Torino, Italy: For Creatives

Today we’re visiting Torino with Chelsea Christensen! Chelsea is an American living in Italy and blogs about her Italian adventures over at All Roads Lead To Pecetto. 

Torino is a large city that is perfectly situated in the north of Italy only one hour from the ski resorts, one hour from the Italian Riviera, and two hours from Milan. It was built by the Romans and has been growing and thriving ever since. For its beauty and history alone, it should make your list of must-see cities in Europe, but if you need more convincing, let me add that the Republic of Italy, the Slow Food Movement, the Fiat 500, Martini Vermouth, the chocolate bar, Nutella, and ice cream on a stick were all invented in Torino. I’ve lived here since 2007 and have made it my mission to be inspired by exploring every inch of this city.

Museum and Taste Inspiration Guide to Torino

 Trams in Torino via Gruppo Torinese Trasporti

1. See the best parts of the city by kicking back, enjoying a traditional Italian meal and sipping on a glass of wine while riding on a historic tram tour. Just make a reservation with the GTT Moving Tram Restaurant, hop on board in Piazza Castello and enjoy a 2-hour guided history and architectural tour of the city while dining on 3 courses of local specialties and listening to live music. It’s a five senses experience and one of my very favorite things to do with visiting friends because I know they will be captivated.

Make a reservation at the main Tourist Office in Piazza Castello or go here.

2. Chocolate is serious business in Torino. There are more chocolatiers working in Torino than in all of France and Belgium combined. In the spring the city holds the Cioccola-To Festival where many of these chocolatiers converge to the city to get creative, be inspired, and show-off their greatest confections. If you are in Torino in late March or early April purchase a chocolate pass and make your way to Piazza Vittorio. Your chocolate pass will allow you, for 12 euros, to get 22 tastings of the unique chocolate delicacies from the array of temporary mini chocolate factories set up in the piazza. I recommend trying Gianduja (jan-do-ya). It’s mix of sweet chocolate blended with local hazelnuts and is the preferred flavor of the Torinese. They also employ many artists to create chocolate sculptures that can be seen on display by venturing into the various tents. By the way chocolate is rich in healthful flavonoids and can aid cardiovascular fitness, reduce blood pressure, and decrease levels of bad cholesterol, so don’t feel guilty about indulging your sweet tooth here.

Pick up your Chocolate Pass at the Tourist Office in Piazza Castello or their website

*Side Note* If you are in Tonino in June instead, keep an eye out for the one day only Maratona di Gelato. 15 of the city’s gelatories give out samples of their best and most unique artisan flavors for free!

3. A slightly unconventional series of events in the 19th century somehow made Torino the largest holder of Egyptian artifacts outside of Cairo. The Egyptian Museum of Torino is the most popular museum in the city for every age. The museum houses more mummies and awe inspiring statues than you can shake crook at. One of the many highlights exhibited is the tomb of Kha and Merit. Everything in this display was taken from a complete tomb of a husband and wife who had been mummified with all they could ever want in the afterlife including food, a complete cosmetic kit, styled and beaded wigs, and my favorite, perfectly preserved shoes.

*Adults Only Side Note* It’s a little known fact that the museum also houses the only known Egyptian pornographic papyrus in existence, a sort of Kama Sutra guide book but with black eyeliner and hieroglyphs.

Museo Egizio
Via Accademia delle Scienze 6, 10123 Torino
Open Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays)
8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
entrance: € 7.50

Chelsea Christensen is an American travel addict who lives with her Italian boyfriend in Torino, Italy. She owns an online vintage clothing shop called Italian Postcards. She photographs and blogs about her daily expat life at All Roads Lead to Pecetto. Chelsea was also recently featured on an episode of House Hunters International called “Taking off to Torino”.

All photos and text copyright of Chelsea Christensen unless otherwise stated.