To follow-up and perhaps help future travelers, I went to Torino, and I really enjoyed it!
I started with a walking tour I put together pulling from some online resources. It went like this:
- Porta Nuova
- Via Roma shopping street
- Piazza Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale (command center of the Gestapo in WWII)
- Piazza Carlo
- Chiesa di San Carlo Borromeo and Chiesa di Santa Cristina
- (Chiesa di San Filippo) - the interior was under-renovation, so not much to see here.
- Galleria Subalpina including Cremino at Baratti & Milano
- Teatro Regio Torino (home of several famous opera production, including the premiere of La Boheme in 1896)
- Piazza Castello
- Cathedral di San Giovanni Battista
- Porta Palatina (loved this beautiful park amongst the ancient ruins)
- Basilica del Corpus Domini
- Via Garibaldi shopping street
- Arcionfraternita della Misericordia
The next day (first full day), I went to the Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Madama, and Museo Egizio for the first half. The Palazzo Reale was especially beautiful, and the Capella della Sacra Sidone made my jaw drop.
In the afternoon, I took the little train up to the Basilica di Superga, which was beautiful with great views; and I ended the day going up to the top of the Mole Antonelliana.
The second full day, I started by taking the bus out to Reggia di Venaria Reale. It wasn't exactly "Italy's Versailles," as it's sometimes referred to, but it was still quite beautiful. The little suburb where it's at was also quite lovely with plenty of little shops and cafes, nice wooded walks by the river, etc. On the way back to town, I stopped at the football stadium, and once back home, I spent the late afternoon in Parco Valentino on the river.
Biggest tip: The Torino Card was totally worth it. It got me into everything on my list (and more), and for an additional 2E, it included unlimited public transportation. Get one at the Tourist Information center on Piazza Castello (they don't sell them at the TI outside the train station).
Overall impressions: I really enjoyed Torino. It's quite a bit "grittier" than some of the other major cities in Italy, and the people are quite an eclectic mix-moreso than I've seen elsewhere in big Italian cities. There's a vibe in the city that's difficult to describe - rather unpretentious, "do whatever-it's all good," kind of feel - and I loved it. I guess it felt way less touristy than Rome or Venice or even Milan. And I found the locals to be absolutely lovely. It seemed less polished and more "real" to me, and I really enjoyed it a lot.
Biggest regret: I had planned to spend a day in the Aosta valley on my way to Torino from Chamonix, but it was so ridiculously hot, I abandoned that plan. I wish I would have. The landscape is way more picturesque than around Torino. I'll be back, though...
