6 Best Places to Shop in Piedmont and the Valle d'Aosta, Italy

Specialty food stores and delicatessens abound in central Turin, but for a truly spectacular array of cheeses and other delicacies, this should be your first stop.

Now with branches in Milan, Florence, Bologna, New York, and Tokyo, the original home of Eataly is probably Turin's most famous food emporium. In addition to the market, there are kitchenware and cookbook stores, plus several different counters and restaurants serving pizza, pasta, gelato, and more Italian goodies.

For food lovers, people-watchers, or anyone interested in the lively local scene, the immensely popular market in this huge square to the north of town is not to be missed. Outdoors, the keepers of hundreds of vegetable stands vie with one another to create the most appetizing displays. Indoors, the meat vendors provide an equally tantalizing array of local products, while the fishmongers proudly display the fresh catch of the day.

The most famous of all Turin chocolates is the wedge-shape gianduiotto, flavored with hazelnuts and first concocted in 1867. The tradition has been continued at this family-run shop, where more than 80 types of chocolates and other sweets are made.

In business since 1836, this famed shop sells confectionery of all kinds—not just the chocolates in the lavish window displays but also fancy cookies, rum-laced fudges, and magnificent cakes.

Go to this famous market for bargains on secondhand books, antiques, and clothing. There is good browsing to be had among the stands, which spill out of Borgo Dora onto the surrounding side streets. During the second weekend of every month, the market extends its hours into Sunday, becoming the so-called Gran Balon. (Be aware, however, that the market is also famous for its pickpockets.)