Turin is a large city, and even with most of a week we still only saw a few neighborhoods around the center.

Sunday

We arrived at the Porta Susa train station in the early afternoon – it was a long walk to the apartment but the tree lined streets were scenic and the rain that was forecasted, thankfully, did not happen.

After check-in and a quick trip to a grocery store we headed around the corner to the Porta Palatina, a Roman-era city gate with a statue of Caesar.

   

The main cathedral in the city, Torre Campanaria Duomo di Torino & Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista, houses the shroud of Turin (though you can’t actually see the shroud, just videos and posters of it).

the Duomo on a better day!

We then wandered through the Giardino Ducale, which reminded us of the Luxembourg Garden in Paris. After several weeks with almost no green in our Bologna neighborhood it was really nice to stroll among large trees! The Fontana dei Tritoni e della Nereide was also quite nice.

We exited through the large piazza of the Palazzo Reale to the Galleria across the street. There were quite a few busy, and expensive, cafes along this stretch, plus lots of souvenir shops.

Tuesday

During our lunch break we walked south from Porta Palazzo, eventually ending up at Giardino Sambuy with a view of the  Porta Nuova train station.

From there were turned around and headed back along Via Giuseppe Luigi Lagrange, detouring to Piazza San Carlo for views of the twin churches, Chiesa di San Carlo Borromeo and Chiesa di Santa Cristina.

After work we went out for a second walk, enjoying the nice golden light. This time we went down Giuseppe Verdi for views of the Mole Antonelliana, an icon of the Turin skyline. This section of town also hosts the University of Turin, and some street art that seemed less political than Bologna, including several works by Exit Enter.

   

From here we walked to the Po river, with a nice view of cascades, flocking birds, and the hilltop Chiesa di Santa Maria.

Along the way back to our apartment we also captured some twilight photos of the cathedral and royal palace.

Friday

Since we already had an all-day transportation card, we took the bus out to the Museum of Urban Art in the late afternoon. The tram itself was quite full but we made it! Located in the Campidoglio neighborhood, the museum is a collection of outdoor murals, and we enjoyed wandering up and down the surprisingly quiet side streets for about an hour.

   

   

Saturday

In the early afternoon we crossed the Po river and walked up the hill to Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte dei Cappuccini. This church is famous for the panoramic views from the piazza at the top, and it definitely delivers!

Leandra also checked out the inside.

From here we walked south to the next bridge and into the San Salvario neighborhood. Our first destination was Parco del Valentino, located along the river. It was a beautiful weekend afternoon, so lots of families and groups were out and about. No cars were allowed in the park, but they do have four wheel muti-person bikes for rent – kids and dogs were usually placed in the front!

From the southern side of the park we turned around walked through the streets of the neighborhood, passing a nice pedestrian passeig, the end of the Saturday market, multiple wine bars and restaurants, and all manner of interesting buildings.