Living Torino

Torino has an ancient, noble heart, and a young, fashionable face: nightlife is full of occasions for meeting, dancing, and clubbing, in discos and wineries in the old town centre, in the “Quadrilatero Romano”, along river Po at Murazzi or in Borgo Dora and San Salvario districts.

While during the day you can stroll under the 18 kilometres of arcades admiring designers shop windows, visit craftsman and artist shops, wander in markets like Porta Palazzo, the biggest outdoor market in Europe, and visit the famous flea and antique market called “Balon”.

In 2008 Torino was awarded three stars by the Michelin Verde Guide, maximum recognition for a city which “deserves to be visited”, just like Venice, Verona, Ravenna and Milan, because of its rich historical and cultural heritage, glamorous 4 and 5-star hotels and its incredible unique lifestyle made of art, culture, food & wine.

Here, the aperitif tradition born in 1786 still goes on today in the several venues around the city: under the arcades downtown, in the historical heart of the city or along river Po, where typical Piedmontese cured meat and cheese appetizers are served alongside multi-ethnic dishes.

But Torino also means chocolate, a passion which has lasted for 450 years thanks to great confectioners and artisans.

Torino is the perfect balance of different characteristics: you can step out of the second biggest Egyptian Museum in the world and walk into a historical café or attend a world-class sport event in the modern Olympic facilities, admire a work of art and enjoy a gianduja cream delicacy, go shopping in a designer shop and then visit a royal palace, and finally end up in a fashionable lounge bar with acrobat bartenders, dance floor, DJ and videos.

Visiting Torino is easy and fun on the red double-decker “City Sightseeing Torino” bus: a great way to discover and admire the many souls of the city.

Other alternative means of transport include the panoramic lift of Mole Antonelliana, symbol of Torino and tallest masonry building in Italy (167 m), commanding a stunning view of the city, the hills and the mountains and the historical Sassi-Superga cableway climbing three kilometres up the green hills to Juvarra’s Superga Basilica and the Savoia family graves.

The “historical tram” is a great way to discover interesting historical and cultural routes in the city, while ferryboats take visitors for tours on the river with five different landing spots to admire the hills, the traditional rowing clubs, the parks and the majestic bridges.

To have an idea of the glorious and glamorous life in Torino in the past centuries, it is worth going just a few kilometres away from the city and visit Reggia di Venaria, the Palazzina di Stupinigi and the Castle of Racconigi, splendid examples of Baroque architecture and of exceptional pomp and wealth.
These royal summer residences and hunting lodges, where the Italian Kings and their courts used to spend their holidays, were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997.