Turin

The locals' romantic free alternative to the Mole's paid deck — a 15-min climb from Piazza Vittorio to a terrace framing the Mole with the Alps behind. Hear the city's evening sounds rising up the hill; way less mobbed than Superga.

Viewpoint · Turin

Turin's oldest quarter: cobbled, labyrinthine Roman-grid streets that at dawn glow with soft light, laundry lines and pastel facades — then transform after dark into the city's densest aperitivo/nightlife warren. The authentic photo + drink zone.

Sight · Turin

A baroque basilica at 670m with sweeping Alpine views, reachable by the charming 1884 'dentiera' rack tram with wooden benches. Local tip: the official terrace is fenced/crowded — the unmarked pull-offs along the winding road below frame Turin with cypresses (better photos, morning light).

Viewpoint · Turin

A 1641 Carthusian charterhouse that became one of Italy's largest asylums (closed after the 1978 Basaglia law) — grand cloister, decaying late-1800s padiglioni and a heavy, layered atmosphere. Unusual for urbex: the walls came down and it sits inside a public park, so much is freely and LEGALLY walkable; only some derelict pavilions are off-limits.

Urbex · Turin

Europe's largest alpine fortification: ~3 km of ramparts and a 4,000-step covered staircase climbing 600 m of mountainside, abandoned by the military and slowly decayed before being saved. Cavernous, moody and far less mobbed than Turin's palaces. Properly atmospheric without any trespass — you walk it on a ticket/guided tour.

Urbex · Turin

An elegant 1874 iron-and-glass shopping gallery linking Piazza Castello and Piazza Carlo Alberto — Belle Époque cafés, a vintage cinema and bookshop under a luminous vault. A quick, photogenic, often-overlooked gem (and home to Baratti & Milano).

Sight · Turin

Turin's iconic spire, housing the superb National Cinema Museum; a glass lift shoots you to an 85m open deck for a 360° view of the city, the hill and Monviso. Famous but genuinely worth it for the museum + the unusual close-up skyline.

Sight · Turin

One of the largest royal residences in the world: the Great Gallery, 80 hectares of baroque gardens with contemporary art and Italy's biggest potager. Grand and famous — worth it; go early or late afternoon and focus on the gardens to dodge crowds.

Sight · Turin

A UNESCO Savoy residence hidden on the hill minutes from the centre, with terraced Italianate gardens, fountains and a working vineyard producing wine inside the city limits — and a panoramic backdrop over Turin. Far quieter than Venaria, a real local secret.

Sight · Turin

A vast dead printing empire (Industria Libraria Tipografica Editrice, collapsed 2015–17): tens of thousands of m² of dust-silent offices and halls, rusted machines and fossil-stacks of old phone books, with a landmark tower at Turin's south gate. The benchmark Piedmont industrial-urbex site — heavily photographed. whySpecial caveat: it's privately owned, redevelopment works have STARTED, it's policed (a famous trespass case + a 1,500-person illegal rave happened here) — entry is illegal and increasingly fenced.

Urbex · Turin

Cross Turin's oldest bridge for the postcard line-up: the Pantheon-like Gran Madre, the Po, and the Mole on the skyline behind — wrapped in Templar/Holy-Grail folklore. A short, free, atmospheric riverside stop linking centre to the hill.

Viewpoint · Turin

An 1879 villa turned 1931 tuberculosis sanatorium (then a nursing home, closed 2013), famous for a vast skylit central atrium and a local 'cursed/haunted' reputation that draws paranormal hunters. A standout Piedmont medical-urbex subject. whySpecial caveat: it's a real detour north (Biella), still ASL-owned, empty and monitored — entry is trespassing.

Urbex · Turin

Turin's 40-hectare English-style green lung along the Po — plane-tree avenues, the Fontana dei Dodici Mesi, the fairy-tale Castello del Valentino, botanical garden, rowers on the river and Mole glimpses. Lives with the city, not apart from it; walk farther from the gate for quiet.

Outdoor · Turin

Tre-Coni, Slow-Food-rooted gelato churned daily from Piedmont valley milk, Langhe hazelnuts and Gobino chocolate — plus his cult zabaione 'Zabà' (with vermouth/chinato). Pure, traditional, transparent supply chain; a Turin institution done right.

Food · Turin

A Tre-Coni research lab for gelato in hip San Salvario — minimal sugar/fat, creative seasonal combinations chasing 'a memory'. The locals' choice for contemporary, ingredient-driven gelato over the tourist counters.

Food · Turin

A family-run, working-class-quarter osteria with timber paneling and a handwritten seasonal menu — melt-in-mouth veal cheek, agnolotti, vitello tonnato, bonet, house Nebbiolo. 'Like eating at a friend's grandma's house'; locals' favourite, off the tourist map.

