Cosa vedere a Torino: tra caffè storici, palazzi reali e cultura sabauda

Turin, the first historic Italian capital, offers a wide range of attractions and things to see. In this guide, we will explore what to see in Turin, activities to do, and places of interest that will make your stay unforgettable. You will discover the wonders of this elegant and mysterious city, rich in history, culture, and charm. Whether you are interested in visiting Turin for its museums, its historic cafés, or simply to explore the historic center, this guide will help you plan your perfect visit.

Discover Turin in video

History, elegance, and culture packed into a few minutes: watch Turin from an exciting and evocative perspective.

Things to See in Turin: Some Notes on What to Visit

Despite the many things to do in Turin, tourism has only developed exponentially since the ’90s. Before that, the city of the Savoy was essentially seen as the “city of Fiat,” with the Lingotto district as the heart of Turin’s industry. Now, let’s discover together the main attractions of Turin and the things to see in this fascinating city. For those wondering what to do in Turin, here is a list of 10 things to see in Turin that you absolutely cannot miss.

The 12 Most Famous Attractions in Turin

Turin is a city that surprises with its royal elegance and a very rich cultural offer. Here is a selection of the 12 most iconic attractions to start exploring it.

1 Turin, Mole Antonelliana

La Mole Antonelliana is the symbol of Turin. It was built in 1863 by Alessandro Antonelli and with its 167 meters it dominates the city of Turin. It is currently home to the National Museum of Cinema, and Turin and cinema are two words that go hand in hand. In fact, the city saw the first cinematographic projection by the Lumière Brothers and the birth of the first national film industry, before Cinecittà.

2 Madama Palace

In the center of Piazza Castello stands the Madama Palace, while on the eastern side there is the Teatro Regio, rebuilt after the fire of 1936. The square takes its name from the castle that was then transformed into the Madama Palace. During the nineteenth century, the Madama Palace of Turin was the seat of the sessions of the Subalpine Senate. The building incorporated the two Roman towers of the ancient “Porta Pretoria“. Doubled in the 15th century by Ludovico d’Acaja with the construction of the facade on the Po, it was later remodeled in the 17th century by Ascanio Vitozzi and Carlo di Castellamonte. The monumental baroque facade was made between 1718 and 1721, based on a project only partially completed by Filippo Juvarra. Characterized by a giant order of pilasters and fluted Corinthian columns topped by a marble balustrade with reliefs, statues, and vases. Inside, the monumental Juvarrian grand staircase is noteworthy. The palace houses the Civic Museum of Ancient Art, which collects rich collections of sculptures, paintings, glass, tapestries, etc., which was transformed into a Castle in the Middle Ages and later expanded in the 15th century by the Savoy to turn it into the residence of the Madama Reale Cristiana of France during the 17th century. The baroque facade dates back to 1721. Today the Madama Palace is home to the Civic Museum of Ancient Art. Built as a fortress in the 13th century by order of the Marquis of Monferrato Guglielmo VII.

3 Turin Cathedral

The Turin Cathedral, built at the end of the 15th century, features a Renaissance-style façade and a Romanesque bell tower. Next to the Cathedral are the Royal Palace and the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, must-see places to visit in Turin.

4 Royal Palace of Turin

Until 1865 the Royal Palace of Turin was the residence of the Savoia. Built between 1646 and 1660, the Royal Palace features lavish rooms with carved ceilings and wooden floors. Famous is the Scissors Staircase. The upper part of the palace was damaged by the fire in April 1997. The back of the Royal Palace features the Royal Gardens, in French style. Adjacent to the Royal Palace is the Royal Armory which has one of the most important collections of weapons and armor in the world.

5 Egyptian Museum

The Egyptian Museum of Turin is considered the most important in the world after the one in Cairo. With over 30,000 artifacts, it offers a fascinating journey through the history of ancient Egypt. It is a must-visit for anyone visiting Turin who wants to immerse themselves in the millenary history of this civilization.

6 San Carlo Square

Known as the “living room of Turin,” San Carlo Square is one of the most beautiful squares in the city. Surrounded by elegant arcades and historic cafés, it is the perfect place to take a break during your walking tour of the city center.

