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Italy : Turin - March 2009

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Turin’s great achievement lies in its ability to marry the old and the new; to bring a contemporary twist to its architectural and cultural legacy. Constantly updating itself, this year sees a new wing added to the renowned Egyptian Museum. Then there is the CioccolaTò festival (6-15 March), a very modern celebration of the city’s long tradition of chocolate making. Colin Barnes heads down there

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).

PIAZZA CASTELLO

The centrepiece of baroque Turin, Castello is the city’s grandest square, where café culture and the rich heritage of the Piedmont capital sit side by side.

Culture vultures – The Museo Civico di Arte Antica (Palazzo Madama, Piazza Castello) houses some of the most important paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

Must eat – For a decent slice of pizza, try La Smarrita Art (17/a Via Cesare Battisti, tel. ), a fabulously grand place to sit and tuck into the dough disc. Pepino (8 Piazza Carignano, tel. , closed Mondays) is a busy pit-stop, where you can enjoy a light meal, followed by some wonderful ice cream.

Must drink – Both wine bar and bookstore, Taberna Libraria (5 Via Bogino) has a nicely boho/intellectual ambiance, where you can enjoy a glass of barbera while pretending to read Italo Calvino. The Caffè Roberto (5 Via Po) is a classic Turin aperitif bar and is very popular, not least because it does some excellent bar snacks.

PIAZZA SAN CARLO

Known as Turin’s drawing room, San Carlo is a typically elegant, lively meeting place and a good starting point for a passeggiata (evening stroll).

Culture vultures – The world-famous Egyptian Museum (6 Via Accademia delle Scienze) is home to a celebrated collection of Ancient Egyptian artefacts – everything from a statue of Ramses II to a box of toiletries buried in Kha’s tomb. Based in a 17th-century palace, the Fondazione Palazzo Bricherasio (20 Via Lagrange) is more contemporary and hosts a series of intriguing shows.

Shop til you drop – Steffanone (2 Via Maria Vittoria) is one of Turin’s great food shops, with shelves groaning under the weight of cheeses and fresh pastas. Carla G (7 Via Lagrange) is a fashionable women’s clothes store, where designer bag ladies come to coo over the selection of shoes.

MURAZZI DEL PO

This is a buzzy riverside quarter: by day a parade of quirky shops to explore, by night the centre of Turin’s club and bar culture.

Sleep soundly – The Albergo River Hotel (89 Corso Casale, , albergoriverhotel.it, rooms from €70) is a comfy, modish getaway, just across the river from the centro. The Best Western Hotel Crimea (3 Via Mentana, , bestwestern.it, rooms from €99) is a useful standby. It’s handy for the attractions of central Turin but set in a quiet residential area.

Must drink – Vinicola Al Sorji (10 Via Matteo Pescatore, closed Mondays) is a great place for wine buffs to work their way through an absorbing list. While Alcatraz (37 Murazzi del Po) is a more up-front sort of place, all loud music and chatty locals.

Shop til you drop – Chocaholics will want to visit Peyrano (47 Corso Moncalieri), the city’s most famous sweet shop. It sells a huge variety of traditional local treats. At the nearby Antica Enoteca del Borgo (4 Via Monferrato) you can stock up on some wine to wash it all down with.

PIAZZA CARLO EMANUELE II

There used to be a guillotine on the square here, although nowadays it’s trying to navigate the traffic that will make you lose your head.

Culture vultures – Accademia (3/e Via Accademia Albertina) is a smart independent gallery that specialises in 19th-century paintings. Just around the corner is Martano (29 Via Principe Amedeo), one of Turin’s leading exhibition spaces.

Must eat – Head straight to Brasserie Société Lutèce (21 Piazza Carlo Emanuele II, tel. ), which does good affettati (cold cuts).

Compiled by Colin Barnes