One of the great pleasures of visiting other countries is experiencing the local cuisine and Italy, the land of pizza and pasta, is naturally no exception.

Italian cooking is quite regional, with the local specialities a treat to find out, and so it is with Turin, which as well as having some excellent restaurants is much more affordable than many places, such as Rome, Paris or London.

Although pizza is enjoyed worldwide and is easy to find wherever you are in the world it is true that nothing can beat a real Italian pizza. I don’t know whether it is in the way they kneed the dough, the type of flour, the olive oil used or any other factor, but the thin crispy base and perfectly flavoured toppings never taste anywhere near as good as in Italy. Turin is no exception and there are dozens of pizza restaurants vying for your custom and all of them seem equally good as one another. If the weather is good then many restaurants have tables outside and if you are sightseeing then don’t forget the therapeutic power of half an hour watching the world go by while resting your feet.

Watch out for the fixed price menus, such as offered by Tre da Tre near the tower of La Mole and the University, where you can eat for around 7 euros including pizza and soft drink in relaxed and pleasant surroundings, or another option is to head for somewhere serving fixed price pasta menus – pasta with bolognese sauce or similar should cost no more than EUR10 per head including a drink and coffee and just like pizza, there is nowhere on Earth better to sample pasta dishes than in Italy.

Turin has a number of specialities, such the typical Italian breadsticks that were supposedly first baked to help cure a sick child-prince, later the first King of Piedmont, and are found in a wider variety of shapes and sizes than other areas of Italy, is famed for its chocolate and also is host to the biennial Slow Food Movement event held at the Lingotto Exhibition Centre.

The Slow Food Movement came out of the idea that meal times should be enjoyed as a social activity with family and friends, and taking time to shop for good quality ingredients and lovingly prepare the meal are part of this philosophy, in stark contrast to the fast food exports of America.

It was formed by Carlo Petrini in 1976 in Barolo, about 70 kilometres south of Turin, and exists to promote high quality, naturally grown ingredients, while defending traditional methods in the food industry. Membership is worldwide and events include food and wine tasting.

Turin is also famed for its antipasto, a variety of appetizers served by many bars in the evenings. Don’t be surprised to be brought several dishes without asking for them for which you will be automatically charged, or let your waiter know if you only want a drink without the food accompaniment.

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Almost everything you want to see in Turin is located right in the old city centre and as the area is relatively compact it is easy to do much of your sightseeing on foot. Much of Turin’s character comes from the many squares, known as piazzas in Italian, many of which are lined by arcades that provide cooling shade in the summer and shelter from the wind, rain and snow in winter.

Right in the centre of the city is Piazza Castello, a wide cobbled square that was commissioned by Carlo Emmanuele I and first designed by Ascanio Vitozzi in the 16th century. The square was the power base of the Dukes of Savoy where nowadays pedestrians, cars, buses and trams all vie for priority. The central point of the city, it is where Via Po, Via Roma and Via Garibaldi converge.

Right in the middle is the “castle” that gives the square its name – Palazzo Madama, which is a mediaeval castle built on a Roman gate and with a baroque façade. The arcades surrounding the square offer good shelter from the sun in the summer, while in the winter the square is equipped with an ice rink. Palazzo Reale, the Royal Armoury, Teatro Regio and the Royal Library all overlook it, the latter containing works by Da Vinci. Also nearby is the church of San Lorenzo, the original home of the Turin Shroud when it arrived in Turin in 1578.

In the centre of Piazza San Carlo is the “Caval ‘d Brons”, a bronze statue of Emanuele Filiberto, while hiding in the cooling arcades lie a variety of shops, cafés and restaurants. Two famous Torinese restaurants can be found here, Caffé Ristorante Torino and Ristorante Caval ‘d Brons.

Carlo di Castellamonte was responsible for the design of the piazza in the mid 17th century, while El Caval ‘d Brons was sculpted by Carlo Marocchetti in 1838. Remaining open at one end the square is flanked by an arcade-lined parade and topped by the churches of San Carlo and Santa Cristina on the southern side.

Piazza Vittorio Veneto is also another square that is as unmissable as it is unavoidable. Although the centre of the square is used for parking, there are many cafes with tables outside to enjoy one of Turin’s legendary aperitifs and although the city can become unpleasantly hot in the summer, it is on the banks of the river Po and therefore good for some breeze, however gentle.

Although the city centre is small and easy to navigate on foot, it is easy to overdo it a bit and cram too much walking into one day. The Turismobus Torino is ideal for overcoming this problem as it allows you to see a lot of the city without having to do much of the in-between walking – simply hop on and off and you can see exactly what interests you most, although it currently only operates on Saturdays, between 10:00 and 18:00.

The bus departs on its circular route once an hour, and although times are published it should be noted that it is not punctual by any means.

For more information on Sightseeing in Turin see http://www.bella-torino.com, with advice on all aspects of your stay.

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While Turin is regarded as the industrial powerhouse of Italy, I absolutely defy anyone to fail to be delighted by the historic city centre.

One of the surprising things about Turin is that it has been so underdeveloped as a tourist destination to date, and until the advent of the 2006 Winter Olympics most people associated the city with the Shroud, perhaps Juventus football club, but little else.

That all may be about to change, as although the Olympics is well and truly over and no more than a distant memory to most inhabitants, the legacy of the games is one that could set Turin up to be one of Europe’s hot destinations.

The improvement in infrastructure, such as a completely refurbished airport designed to cater for the thousands of visitors arriving for the games means that Turin can easily deal with a large increase in tourists. Many hotels have been refurbished to a much higher standard as a direct result of the games and the opening of a number of quality hotels has added 3,000 rooms to the city since 2000.

Turin’s reputation for industry is based on the fact that Fiat was founded there towards the end of the 19th century and was to a large extent responsible for the rebuilding of Italy’s economy after the Second World War. What is often missed, though, is Turin’s remarkably rich history, including being Italy’s first capital when it was first unified under the House of Savoy.

Known as “Capital of the Alps”, Turin is also capital of Piedmont and the home of some culinary traditions that we usually accept as being typically Italian. Take the humble breadstick for example – legend has it that they were originally baked to cure a sickly child prince. Breadsticks, or grissini as they’re known in Italy, are made in a variety of shapes and sizes in Turin and they seem to have done their job as the prince grew up to be the first Savoy king.

If you’ve ever seen the original 1969 version of The Italian Job staring Michael Caine then you’ll have taken a tour of Turin. This popular British film is about a heist on a shipment of gold bullion using three Mini Coopers as getaway cars.

The cars zoom around the streets and arcades of Turin and even make an appearance on the old test track of Fiat, on the roof of the giant factory! Although seen at high speed, you do get an impression of the beauty of the city and some of the fantastic architecture on offer.

Both EasyJet and Ryanair have daily flights from London, or you can fly via Rome or Milan.

David Leigh is a freelance website designer whose latest project, http://www.bella-torino.com, is based on his recent visits to Turin.

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