Food · Turin

A bustling, no-frills piola where locals queue mid-week for antipasti misto and vitello tonnato at fair, non-touristy prices, with lively outdoor tables on a little square near Piazza Castello. Fast turnover keeps it real.

Food · Turin

A tiny, hidden concept bar in the Quadrilatero dedicated entirely to vermouth — Turin's own invention. Vast selection from Cocchi/Carpano/Antica Torino to artisan labels, served neat or in twists, with Piedmontese bites (acciughe al verde, vitello tonnato, toasts). A locals'-secret homage to the great Turin aperitivo.

Aperitivo · Turin

An opulent, mirrored 1858 café on Piazza Castello famed for gold-foiled gianduiotti and a classic bicerin. Stunning interior worth the pilgrimage; buy chocolates and the hazelnut spread (better than Nutella) to take away.

Cafe · Turin

The 1763 cradle of the bicerin (layered espresso, melted chocolate, cream) — a candle-lit, marble-and-wood time capsule facing the Consolata sanctuary. Go morning or mid-afternoon.

Cafe · Turin

A jewel-box 1907 café under the Piazza Castello arcades, all marble, brass and leather — birthplace of the tramezzino. Great for a stand-up coffee, an excellent bicerin twist, or a classic Turin aperitivo in a tiny historic room.

Cafe · Turin

Turin's most celebrated modern chocolatier — his tourinot/gianduiotto (Langhe hazelnuts, no additives) is a benchmark, and the same Gobino chocolate flavours top local gelato. A sleek tasting bar for the city's defining sweet, the gianduja.

Cafe · Turin

A historic, alternative riverbank bar inside Parco del Valentino — home of Radio Banda Larga, with breakfast-to-late-night drinks, outdoor sun decks over the Po, and a music/film programme. Pure local Turin chill, zero tourist gloss.

Aperitivo · Turin

A warm, human Quadrilatero institution (with a chunk of the Berlin Wall embedded in the floor) where 'relationships come before the bill' — breakfast to late-night, a lively popular lunch spilling over from nearby Porta Palazzo, and a classic Turin aperitivo.

Aperitivo · Turin

Italy's oldest home-cook network: book a Turin 'Cesarina' (e.g. Benedetta) for a Porta Palazzo market visit, then make fresh agnolotti/tiramisù and eat a 4-course Piedmontese meal with local wine around her table — small groups, English, genuine connection over food, not a tourist class.

LocalConnect · Turin

A couple-shoots-couples studio doing warm, intimate reportage portraits both in-studio and out in Turin's arcades and lamp-lit alleys at night (they also shoot in Aosta) — the romantic, story-driven alternative to a posed studio session, with prints framed right after.

Photoshoot · Turin

Turin's legendary alt shop (since 1977), two floors of gothic/punk/club gear: Punk Rave, Alchemy Gothic, Spiral, plus corsets, lace and the city's best New Rock + Dr. Martens stock sourced from London/Germany. The go-to for something dark, statement or club-ready in Turin.

Shopping · Turin

Europe's largest open-air market — a loud, multicultural sprawl of Piedmont produce, cheese, fish and street food that fuels Turin's kitchens; the adjacent Balon flea market (Saturdays; Gran Balon 2nd Sunday) is vintage-hunting heaven. The most alive, real-Turin morning you can have.

LocalConnect · Turin

A Turin photographer specialising specifically in boudoir — described as intimate and sensual but elegant ('mai volgare'), with a personalised, discreet studio experience. A tasteful option if Laura/the couple want a sensual studio shoot in Turin; portfolio viewable on his site/Instagram before booking.

Photoshoot · Turin

Genuinely traveller-friendly: a true pay-as-you-go single Reformer group class (€25) plus GYROTONIC and small-group options, all bookable through the Mindbody app — no membership or course commitment, which is rare in Turin where most studios force an intro assessment first.

Fitness · Turin

Small-group, attention-first studio (deliberately capped class sizes) blending vinyasa/hatha with neuroscience, somatics and trauma-informed work. New-York-born teacher Meghan O'Connor leads classes in English — exactly Laura's kind of intentional, non-gym-y practice.

Yoga · Turin

A central, friendly Hatha/Vinyasa school that runs a Thursday lunch 'Yoga Flow' class specifically in English for non-Italian-speaking short-term visitors — ideal for a drop-in. Booking via their online calendar.

Yoga · Turin

Reliable central option with a dedicated English-language Vinyasa class on a fixed schedule (Tue & Thu 19:00) — easy to drop into for an evening flow without speaking Italian. Practical rather than precious.

Yoga · Turin

Reformer Pilates inside a restored villa on the edge of Parco del Valentino — a pretty, calm setting for private or small-group (max 3) sessions. Non-members can drop in for a single session, and they take trial bookings, so easy to slot a one-off into a trip.