7 Valentino Park and Castle

Valentino Park is the largest public park in Turin and an ideal place to relax after a day of sightseeing. Inside the park is also the Medieval Village, a faithful reconstruction of a Piedmontese medieval village. In the mid-19th century, on the left bank of the Po, the Valentino Park was created with an attached Botanical Garden. The park also includes the Valentino Castle (1620/1640) built according to French standards. The Castle is open daily from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM except on Mondays. The Botanical Garden can be visited from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM except on Sundays.

8 Basilica of Superga

Situated on a hill overlooking Turin, the Basilica of Superga offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the city and the Alps. Accessible by a picturesque rack railway tram, it is a place of great historical and religious importance. About 10 kilometers from Turin, on a hill, the Basilica of Superga was commissioned by Vittorio Amedeo II. The crypt houses the tombs of the Savoy kings, while the interior of the basilica consists of six chapels. The basilica is in classical style and has a dome with two adjoining bell towers. For football fans, it is also possible to visit the Juventus Stadium and attached museum.

9 Turin Automobile Museum

For motor enthusiasts, the Turin Automobile Museum is a must. With a collection of over 200 vehicles from 80 different brands, it tells the story of the automobile and its impact on society. The Turin Automobile Museum is among the most important in Europe, documenting the evolution of the automobile from its beginnings to the 1980s with the exhibition of over 150 original cars, plus models, prints, posters, and period drawings. The museum features many unique or very rare pieces and a section dedicated to racing cars. It also has a well-stocked bookshop, rich in automobile books, the Historic Tire Room, and hosts temporary exhibitions. It is located at 40 Corso Unità d’Italia.

10 Porta Nuova and Porta Susa

These two historic railway stations are not only arrival and departure points but also fascinating examples of railway architecture. Porta Nuova, in particular, is a masterpiece of 19th-century eclectic style.

To best explore all these attractions, consider purchasing the Piemonte Card, which offers free or discounted access to many museums and attractions in the city.

11 Turin, Shroud Museum

When one wonders what to see in Turin, the mind definitely goes to the Shroud Museum, a fascinating place that encompasses mystery, history, science, and religion. It is a unique museum in the world, therefore it is a pride for the city of Turin and for Italy itself. It is divided into two sections: the purely scientific one and the historical one. The Museum offers visitors an exhibition that, following a path with interactive stations and multimedia systems, presents evocative artifacts, worship objects, and the results of experimental research on the Shroud, in order to provide the most complete information possible on the various aspects it involves (historical, scientific, devotional, artistic). Wonderful is the historic 16th-century case that contained the Holy Sheet until 1997 when a fire destroyed the decorations of the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, yet the armor resisted the high temperature.

12 Sabauda Gallery

In the Palace of the Academy of Sciences is housed the important painting collection that includes works of the Dutch and Flemish school. The collection of the Sabauda Gallery also contains Italian works such as those of Beato Angelico, Veronese, Mantegna, and Tintoretto, among others.

Activities to do in Turin

Besides visiting monuments and museums, there are many other activities to do in Turin. Here are some ideas:

• Join a walking tour of the historic center to discover the secrets and legends of the city.
• Visit the Museum of Oriental Art for a journey through Asian cultures.
• Explore the Royal Church of San Lorenzo, a masterpiece of Turin baroque.
• Take a walk in the Royal Gardens, an oasis of peace in the heart of the city.
• Don’t miss the opportunity to visit La Venaria Reale, a magnificent Savoy residence just outside the city.
• For football lovers, a look at the Allianz Stadium is a must.
• Discover the city’s military history at the Pietro Micca Museum.
• Admire the masterpieces of the Sabauda Gallery, one of the most important art galleries in Italy.

Hidden Turin: what to see off the beaten path

Even beyond its most famous attractions, Turin offers authentic glimpses and surprising atmospheres.
For those who want to explore the city beyond the usual tourist routes, there are neighborhoods and corners that tell a more intimate, lively, and creative Turin.

