Turin

Shrouded in Sophistication

Italy’s first capital, sophisticated Turin has many elegant buildings and porticoed streets. Large Piazza Castello is the focal point and centres on Palazzo Madama, an unusual structure with a Renaissance façade and medieval body.

The next door Royal Palace backs onto Turin Cathedral, home to the Turin Shroud, the cloth with an imprint of Christ only rarely on display. Its museum is just one of the many fantastic Turin museums. None is better than the Egyptian Museum, the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts outside Cairo. Also noteworthy is the Mole Antonelliana, housing displays on Italian cinema and supposedly the world’s tallest museum.

By the Po, Italy’s longest river, is the Parco del Valentino, a tranquil park that is home to the Borgo Medievale, an artificial, medieval-style settlement with a castle.

However, within Italy, Turin is best known for sport and cars. FIAT is based here and nostalgia lovers can visit the rooftop track on top of their old Lingotto factory, now a conference center. The city’s 2 Serie A football clubs - Torino and Juventus - also have electric atmospheres at their games.

Watch out for amazing views of the Alps as you fly into Turin Airport. Public transport then quickly links you to your Booking.com hotel, B&B or hostel.