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Turin
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Football Italia City Guide
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It’s a race against time in Turin to get the city into shape for next February’s Winter Olympics. Renovation work is underway in many parts and the new underground railway system should be ready in time. Despite all this disruption, Turin is spacious and accommodating enough to offer plenty to visitors. Situated on the banks of the Po and Dora rivers at the foot of the magnificent Alps, the city is just far enough away from general Italian thoroughfares to remain strangely calm, despite its dimensions. The mixture of the its aristocratic past - the Savoy family reigned here for centuries - and its industrial vigour, linked particularly to the national car manufacturers, FIAT, add to its unique atmosphere.
Turin is home to Juventus and Torino. Although the Bianconeri have one of the largest fan bases in Italy, the bulk of these are not Turin residents. The locals tend to be Torino supporters, while many Juve fans are from southern Italy.
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 Stadio: Delle Alpi
With a capacity 67,229 the Delle Alpi is generally seen as a bit of a white elephant. Built for the Italia ‘90 World Cup, it is undeniably an impressive construction, but the wide running track means that spectators are a bit far from the action, and the lack of regular, large crowds adds to the deserted feel. The alpine backdrop, however, is breathtaking on a clear day.
Bus number 72 goes to the Delle Alpi from the centre of Turin, passing through Piazza Solferino and in front of the Porta Susa railway station.
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 Match Tickets
You can book tickets online from www.listicket.it/juventus_fc or get them directly in Turin from any of a number of Lottomatica lottery pay points. Some of the most convenient in the centre are at Piazza Emanuele Filiberto 7, Piazza Palazzo Di Città 6f, Via Arsenale 1 and Via Cernaia 16c. Tickets booked online can be picked up at the stadium, at desk No 1 outside your section, from a couple of hours before kick off. You’ll need ID and your booking reference. Ticket prices vary according to the match, but for a Serie A game they start at 20 Euros for a seat in the curva nord or curva sud.
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 Out & About
It’s a good idea to invest in the Torino card if you plan to visit at least a couple of places in the city, and there is plenty to see! At 15 Euros for 48 hours and 17 Euros for 72 hours, you get free entry to all museums, castles and so on, and unlimited use of public transport, including the Superga funicular and the river boats. Get the card from the tourist offices at the Porta Nuova station, in Piazza Castello and in Piazza Solferino. This one is housed in twin futuristic structures, and is known as the Atrium Torino. All the city’s current and planned developments are on display, including all the plans for the 2006 Winter Olympics.
> For a birds’ eye view of Turin, the surrounding hills and the Alps beyond, take the glass lift up to the viewing terrace of the Mole Antonelliana. Originally planned to be a synagogue, this is actually Italy’s highest building and the views from the top are spectacular.
> The same building houses the National Cinema Museum. Sections on the history of the cinema are interspersed with famous film sets you can walk through, spiralling up the inside of the dome. Films are shown on large and small screens throughout.
> Piazza Castello is the city’s main square. Palazzo Madama in the centre is a curious building incorporating three totally different styles, built into each other.
> To one side of the square is Palazzo Reale, a huge palace. You can visit the plush stately rooms, but guided tours are compulsory.
> Turin’s Holy Shroud is one of the city’s biggest boasts. It is stowed horizontally in a casket in the cathedral, San Giovanni, but a full size copy is on show. A separate museum tells the recent history of the shroud, but gives no certainties as to whether or not it really is the sheet Jesus was wrapped in after his crucifixion.
> Take the funicular up to the Superga hill and basilica. It was here that the entire Torino football team, Italian champions at the time, lost their lives in an air crash in 1949 on their way back from a match in Lisbon.
> The Parco del Valentino on the banks of the River Po contains a couple of castles, one real, built in the 17th Century, and a fake, medieval one built for Italy’s General Exposition in 1884. This is surrounded by an equally fake, but appealing medieval village.
> Go shopping. The impressive Juventus Store is in the city’s main pedestrianised shopping street, Via Garibaldi, at number 4/e. There’s also a branch at the stadium and another one at Turin’s airport. The Torino store, Solotoro, in Via Nino Costa 3 appears very much the poor relation in comparison, while the Granata’s official store is in Via Allioni 3, near Piazza Statuto.
> Porta Palazzo market, at Piazza della Repubblica, is Europe’s largest open-air market. It’s a lively place selling mostly food, open every day.
