
A5 Turin-Ivrea-Aosta
A6 Turin-Fossano-Ceva-Savona
A21 Turin-Asti-Alessandria-Genoa
A21 Turin-Asti-Alessandria-Piacenza
A32 Turin-Fréjus-(France)
by bus:
Coach terminal: Corso Vittorio Emanuele /Corso Inghilterra
(bus n° 9 from Porta Nuova)
Sadem: tel. 011 3000611
Main coach lines arriving at and leaving Turin:
SHOPPING
Turin has always been considered one of the best places in Italy for quality shopping, given the high level of its shops and its courteous staff.
The city's classic shopping street is Via Roma, the heart and symbol of the city centre. Under its porticoes - that in all the city stretch for over forty kilometres along a route that is unique in Europe - shoppers can stroll past the beautifully, displayed windows of the city's most exclusive retail outlets, protecyted against the winter storms and the summer heat. Here, the most important names in fashion display every type of garment, leather goods and clothes accessories in an almost uninterrupted sequence that can stand comparison with the most prestigious shopping streets in the world. What also makes shopping in Turin such a unique pleasure is the possibility to take time out in one of the innumerable historic Cafès along the streets of the centre. These too are treasures no visitor should miss with their marble counters and antique furnishing, not to mention the extraordinary range of snacks and canapés they offer at cocktail time.
There is more shopping to be enjoyed in the streets adjacent to Via Roma where, besides high fashion boutiques, there are also exclusive shops selling elegant furniture and fabrics, as well as jewellers, antique shops and superlative craft emporia. One experience not to be missed is a detour to the Subalpina and San Federico Arcades, whre the superlative elegance of the architecture, that blends so harmoniously into the fabric of the city centre, is matched by the exquisite contents of the shops.
Via Garibaldi, the longest pedestrian street in the city, stretching from Piazza Castello to Piazza Statuto, is more popular and frequented by the city's youngsters, that have made it a regular meeting place. It is one long line of shops - selling everything from jeans to books, hi-fi eqipment to perfumes, and household goods to costume jewellery - and an endless sequence of bars and market stalls, all at distinctly competitive prices.
In the historical city centre, thathas been the subject of a major urban redevelopment programme during the last few years, there is an intricate tanle of narrow streets - Via Barbaroux, Via an Tommaso and Via Monte di Pietà, rich with a little old-fashioned shops selling haberdashery, wine, local gastronomic delicacies, cakes and costume jewellery. There are also old-style herbalist's shop and master bakers who sell their own handmade version of grissini, the traditional breadsticks the Turin people call 'robatà',as well as 'paste 'd melia', a mouth-watering local delicacy made of corn flour. There is also the alternative Turin, where it is possible to find a second-hand clothes shops, silvermiths and leather workshops selling their own creations, bookbinders, tailors and dress makers. It is an area where tradition goes hand in hand with a truly metropolitan sophistication.
NOTICE
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