Among the must-see places is the Roman Quadrilateral, the ancient heart of the city now lively with bars, shops, and nightlife.
The San Salvario district, instead, is a vibrant cultural melting pot in constant transformation, ideal for those who love urban art and alternative restaurants.
If you’re looking for a suggestive view, climb to the Monte dei Cappuccini: less known than the Mole, but with one of the most beautiful panoramas of Turin.
Finally, strolling along the Lungo Po Armando Diaz offers a different and romantic perspective on the city. And then there are lesser-known museums of Turin and many other less frequented places.

13 National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento

The National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento is located in the Palazzo Carignano. It is a baroque building commissioned by Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia Carignano in 1679 to Guarini and later completed between 1864 and 1872. In thirty rooms, in addition to numerous works of art and memorabilia that tell the Italian history from the early 19th century to 1946, stand out the Chamber of the Subalpine Parliament and the First Italian Parliament, along with a series of evocative reconstructions of historic environments, including the chamber of Carlo Alberto in Oporto and the study of Camillo Benso count of Cavour.

14 Palazzo Cisterna in Turin

Palazzo Cisterna was expanded by adding, in 1691, the wing towards via Carlo Alberto. The garden was initially entrusted to Henri Duparc, later Superintendent of the gardens of the Venaria Reale castle. Between 1773 and 1787 the palace took on its current appearance, in the canons of refined classicism, under the direction of the architect Valeriano Dellala di Beinasco. The project for the façade, marked by Corinthian pilasters that cluster in the center and on the corner projections, is dated 1780. The interior was also updated with the contribution of highly esteemed artists: the painters Antoniani and Cignaroli, the wood sculptors Gianotti and Bonzanigo, the marble sculptors Bernero and Ferrero, the stucco artist Bolina, all active in dozens of construction sites among noble and court palaces. Since 1940 the building, whose rooms document the Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque taste of the second half of the nineteenth century, has been the seat of the Province of Turin.

16 Palazzo Falletti di Barolo

A fundamental example of a Turin patrician residence, the Palazzo Falletti di Torino has come down to us virtually intact. The building, erected at the end of the seventeenth century by Baroncelli, was restored in the mid-eighteenth century by Alfieri, to whom the decoration and design of some of the furniture in the style rooms are attributed. It was an important cultural salon in the mid-1800s.

17 Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art

The Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art of Turin is among the largest art collections in the country. Located on Via Magenta, the gallery mainly contains Italian works from De Chirico to Modigliani, including sculptures by Canova. It also features renowned foreign artists such as Picasso, Renoir, Manzù, and Chagall. The artistic heritage consists of over 15,000 works including paintings, sculptures, installations, and photographs, as well as a rich collection of drawings and prints. The collections date from the late 18th century to the present day. The museum is open from 9 AM to 7 PM every day except Monday.

18 Museum of Radio and Television of Turin

The Radio Museum could only have been established in Turin, the city that witnessed the birth of Italian radio broadcasting, and it was RAI that carried out this project in the 1960s. The collected, organized, and cataloged material includes original documents, phonographic and tape recordings, and technical-professional equipment of great interest. The museum is located at Via Giuseppe Verdi, 16.

19 Albertina Academy of Fine Arts Art Gallery

The Albertina Academy of Fine Arts Art Gallery has been located in the Academy’s building since 1837, originally established for educational purposes. It is based on the legacy of the Mossi di Morano collection (1828), which includes works from the 15th to the 18th centuries (Filippo Lippi, Defendente Ferrari, Martino Spanzotti, Caravaggisti, Flemish, Genoese, Venetian), and on the donation from Carlo Alberto (1832) of 60 cartoons by Gaudenzio Ferrari and his school, a unique worldwide collection of a Renaissance workshop’s graphic works.

20 National Historical Artillery Museum

The National Historical Artillery Museum is the first European institution of its kind and the oldest museum in Turin, founded at the Royal Arsenal by Carlo Emanuele III in 1731 for the use of young artillerymen of the theoretical school established by Ignazio Bertola. The importance of the collections on display, which present many specimens from all over the world, some unique and of great value, gives the museum a leading position among similar museums worldwide. The museum is located on Corso Galileo Ferraris.

