Turin is a city of innate elegance, perfect for a very stylish weekend.
It is no coincidence that it is nicknamed "Little Paris", due to the evident urban and architectural similarity with the French capital.
Its wonderful squares, such as Piazza Castello, San Carlo and Carignano, are testimony to a noble and elegant past, which reflects the courteous and multicultural character of today's Turin.
I, who discovered it as a tourist several years ago, fell in love with it from the first moment. Enough to choose to live there.
Here are some of the most delicious and particular attractions that I recommend for a 3-day tour in Turin.
Noble Turin: Royal Palace and its Gardens
Among the many wonderful buildings that tell the history of Turin, the Royal Palace is certainly the first to visit in my opinion.
Located near Piazza Castello, in the historic center, the palace is the most important Savoy residence, home of the Savoy dynasty and of the various kings of Italy until 1865. Entering the Royal Palace means immersing yourself in the rich court life of the past . Rooms such as the Throne Room, the Daniel Gallery, the Ballroom and the Dining Room seem to shine with their own light. Covered in gold, decorations and frescoes of infinite beauty.
Adjacent to the palace are the Royal Gardens , recently restored and reopened to the public. You can access it directly from the central courtyard of the building, and entry is free.
A "green" corner perfect for a small regenerating break, admiring the Palace from the outside in all its magnificence.
Leaving the gardens, I recommend a break in the Caffè Reale Torino. You can find it immediately on the right, inside the courtyard of the palace. A place once used as a warehouse, today it is one of the chicest historic cafés in Turin.
Beautiful period wardrobes are displayed along its walls, containing plates, cutlery, silver and porcelain teapots, part of the original service of the House of Savoy.
Elegant Turin: Piazza San Carlo and Piazza Carignano
The refined style of Turin is evident when walking through its enchanting squares. Whether large or small, they all have a special charm that distinguishes them.
Piazza San Carlo , one of the most famous, is perhaps the most beautiful of all. Totally pedestrian, you can easily reach it with a walk of a few minutes from Porta Nuova station, along the very busy Via Roma.
I suggest you stay in a hotel right in this area, like the beautiful Hotel Principe di Piemonte . Once you have checked in and left your elegant and practical travel bags in your room, you can immediately take a walk along the arcades of Via Roma, admiring the windows of the various shops.
Piazza San Carlo is home to the baroque "twin" churches of Santa Cristina and San Carlo, the Monument to Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy and several very interesting historical buildings.
Like Palazzo Guido Villa, now home to Banca Intesa San Paolo, where the beautiful Galleria d'Italia was recently inaugurated, dedicated mainly to the art of photography. Or like Palazzo Solaro del Borgo, in whose courtyard the historic San Carlo Boutique is nestled. A small jewel, containing some of the most important clothing and perfumery brands. From Piazza San Carlo, if you first turn right onto Via Maria Vittoria and immediately afterwards left onto Via Accademia delle Scienze, you arrive at the famous Egyptian Museum of Turin.
A few more steps and you reach Piazza Carignano , another unmissable Turin lounge.
What immediately stands out is the imposing Palazzo Carignano, home of the first Italian Parliament. Opposite there is the Carignano theatre, the Del Cambio restaurant , the most prestigious in Turin, and the historic Pepino ice cream shop, the oldest in all of Piedmont.
Also not to be missed is the Luxemburg International Bookshop , located in the back right corner of the square. It is the oldest in Turin and considered by many experts to be among the 10 most beautiful bookshops in the world.
After all this walking, the ideal is a coffee break or why not, a nice aperitif. What better place than the Subalpina Gallery ?
Continuing along Via Cesare Battisti it suddenly appears, beautiful, on your left. An elegant location, which hosts several historic commercial activities, such as the Arcadia Restaurant, the Caffè Baratti Milano and the ancient Caffè Mulassano, where the sandwich was invented in 1925.
If you're craving something sweet, treat yourself to a treat at La Bottega di Guido Gobino , in Via Lagrange 1/A. To taste and buy chocolates of all kinds, including the typical gianduiotti.
Finally, it is worth remembering that Turin is a magical city , literally; There are many mysterious anecdotes that surround it, all to be discovered.
If you are interested in discovering all the mysteries and secrets that have surrounded the city for centuries and centuries, you cannot miss the guided tour of Magical and Esoteric Turin, which takes place every Thursday and Saturday evening in the historic centre. A truly unusual and original experience, very fascinating.
Gran Balòn, the historic antiques market
Turin is also a city of fairs of all kinds, which have attracted many passionate collectors for decades.
The Gran Balòn is the historic antiques market that has been held for over 30 years every second Sunday of the month, in some streets of Porta Palazzo. From 8am to 6pm the area is filled with hundreds of stalls, overflowing with vintage objects of all kinds, interspersed with shops and small workshops of local artisans.
A market worth visiting, even just out of curiosity; It's really very distinctive.
In case your weekend visit to Turin does not coincide with that of the Balòn, you can still go for lunch in the adjacent Mercato Centrale of Turin, one of the largest covered markets in Europe. Here there are places of all kinds: restaurants with typical Piedmontese cuisine, pizzerias and gourmet burger joints, craft breweries, cocktail bars, ethnic venues and so on. Truly for all tastes.
Your holiday in the Piedmontese capital is almost over. But before leaving the city, remember to go to the My Style Bags store in Via Bertola n.6 , right in the center.
The first capital of Italy, Turin is therefore a delightful tourist destination, the most elegant city in Italy. The perfect choice to spend a pleasantly elegant and stylish 3-day holiday.