Book Turin attraction tickets

Piedmont's capital sits at the foot of the Alps with a geometry that still reflects its origins as a Roman military camp and, later, the seat of the House of Savoy. The grid of arcaded streets in the centre, the baroque palaces lining the Po riverbank, and the snow-capped peaks visible on clear days from almost any piazza give Turin a grandeur that is architectural rather than merely picturesque. It was the first capital of unified Italy, a fact the city carries with a certain quiet pride, and the legacy of that moment is written into its monumental avenues and the sheer density of royal residences within walking distance of each other.

The historic centre rewards slow exploration on foot. The area around Piazza Castello anchors the city's ceremonial identity, with the Royal Palace and Palazzo Madama facing each other across the square. Palazzo Madama, which houses the Civic Museum of Ancient Art, is one of the more layered buildings in Italy, incorporating a Roman gate, a medieval castle, and a baroque facade designed by Filippo Juvarra. A skip-the-line ticket removes the one friction point that can blunt the pleasure of arriving there. South of the centre, the Quadrilatero Romano neighbourhood trades formality for aperitivo bars and market stalls, and the Murazzi embankment along the Po draws a younger crowd in the evenings. San Salvario, close to the Porta Nuova station, has a similar energy and a strong North African and Middle Eastern food culture that has reshaped the neighbourhood's character over the past two decades.