Fitness · Turin

A small holistic studio offering English-language Hatha flow and Yin yoga plus sound baths, massage and naturopathy, with deliberately limited class sizes for personal attention. A calm, English-friendly wellness option for Laura.

Wellness · Turin

A dedicated urban/heels studio — Heels Dance is explicitly open to all genders/levels and pitched at confidence, posture and expression rather than competition. The closest fit in Turin to Laura's 'movement/heels/reggaeton' wishlist, with free trial.

Dance · Turin

A serious, aesthetics-first kinbaku studio (100 m², 16 suspension points, 15 hashira) run by Kurogami & Shiawase, who have tied at the Nawa Naka Kai in Tokyo. Runs classes for all levels, dedicated bottom workshops and open-day rope jams — workshops held in IT/EN/FR, so genuinely accessible to an international couple wanting to learn or just observe.

Kink · Turin

Studio 21's 'Heels Me' project (run by specialist Rachele Sampogna) holds Heels classes roughly once a month on Saturdays — a true one-off workshop format that's ideal for travellers who can't commit to a course. Technique + a choreography to a current hit.

Dance · Turin

A 2,000 m² central privè with a strong wellness area (chromotherapy pool, hydromassage, sauna) and an explicit 'first-timers welcome' ethos. Friday is the big swingers party; Thursday is dedicated to couples, and under-35 couples who are members get free Friday entry — a softer, more curated entry point than the bigger barn-style clubs.

Kink · Turin

Friendly, broad ASD covering Salsa, Bachata Sensual, Reggaeton, Rueda and Zumba; explicitly welcomes singles and runs its own nights out in local venues, so a trial can plug you straight into the social scene. Good beginner-welcoming energy.

Dance · Turin

The largest, best-equipped privè in Turin (~1,750 m² indoor + 1,500 m² outdoor) and the most genuinely 'complete' for a curious couple: discoteca, a real SPA (hydro tubs, sauna), a dedicated BDSM area, dark room, glory hole and a women-only zone, plus a summer garden with pool and naturist outdoor space. Solar-powered and unusually well run vs the seedier end of the scene.

Kink · Turin

Turin's most established ballroom/caribbean school (since 1948, run by Ballando-con-le-Stelle pro Sergio Sampaoli). Dedicated mono-thematic Bachata Sensual/Fusion/Dominicana tracks plus Kizomba, and you can join as a single (no partner needed) — they balance leads/follows. Solid technique focus rather than a meat-market.

Dance · Turin

Founded by 'Black Angel' (Marco), a teacher with a psychology/education background who frames shibari as consent-led personal and artistic growth. The twice-monthly 'Ring Rope Lab' guided practice is a low-pressure way for a couple to work on specific ties safely; also runs photographer-focused sessions. Operates across FunLab, Ginkgo Essentia, Kizuna and Nebi.

Kink · Turin

A 1975 institution in a mirrored basement of three rooms; once home to the legendary 'The Plug' electro nights, now Turin's queer home base (Bananamia Fridays, DomenicaZoccola). Easy, mixed, multinational crowd.

Nightlife · Turin

Founded 2020, Turin's main reference point for the kink/BDSM community — a private multifunction dungeon + school hosting Munch, TNG and Play Party events with an explicit safe, consensual, inclusive ethos. The how-to-attend path is via their socials/membership.

Kink · Turin

Turin's beating heart for the international underground techno scene — explicitly inclusive ('come as you are'), with a garden/smoking area and serious bookings (Token, Ostgut-Ton, Fuse, Mord residents). Far more credible than the city's commercial discos.

Event · Turin · Sat 27

The legendary stone arches under Piazza Vittorio, reopened after years of renovation, are once again Turin's summer nightlife soul — local collectives (Subvrs, Muzak, GENAU, Ratcrew) spinning house/electro right on the Po. Capodoglio and Gianca run nightly June DJ sets.

Nightlife · Turin

Turin's edgiest cultural club, part of the Docks Dora industrial scene — hosts AMORƏ ('Kinky galaxxxy') with the Kiki House of Savoia ballroom crew, vogue beat/electro/hyper-pop, and a strict no-discrimination door. Genuinely queer and underground, not a tourist gay bar.

Nightlife · Turin

A friendly, volunteer-run weekly mixer (every Tuesday 20:00) that explicitly connects travellers with Turin locals to chat, make friends and swap languages — set on the beautiful Piazza Vittorio. Zero-commitment way to actually meet locals over a drink; Turin also has parallel nights (Wed language tandem at Six Nations, Thu 'Speak Italian' at La Drogheria, Fri English Speakers at Jumping Jester).

LocalConnect · Turin · Tue 23