Turin or Torino in Italian is a city in northern Italy and one of the loveliest towns we have visited. It is the capital city of Piedmont with a population of 2.278 million, according to the 2021 census. Housing Anywhere proclaimed Turin as the third best city in Italy and quite popular amongst ex-pats because of its low-cost living. It is also one of the largest cities in Italy. We had never heard of Turin before. Therefore, when we built our itinerary through various countries in Europe, we thought it would be a great place for a pit stop. It is not a common town to visit, but it has its charm and interesting spots such as the spire of the Mole Antonelliana, piazza’s, churches, café’s, opera houses, art galleries, palaces, theaters, and baroque architecture that line Turin’s streets.

We drove to Turin, Italy, from Monaco in the French Riviera. Turin was a pit stop on our way to Dijon, Paris. It was a three-and-a-half-hour drive, but we enjoyed stunning sea views, mountain views, and spectacular views of the Alps towards the northwest of Turin.

Though we were not in Turin for long, we enjoyed a leisurely walk through the city center and Piazza San Carlo. I loved it was flat land and easy on my feet. We enjoyed a quick lunch at a local restaurant, Focacceria Blob at Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 5 10122 Turin, Piedmont, Italy. We had their special which was gnocchi. I am not a fan of gnocchi, but I must admit I loved theirs. It was delicious and did not make me feel bloated—a big WIN!

It surprised me to see there were few restaurants in the vicinity. Probably because it is not a tourist area—hence why we did not encounter tourists. We saw many high-end and name-brand stores. Since we were not in Turin to shop, we did not enter the premises of such stores. I wonder why they have such high-end stores in Turin, with it being a low-cost-of-living city and not a common tourist destination. It might be because of its proximity to Milan, which is less than two hours away.

Since Turin is not a popular city, it amazed us to discover it was the birth home of a few well-known products. Our favorite coffee brand, Lavazza, is originally from Turin. As well as the famous Nutella, chocolate, and Vermouth. Oh and I cannot forget the vehicle I own, Fiat, which is native to Turin too.

Overall, Turin was a delightful place for us to make our pit stop. We loved it and could see ourselves living there. We will certainly mark it as a place to revisit in the future. If you are looking to explore little-known towns in Italy, I suggest you pay a visit to Turin. I am sure you will agree with me on how lovely a town Turin is.

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