21 Pietro Micca Civic Museum

Dedicated to the patriot who played a decisive role in stopping the French siege of 1706, the Pietro Micca Civic Museum and the Siege of Turin of 1706 stands on an area that roughly corresponds to the center of the enemy’s attack front. Opened in 1961, it houses models, prints, and relics from the period. Of great interest and spectacularity is the underground itinerary of the countermine tunnels illuminated by lanterns from the time. The museum is located at Via Guicciardini, 7/A.

22 Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography

The origins of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of Turin, although collecting previous collections, date back to 1923. In 1936 it was transferred to its current location and since 1961 it has been owned by the University. Among the exhibits are numerous study collections in primatology, anthropology, paleontology, and ethnography that include artifacts of exceptional quality.

23 Puppet Museum

A world of miniature curiosities, suspended between play and the magic of theater: it is the realm of puppets housed in the Gianduja Theater-Museum. The valuable collection of the Lupi family, accumulated over 200 years of activity, includes more than 5000 pieces, including hundreds of puppets, furniture, and costumes from the 19th century.

24 Civic Museum of Numismatics, Ethnography, and Oriental Arts

For the first time united in a permanent exhibition, the three sections of numismatics, ethnology, and oriental arts from the original Civic Museum, the result of about a century of public and private collecting, make up the museum’s collection housed in an elegant fin-de-siècle building. The variety of the collections and the preciousness of the artifacts make it particularly interesting.

25 Underground Turin

A certainly different tour, but one that will guarantee you discover the true mystery and the true history of the Piedmontese city. Underground Turin is wonderful, unique, mysterious. Catacombs, underground cellars, the infernotti of Baroque palaces, etc. Highly recommended.

26 Magical Turin, the tour not to miss

Turin is famous for legends linked to the cult of white magic and black magic. It is said that certain places in the city are full of energy. There is a tour, the “Magical Turin Tour”, which takes place on Thursday and Saturday evenings, during which visitors are taken to discover these special places and are told the legends connected to those locations. Curious?

Turin in a nutshell: curiosities, things to do, nightlife, hotels and transport. Everything you need to know to best organize your trip.

27 Turin City Card

To make your stay in Turin more economical, we recommend purchasing the Turin City Card, which will allow you to have free entry or discounts for museums, exhibitions, tours, etc. The costs are really very convenient. Prices start from €35 for 2 days. 

28 Turin nightlife and historic cafés

Turin at night is quite calm. Young people like to go to the Murazzi, on the Po riverbank, for a cocktail and some live music. You will have a chance to have fun without descending into pure chaos, which certainly is not a characteristic of this city. But Turin is above all the city of historic cafés. In the city center, there are many cafes of ancient tradition, excellent meeting points.

29 Turin Artist Lights

The “Artist Lights” of Turin represent the highlight of winter and Christmas in Turin. It is a prestigious exhibition of installations and luminous works of art that, every year, lights up the streets and squares of the city center, transforming the city into a capital of illuminations. Today Artist Lights is an event also held in the city of Salerno, inspired precisely by those of Turin.

30 How to get to Turin

If you arrive by train we recommend Turin Porta Nuova, the third largest station in Italy, very central and architecturally wonderful. For air travel, the arrival point is Turin Caselle Airport. It is about 16 km from Turin and is well served by buses, shuttles, etc.

31 Where to sleep in Turin: central and convenient areas to visit the city

Turin is an elegant city and easy to explore on foot, so choosing a central area is the best solution. The areas of Porta Nuova, Piazza Castello, Piazza San Carlo and Piazza Solferino offer excellent accommodations, very close to the main monuments, museums, and historic cafés.

These areas are well served by public transport, but often you can move around comfortably on foot. Furthermore, compared to other Italian cities, Turin has a good quality/price ratio, even in central areas.

🛏️ Tip: check our selection of hotels and accommodations in Turin to find the most suitable solution or read our article on how to spend less on accommodation in Turin.

💡 Or search for deals on: Booking.com

Frequently Asked Questions about What to See in Turin