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Food & Drink
Turin cuisine has brought many luxuries to the world. Gianduia chocolate, ice cream on a stick, vermouth and grissini bread sticks were all invented here. Try a delicious bicerin - coffee with chocolate and cream - in one of the city’s historic cafes.
When it comes to real food, the Piedmont area goes in for rather heavy dishes, and the multitude of locally produced cheeses are very much in evidence. Bagna Cauda is a tasty speciality - a garlic and anchovy sauce in which you dip a selection of raw vegetables. Finanziera combines chicken giblets with beef and mushrooms and gained its name from the formal jackets worn by local operators of high finance around 1800.
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Restaurants
> Trattoria Valenza (Via Borgo Dora 39, Tel: 0039-011-5213914). Local legend serving simple, hearty dishes. The brusque manner of the host and the special coffee, made to a secret recipe and served with lemon peel add to the appeal. Head to this homely, lively place after a visit to the Porta Palazzo and Balon markets.
> Trattoria Porto di Savona (Piazza Vittorio Veneto 2, Tel: 0039-011-8173500). Tasty, local fare at this well-established restaurant near the river. Try the finanziera.
> Tre da Tre (Via Giuseppe Verdi 33, Tel: 0039-011-8391312). Ideally placed if hunger bites when you’re near the Mole. Delicious pizzas and a traditional menu served in a pleasant and fresh atmosphere under a brick-vaulted ceiling.
> The Quadrilatero Romano area, stretching between Via Garibaldi and Porta Palazzo really comes to life at night, with a wide variety of places to eat and drink. One of the most famous, and supposedly the city’s oldest restaurant, is Tre Galline (Via Bellezia 37, Tel: 0039-011-4366553).
> Il Bagatto (Via Sant’Agostino 30a, Tel: 0039-011-4368887) is a good alternative for just a drink or a full meal. Aperitivo snacks are spread in front of a huge terracotta wall decoration.
> Uva Spina (Via Bidone 3c, Tel: 0039-011-6505386). A good place to go for a late snack or drink if you’re staying near the station area. Open evenings only 7pm to 3am.
> Trattoria Cooperativa Superga (Via Superga 60, Tel: 0039-011-9431720). A five-minute, downhill walk from the funicular station takes you to this popular trattoria. A good idea to book as it gets busy.
> A visit to at least one of Turin’s historic cafés is obligatory. There are several in Piazza San Carlo: Stratta (No 191) appeals to chocoholics, San Carlo (No 156) is one of the town’s most baroque and glitzy while Torino (No 204) is more approachable, with bull images inside and out. Good for an aperitivo.
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Accomodation
There are plenty of hotels near the main railway station, Porta Nuova, which, unlike the station areas in most cities, is pleasant and relaxed. The first two listed here are more central though.
> Victoria Hotel (Via Nino Costa 4, Tel: 0039-011-5611909, www.hotelvictoria-torino.it). Very attractive and comfortable hotel, furnished with character. Work is underway for a garden and swimming pool, to be ready in time for the Winter Olympics.
> Hotel Dogana Vecchia (Via Corte d’Appello 4, Tel: 0039-011-4366752, www.hoteldoganavecchia.com). Giuseppe Verdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Napoleon Bonaparte are all supposed to have stayed in this well-established, centrally-located hotel.
> Hotel Boston (Via Massena 70, Tel: 0039-011-599358, www.hotelbostontorino.it). Undoubtedly the best of the numerous hotels in the Porta Nuova station area. Imaginatively furnished in a variety of contemporary styles and boasting a tremendous collection of art.
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Getting there...
Turin’s Caselle airport (www.aeroportoditorino.it), only about 16 km out of town, has flights to and from Stansted with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com), Luton with EasyJet (www.easyjet.com), and Gatwick with British Airways (www.britishairways.com).
The best way into town from the airport is by train. The journey to centrally placed Dora railway station from the airport station takes about 20 minutes and trains leave every half hour. Alternatively, buses leaving from outside the terminal go to Turin’s other two railway stations Porta Susa and the main station, Porta Nuova.
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Local lingo
"Dui puvrun bagnà ‘nt l’oli" - "Two peppers dunked in oil."
"Vorrei noleggiare una bici per mezza giornata" - "I’d like to hire a bicycle for half a day."
"Scusi, come si accede alla Mole?" - "Excuse me, how do you get into the Mole?"
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Compiled by: Sarah Lane
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