After three attempts to fly to Italy, we finally succeeded. On our first attempt we wanted to visit Bari – it didn’t work out because of the pandemic. Our second attempt was visiting Pisa, but in this case we had to cancel our flight due to illness. The third attempt fell on Turin, where we were supposed to spend four nights. A week before our departure, Agnieszka had a small bicycle accident and she broke her wrist. So if you are looking for an interesting guide to visiting Turin in 3 days with two small children and a broken wrist, here is a complete guide.
First day in Turin, Italy - exploring the centre and its main attractions
We arrived in Italy at around 9pm, after 10pm we picked up our apartment keys. We started exploring Turin in the morning and our plan was to visit mainly the city centre and walk slowly through the heart of Turin. Our little excursion traditionally began with a visit in the tourist information point next to the main station (Porta Nuova), where we were given a city map showing the most important attractions with brief descriptions. So we walked along Via Roma street leading through the beautiful promenade and our first stop turned out to be… a LEGO shop.
Our Leon, like every child, is very fond of playing with LEGO, but Krystian had the most fun in being in that kind of shop. It was a paradise for people who grew up with LEGO, so we went all around it with curiosity and found it hard to leave.
Then we started the real tour. We will give you our tour plan of the Turin market in the form of subsections. In the summary of each day there will be a map with the attractions we recommend you to visit.
1 Piazza San Carlo
Walking along the main promenade, the first characteristic place you will see will be Piazza San Carlo, in front of which there are two fountains with statues of a lying man and a woman. What is also worth noticing are the two twin Catholic churches (the Church of St Cristina and the Church of St Charles Borromeo), whose external architecture is only surpassed by their internal decoration. In the middle of the square is another monument. It depicts Emanuel Philbert on horseback, designed by Carlo Marochetti and created in 1838. The square is one of the more popular meeting places in Turin. If you want a cold and refreshing drink, you will also find a drinking fountain there.
2 Egyptian Museum
Walking down the road, you’ll find the Egyptian Museum which has the largest collection of exhibits in the world devoted exclusively to ancient Egypt (outside of Cairo). If you are interested in the culture of ancient Egypt and want to see authentic sculptures of Ramses II, the Sphinx, the rock temple of Tuthmosis II, Seti II and much more, this is a must-see for you. Admission to the museum is charged at €19 per adult, while children under five can visit the facility for free.However, it is worth being tempted to visit because, as the father of modern Egyptology Jean-François Champollion put it – „The road to Memphis and Thebes goes through Turin”. Expect more visitors there than elsewhere too, as it is one of Turin’s 'showpiece’ attractions.
3 The palaces on the way to the park
From the Egyptian Museum it’s nice to go in the direction of the nearby park, so that there you can take a little rest from the sun, which will certainly accompany you during your tour of Turin. On your way there, you will pass the beautiful Palazzo Carignano, which for hundreds of years housed important people from Italian history (it was here that the first king of Italy, Victor Emmanuel II, was born). Currently, the Palazzo Carignano serves as the most important National Unification Museum of Italy. It holds this title in relation to the 23 museums dedicated to this theme throughout Italy.
Another place worth visiting is the Castle Square and the Madama Palace, which looks a bit like a fortress. This place used to be the headquarter of the ducal dynasty of Savoy and nowadays serves as the Municipal Museum of Ancient Art. If you would like to take a little trip back in time and learn more about the history of the Italian region of Piedmont and see how lavishly the owners of the castle (Cristina Maria Bourbon and Maria Joanna of Savoy, to whom we mainly owe the modern appearance of the fortress) lived.
Afterwards, we suggest you go to the Royal Palace in Turin and visit the magnificent chambers of the palace, which is considered the most dignified and ornate palace on the old continent. We think that if you are in Turin, it is well worth a visit, as its splendour and meticulousness in the execution of the smallest details will certainly delight you. In addition, it is possible for visitors to take a tour of the royal gardens. The Royal Palace was also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, which shows that it is a noteworthy attraction and testifies to its high status.
Finally, we reach the Reale Gardens which is divided into two areas – the first behind the walls of the Royal Palace and the second which is a public park. There you can take a break from the buildings, sit for a while and gain strength before continuing the tour.
4 The Palatina Gate and archaeological area in the city centre
The Palatina Gate is a place worth visiting for historical reasons, as it is the best preserved testimony of the Roman times of Turin. The Palatina Gate is a Roman gate that provided access to the city from its northern side and the condition in which it remains today makes it one of the best-preserved Roman gates in the whole world. Below it is a statue of Julius Caesar.
Numerous archaeological excavations can be seen around the gate, which you can read more about on the information boards.
5 Turin Cathedral, which holds the famous Turin Shroud
A must-see place on your Turin sightseeing map is Turin Cathedral, which holds the famous Turin Shroud. For those who don’t know what it is, it is the garment that was meant to protect the body of Jesus Christ while he was laid in the tomb.
