Instead of staying at home, a two days trip it’s a better idea, do you agree? In the July I had the opportunity to travel to Turin. This trips was only for two days, but it was special, as it was the first trip I traveled alone on abroad. But let’s start from the beginning.
It was the beginning of June when I was suggested by a magazine to cover an article in Turin on 1-2th of July. My first official job to do some reporting abroad. I was excited of course and accepted the offer immediately. Just the night before the flight I only realized that I was going somewhere alone and I was stressed, but for a very short time.
Traveling alone is a unique experience. I believe everyone should do it even once in their life. You have the opportunity to spend some quality time with yourself, you have your own schedule and you can do whatever you want.
The trip
From Athens I went to Milan with Aegean Airlines. From there, a car picked me up to take me to my hotel in Turin. The route was very nice. Huge highways with huge buildings around.
Accommodation in Turin
We arrived at NH Piaza Carlina. The hotel is located in the historical center of Turin, next to several tourist attractions. This building was built in the 17th century, while it hosted young people, who worked there. The outside part of the building has maintained and it’s like medieval palace, while the rooms are wonderful with a very high ceiling and state-of-the-art facilities
What to see in Turin
Walking around the Turin you can look back to the past, while the paved alleys and the neo-Gothic buildings look like a medieval setting.
Mole Antonelliana
Antonelli Skyscraper used ti be the tallest building in the world. It houses the National Film Museum, while there is art gallery but also the elevator, which lifts you to the top to enjoy the view of the city. You have to pay an extra ticket to use it.
Tip: If you want to visit it, you should book your ticket online, because the queue is too long.
Gran Madre di Dio
The Gran Madre di Dio church is a neoclassical church located on the west side of the Vittorio Emanuele I Bridge. It’s impossible not to admire this amazing church, while the bridge in front of the church is the oldest built in Turin. It’s really incredible, the perfect place for photoshooting.
Mara dei Boschi
Ice cream is something you can’t dismiss when you visit Italy. I was eating constantly ice cream all day long and of course my favourite flavour, stracciatella. Mara dei Boschi is located to central point and it’s an authentic Gelateria. It was undoubtedly one of the best ice cream I have ever eaten.
Fiat Mirafiori Motor Village
I visited Fiat Mirafiori, the Fiat car factory. This imposing building is quite impressive externally as well as internally. When someone listen about a factory, usually imagines a gray hazy building with rigs, squiggles and engineers. Not there. The exhibition hall is great and definitely worth a visit.
Centro Palatino
I went to Centro Palatino Mall for food. On the ground floor there is huge variety of shops, so you can find food for all tastes, from tapas and pasta, to waffles and ice cream. On the other floors there are several shops for shopping. If you are bored of wandering around, it’s a good idea, since all the stores are all together in one place.
Turin Cathedral
It’s worth visiting even from the outside only the Cathedral of Turin. It has an elegant architecture and is undoubtedly one of the most impressive cathedrals in Italy.
Pizza San Carlo
A beautiful and classy square in the heart of the city, surrounded by buildings that take you back in time. There you will find several cafes, restaurants and stores for shopping.
Road Trip
A very nice activity in Turin is to make a short road trip. We drove for about two hours and came across with very impressive landscapes. Just a quarter of hour from the center of Turin, you are transported to a green area with scattered houses. Definitely worth it!
Of course, if you visit to Turin, you should definitely visit the Juventus F.C. stadium. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it, because I went only for two days but I will visit it in the future for sure!
