Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Welcome to the Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Destination Guides

bthere! Destination guides

Previous issues for Turin

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy,
please confirm event/venue details in advance.

Italy : Turin - January 2008

Country Code: Dial for Italy

Getting around

Caselle airport

Bus: A bus service from the airport to the city centre runs every 30 minutes, from 5.15am to 11pm (see www.sadem.it). The journey takes 40 minutes and costs €5.
Train: Trains run directly into Dora station from the airport. The service departs every 30 minutes (see www.gtt.to.it) and takes 40 minutes. Tickets cost €3.
Taxi: A taxi to the city centre takes about 30 minutes and costs €35. Tourist information: The city’s main tourist office is at the Atrium, Piazza Solferino (tel. , www.turismotorino.org).

CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE

Named after Italy’s last king, this boulevard is reminiscent of Parisian architecture and is one of the city’s busiest streets.

Sleep soundly – Revisit the early 1930s at the gloriously art deco hotel Principi di Piemonte (15 Via Gobetti, , www.principidipiemonte.com, rooms from €169). It’s a great starting point from which to explore the city.

Must eat – Turin’s French influence can still be felt at Le Vitel Étonné (4 Via San Francesco da Paola, ), where the menu fuses Italian taste and trans-Alpine grandeur.

VIA PO

With its beautiful arcades lined with shops, bookstores, cafés and restaurants, Via Po is the prettiest route towards the city’s two main symbols – Po River and the Mole Antonelliana – even in winter.

Sleep soundly – Next to Mole Antonelliana, Hotel Amadeus (41 bis Via Principe Amedeo, , www.hotelamadeustorino.it, rooms from €65) manages to be both comfortable and reasonably priced.

Culture vultures – Before Rome and Cinecittà, Turin was home of the Italian film industry. Mole Antonelliana (originally a synagogue) houses the Museo Nazionale del Cinema (20 Via Montebello), commonly acknowledged as the best museum of its kind in the country. Even if you’re not interested in the collection of rare movie memorabilia, you can head for the stylish bar or take the elevator to the roof to see the Alps.

Must eat – At Porto di Savona (2 Piazza Vittorio Veneto, ) you can sample local specialities while admiring the collection of old prints and photographs on the wall, which document the city’s glory years as Savoy’s capital.

Shop til you drop – Turin is famous for chocolate and especially marron glacés, chestnuts cooked in a sugar syrup that become deliciously soft candied fruits. There’s no better place in town to stock up on them than Pasticceria Ghigo (52b Via Po).

LA CROCETTA

La Crocetta is a favourite residential area for Turin’s haute bourgeoisie, mostly because of the district’s prestigious buildings and cosy parks.

Sleep soundly – For accommodation that’s slightly out of the ordinary, pick hotel-turned-art-gallery (or maybe it’s the other way around) Art Hotel Boston (70 Via Massena, tel. , www.hotelbostontorino.it, rooms from €110). The rooms are based on the paintings and sculptures they contain.

Dance the night away – Discoteca La Gare (65 Via Sacchi) is one of the city’s best clubs. Head here for techno, an alternative atmosphere and an upfor-it crowd.

PIAZZA CASTELLO

Many consider this square to be the true heart of Turin, given that most of the significant events in the city’s history took place here.

Sleep soundly – At the beginning of Galleria Subalpina you’ll find Caffè Baratti & Milano (27 Piazza Castello), the quintessential Piedmontese hangout that’s full of turn-of-the-century appeal. Have an aperitif or a quick lunch.

Culture vultures – The residence of the King of Italy until 1865, Palazzo Reale (Piazzetta Reale) was built in the 16th century, and many of its interiors and artefacts still date from that time.

Must eat – Legend has it the founder of Caffè Mulassano (15 Piazza Castello, tel. ) was the inventor of tramezzini (small sandwiches filled with either paté or thin slivers of meat), which seems as good an excuse as any to indulge in one here.

Must drink – You can’t leave Turin without trying bicerin, a wintery hot beverage of coffee, dark chocolate and whipped cream. Sample the calorific concoction at Caffè al Bicerin (5 Piazza della Consolata).

Compiled by Matt Barker