The authenticity of the shroud has been disputed for years and even the church does not declare a clear answer confirming or denying the authenticity of the Turin Shroud. The first official information about the shroud appeared in the mid-13th century. Where was it located for 1,300 years? We do not know and we will probably never know. Over the years, however, it has become an icon.
The correct name of the church that houses the Shroud of Turin is the Metropolitan Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Turin and it is the most important Catholic building in all of Piermont. It was built at the end of the 15th century and its interior is quite austere and done in a baroque style. I think you will not find it the most beautifully decorated church you have seen, but it is certainly an important place for all religious people.
At this point, we recommend you to take a look at the exhibition calendar of the Shroud of Turin, as it is no longer on public display for viewing and is only exhibited during important events. It was last exhibited on Holy Saturday, 3 April 2021.
6 The Molle Antonelliana – one of the tallest brick buildings in Europe
At the end of your walk, you must also visit the Molle Antonelliana, which is one of the landmarks of the capital Piermont. It was originally built for religious purposes and was intended to be a synagogue, but by significantly exceeding the intended budget that the Turin Jewish grouping entrusted it with, it stood for nine years until the city finally took it over and completed the work by transforming it into a monument to national unity.
Today this beautiful building serves as the Museum of Cinematography and, according to the descriptions in the guidebooks, it is one of the most visited museums in Italy. Do you agree with this opinion? Let us know after your visit.
It is a good idea to book your ticket to such places in advance. That way you won’t have to wait in lines. It’s also convenient for those who may have communication problems or want to give someone close a surprise for an upcoming trip to Turin. Check out all the Turin attractions to which you can book tickets online – Online Ticket Booking in Turin
Interactive tour map of Turin during the first day
If the package of experiences we’ve included for you on day one isn’t enough, you can always still explore the city square and sink into the dense Italian streets of the city centre. For the more entertained, it’s worth mentioning that the social life in Turin doesn’t resonate until after 6pm-7am, when people start crowding into bars and pubs with their friends. There is also no shortage of families with children playing in the piazzas and squares as the heat begins to let up.
Day two - exploring the outskirts of the city and visiting the beautiful Superga Basilica
The main idea for us on day two was to visit the Superga Basilica, which towers over Turin and on a clear day you can see Turin with the snowy Alps on the horizon. An additional attraction was to be a ride into the basilica on a vintage 'mountain’ tram, but our plan was slightly modified.
Like any major city, Turin has the option of buying temporary public transport tickets and on this particular day we took advantage of a daily ticket. We purchased it in one of the shops (Tabaca Shop). We tried to buy the ticket directly from the driver, but this was not possible. We wanted to use the mobile app through which we would have been able to use the tickets, but the app did not work either and had 2 stars in rating on the Play Store.
Our plan was to go to the river that flows from the eastern side of Turin – the Po River. There is a very atmospheric promenade over the water and an early 20th century bridge with statues. To tell you the truth, we were surprised to find that it was built in 1907, as it was done in the old style and at first glance looks like it dates back to at least the 18th century. However, it is one of the more interesting bridges you can see in Turin, so in our opinion it is worth a visit.
Then we turned left and walked along the pedestrian zone, visiting the nearby green areas and quietly making our way towards the Church of the Great Mother of God (Chiesa Parrocchiale della Gran Madre di Dio), which is reminiscent of Rome’s Pantheon. From there, we spotted by chance a very atmospheric street with flags of the world’s countries displayed, cafés and ice cream parlours.
Out of pure curiosity, we walked along it, feeling like we were in the Italian countryside. It led us to the Po river and a playground that literally terrified us… A dirty, abandoned playground that clearly could have once been a small water park now only frightened us. Despite this, Leoś wanted to play there for a while, but after seeing the first spider hanging from the swings, we ran away from there faster than we entered. To be honest, after our whole stay in Turin, we didn’t see a single nice playground. What’s more, they were practically nowhere to be found.
After such an adventure, we finally decided to go to our main destination, the Superga Basilica. To do this, we took the number 61 bus and went to the station (CORIOLANO CAPOLINEA – Sassi Superga), from where the mountain tram starts its journey. Unfortunately, it turned out that we went there on a Wednesday. And Wednesday is a maintenance day for the line that runs to the basilica. So if you want to ride it, make sure you don’t go there on Wednesday. Well, we looked for a substitute line and went using a daily public transport ticket on bus 79. As for the bus itself, unfortunately it is very difficult to get on with a stroller because it is a small bus with stairs. And the ride is very extreme. The narrow street climbing up to the Superga Basilica feels like someone is about to hit us or we will fall out of the way. On top of that, the steep slope often made us feel like closing our eyes and praying to get to our destination safely. The ride takes about 15 minutes and the bus goes right in front of the basilica, so you don’t have to worry about stopping.
The Basilica di Superga, as it is the main focus of the day, was built on the slope of the Capuchin Hill measuring 660 m above sea level. It was built as a tribute to the Virgin Mary, who helped Italy defeat the forces of the French and Spanish army in 1706. The person responsible for the design of this magnificent basilica was Fillipo Juvarra, who built, among other things, the Royal Palace in Turin.
