Skiing is just one side to Turin. In Italy’s fourth largest city, restaurants serve delicacies from across Piedmont, from full-bodied Barolo wine to black truffles from the Alba hills. Take a short break to Turin from Glasgow Airport and discover the rich history and fine dining in the gateway to the Alps.
Foodie focus
Piedmont is famed across Italy as the headquarters of the Slow Food movement, dedicated to the preservation of regional cuisine and local produce. During your time in Turin you should take advantage of the city’s many amazing cultural events, enjoy a bit of wine tasting or take a cellar tour of local Amarone. What a fantastic day to relax and unwind after during your winter getaway, especially if you have been busy hitting the slopes!
Baroque beauties
In medieval times, the House of Savoy, the ruling family of Piedmont, filled their kingdom with some of Italy's most extravagant palaces. Just 10km from Turin, the Reggia di Venaria Reale (Piazza della Repubblica 4) is Italy’s answer to Versailles – a lavish baroque folly with 80,000 sqm of galleries, arcades and staterooms. There are four more Savoy palaces dotted around Turin, and more scattered across the Piedmont countryside. Back in the centre, be sure to visit Turin’s best-loved building – the Mole Antonelliana was built as a synagogue in 1863, before being converted into Italy’s leading cinema museum.
Escape to the Alps
The snow-capped peaks of the Italian Alps provide a dramatic backdrop for Turin and a winter playground for skiers and snowboarders during the annual ski season. For fast runs and perfect powder, head to Sauze D'Oulx, Claviere, Bardonecchia or Sestriere. Once the snow clears, the focus shifts to the foothills, where cascading vineyards produce some of Italy’s finest wines – nearly 1,000 small winemakers produce Barolo and Barbaresco wines in the hills around Alba, providing ample opportunities for wine tasting.
Fiat Factory
Alternatively, if you’re lucky enough to have any time left during your trip why not stop by that FIAT factory, Il Lignotto. It’s a modernist landmark, complete with a race and test track on the roof. The entire complex has been re-envisioned by Renzo Piano as a hotel, shopping center, and collection of eateries, therefore it makes a fantastic day out.