So, tell me about Turin.
 

I just may have the chance to go to Turin Italy in Feb. It's not 100% but I am really considering it.

I'd appreciate any info you all might have.

Thanks, Theresa in Detroit.

- capital of Piemonte (formerly Savoy, with strong French influences, esp. in cuisine)

- elegant city, stunning historical architecture

- museums, churches, palaces etc.

- view of snow-covered Alps

- easy access to skiing

- Piemonte: gently rolling hills, wine (Asti, Barolo..), excellent food, abbeys...

- daytrips to the Riviera (Italian/French) and to Milano and Lago Maggiore

enough said?

Isn't there some famous yummy chocolate or coffee drink only made there? It was discsussed during the last Olympics

Great city.

Be sure to visit the Cinema Museum.

Recommend the Starhotels Majestic.

Hot chocolate is popular in Turin.

There is also the ChocoPass which includes 23 chocolate tastings in 3 days for EUR 15. Available at the tourist office.

Though Turin was literally shrouded in smog when i was there several years ago i found it a very interesting city with the usual churches, palaces, etc. very pleasant - it can be a good base for forays into the Alps or to Milan, Lake Como, etc.

I found it:

Bicerin Is More Than Just Coffee
Torino, Italy has great wine, delicious chocolate and a coffee drink that is guaranteed to warm your soul on a cold winter night. The Bicerin is a heavenly combination of hot cocoa, espresso and cream layered in a small glass. The coffee is sipped through the cream creating a rich experience.

Bicerin (pronounced bee-cheh-REEN) is dialect for little glass. This coffee drink is a staple of Torino, Italy's centuries old coffee culture. The Bicerin gained popularity in the mid-1800's and counted Alexander Dumas, the author of the Three Muskateers among its fans.

http://www.amoretravelguides.com/blo...ust-coffee.php

Il bicerin (chocolate, expresso, and cream) may be the drink to which you refer.
Hub and I happily strolled many porticoed walks and visited Shroud of Turin, Egyptian Museum and the Mole. Loved the view from Mole, truly enjoyed the docent who talked about the shroud (do we know if it is legitimate yet?) and were lukewarm about the Egyptian museum. We didn't have time for the auto stuff.
We had a stupendous meal at La Capannina -let me know if you want a recap! (www.paginegialle.it/lacapanninatorino) These are all according to 3-year old notes so I'll bow to more recent experiences of other Fodorites.

I was in Torino this past June for 5 days. Beautifully laid out city - lots of porticos to provide protection from inclement weather - great food, fantastic cheeses and cured meats - apertivo bars - the cinema museum. Torino felt like a far flung arrondissement of Paris - very elegant.

Torino has excellent tourist passes as well as the ChocoPass. In 2006, we purchased the 72-hour Torino Tourist Card—they have other lengths of time. It is marked with time of your first use, so we were able to use it over four days, noon Day 1 to noon Day 4. It includes a multitude of museums (including Cinema Museum and the excellent Egyptian Museum) in Torino and also in the Piemonte region, parking, public transportation, the elevator to the top of the Mole, the tramway to Superga, a boat ride on the Po, a discount on the ChocoPass . . . I still think it's one of the best tourist cards I've ever used--a real value if you're staying a few days.

http://www.turismotorino.org/index.php?id=510

And if you're looking for a bicerin, then you must go to historic Caffe al Bicerin where it was originated. It was founded in 1763, and has a real old-world charm.

http://www.bicerin.it/eng/index.html

The center of Torino is a great walking city, even in winter, since many sidewalks on the main streets are covered by porticos.

I find Torino an elegant city, with less tourism which is great. Food is delicious. Cafes our outstanding with the most delicious sandwiches that you can choose leaving your table and going to the counter. The Egyptian Museum is fascinating. Great shopping of quality.

Main set back is the weather which can be nasty. As Carta Pisana says there are blocks and blocks covered by porticos which helps. I believe the porticos where build so the first King of Italy could use them going to visit his mistress but I might be wrong, I wish someone that knows could tell me is this is true or false. I loved visiting Torino.

Hi Theresa,

About the chocolate, northern-Italian style, here's a nice video that shows the history of chocolate in Turin:

http://www.webvisionitaly.com/catego...p;ref_item=335

The caffes in Turin are old world style. They remind me of Buenos Aires:

http://www.webvisionitaly.com/catego...p;ref_item=336

There are also some videos about the ski areas and things to do.

Porticos will protect you from the damp snow and rain during February.

I hope it works out for you. Great part of Italy.

Buon Viaggio!

Torino is not only beenthe home of the Italian movie industry and the home the Italian auto industry, it is the home of Italy's "slow food" movement and the purveryor of some of Italy's finest coffees and chocolates. It's the major city of Piemonte, the prize wine and truffle growing region of Italy and it has one of the richest cuisines in Italy.

If you are going in February, it will be cold but Torino has perhaps the single largest collection of unusual and enjoyable museums in all of Italy: the cinema museum, the auto museum, the Egyptian museum, several important classic and contemporary art museums and quirky museums like The Fruit Museum (Museo della Frutta).

Torino has delightful shopping, for both food products and fashion, and it's long, arcaded via Po has lots of unusual offerings in all price ranges.

You can use this website to find out more:

http://www.extratorino.it/ENG/index.php

As some that has lived many years in Buenos Aires, I can appreciate the remark of " ..motorino " that Torino's
cafes remind him or her of those in Buenos Aires....
however as sad as it might be, the quality of Torino 's fare has remained
excellent and that of Buenos Aires so, so. Also Argentinean "progress" has found it necessary to tear down several traditional cafes in Buenos Aires, like El Aguila and others.
In summary for me any resemblance has to be equated to what Buenos Aires has been time ago.

Turin has delicious gianduja, which is chocolate-ground hazelnut concoction (think solid nutella for grown-ups). It could be seasonal (around December) but they sell declicious noughat with nuts and dried fruits.

>>they sell delicious noughat with nuts and dried fruits.<<

... called torrone. Made fresh, it's softly chewy, unlike the rock hard versions that appear in the US. It also comes dipped in dark chocolate.

Hazelnuts are one of the most fantastic taste treats of this area of Italy. They are also used to flavor syrup put into coffee (the brand name Torino can be found in American espresso cafes).

Torino is Italy for dessert lovers. Only Sicily comes close in matching its skill in sweet treats.

Torino also has a wealth of design and fashion boutiques should you be interested in contemporary arts.
If you're a movie buff, the original Italian Job was filmed in the city and there's a famous chase scene that occurs on the rooftop of the Lingotto. It used to be a Fiat testing track but is now the running track for the Meridien hotel

Speaking of chocolate, has anyone visited the chocolate museum in Barcelona? It has some very cool chocolate sculptures. Sorry Mamaw for changing the subject.

The Cafe Don Carlo is the most beautiful in the city, maybe in Italy. Wonderful selection of antipasto.