Why it is worth to visit this place? Apart from the fact that the building itself is impressive, there is also a magnificent view of the whole of Turin and the Alps, which can be seen on the horizon if the visibility is good. This is precisely why the basilica was built on this spot, because, according to the story, it was from here that the Italian King Victor Amadeus II planned the defence of the city and could assess the enemy’s strength. He also vowed that if he was victorious he would build a basilica on this spot.
The Basilica of Superga is open to the public and, in good weather, it is possible to enter the viewing tower (the dome of the temple). There is a narrow and winding staircase leading up to it, so we did not venture into such an attraction with our children. The entire church is built in the Baroque style and if you like architecture, you certainly won’t be disappointed.
A little walk around the basilica is also worthwhile. An important site for local residents is the point of the plane crash that happened in 1949 in the nearby hills, in which the entire football team of Italy’s AC Torino was killed. It is a memorial site, full of photographs of those who died in the crash.
The Basilica of Superga is open to the public and, in good weather, it is possible to enter the viewing tower (the dome of the temple). There is a narrow and winding staircase leading up to it, so we did not venture into such an attraction with our children. The entire church is built in the Baroque style and if you like architecture, you certainly won’t be disappointed.
A little walk around the basilica is also worthwhile. An important site for local people is the location of the plane crash that happened in 1949 in the nearby hills, in which the entire football team of Italy’s AC Torino was killed. It is a memorial site, full of photographs of those who died in the crash.
The return to Turin is from the same stop. The bus runs once an hour, so we recommend checking the timetable and matching your walk to the departures.
Regarding the flying of the drone, it is allowed near the area of the Superga Basilica and is not included in the warning zone like the city of Turin.
Third day of sightseeing in Turin - a trip to the nearby Alps to the mountain town Susa.
Our last day of sightseeing in Turin was dedicated to a trip to the mountain town Susa, located in a valley between the Alps. For us, it was the excursion we enjoyed the most out of the whole trip to Turin. The peaceful atmosphere of the mountain town, the beautiful views, the proximity to nature. All this meant that we were able to relax the most and feel like we were on holiday in this town.
We arrived in Susa by train, which runs directly from Turin Central Station and for €5.50/person (children free). As it turned out, Susa is a town with a rich history and it was a kind of 'Gateway to Rome’. For many years the town was the provincial capital, so there are many monuments referring to ancient Rome (aqueducts, beautiful city gates, amphitheatre).
In itself, the town is a very cool break from the crowded and large city of Turin and, in our opinion, definitely worth considering when planning your trip to the capital of Piermont.
We won’t write much about Susa here, as we’ve created a separate post on it, where we’ve tried to give you a more in-depth look at this beautiful town.
Useful information on a trip to Turin
We assume that for many of you a trip to Turin will be your first time in the city, so we would like to give you some practical tips that came useful when visiting the city.
Turin Airport is located a few kilometres from the city. The Airport-Turin transfer is provided by bus service and it is not possible to get there by train or metro. A characteristic blue bus will take you to Turin. It takes about an hour to reach the main station. The cost of the ticket is €7 and can be bought directly on the bus with cash or credit card. The bus stop is a few metres from the airport exit (turn right when you leave)
In our case, mobile apps in Italy did not work well. Either they were unreadable, didn’t work or there were other problems.
Where did we eat? Where did we spend the nights?
We managed to find a place to stay near the main train station (link to the flat if you are interested). It was less than 5 minutes from the last stop of the bus that runs from the airport on Magenta Street. We ate as should be in Italy – mostly pizza. We managed to find the best one at Misterpizza (Via S. Secondo, 32, 10128 Torino TO, Italy) , the other is a pub where you can sit down and enjoy Pizzeria 150 (Via Nizza, 29, 10126 Torino TO, Italy). All in all, the pizza is more or less the same everywhere, but the taste of the Neapolitan one didn’t beat it.
Visiting Turin with children is a fairly straightforward affair. The city centre is quite stroller-friendly, children under 4 get in practically everywhere for free, delicious ice creams mean that even the heat doesn’t get in the way.
And we have also noticed that Italians are very positive about children. They chat, they are happy with them and every now and then all we heard was „Bambino, bambino”.
The town is characterised by its high buildings, which has its advantages in terms of the shade that can always be found on one side of the street.
Security – in general, we’ve read that security can be different. The worst was supposed to be precisely where we stayed for the night, i.e. at the main train station.
We, however, felt very safe in our whole stay in Turin and did not have situation where we could feel uncomfortable. Sure, there were homeless people, but they didn’t bother us, they didn’t ask for anything. Maybe it has to do with the fact that Eurovision 2022 was over before we arrived and the city was well secured? We don’t know, but if you’re in Turin, please share your impressions.
If you liked something in Turin and think it’s a worthy place to visit, we encourage you to share your opinions! Maybe you can help solve someone’s problem with it or make a few people curious.
