Turin with its architectural gems, gastronomic traditions, excellent wines and upmarket boutiques is a perfect destination to include in your luxury tours of Italy. You will need to put aside plenty of time to explore and enjoy the city’s shopping scene.
The area around the elegant via Roma is where you will find glitzy designer high fashion shops such as Armani, Ferragamo, Max Mara. There are also upmarket shops selling elegant furniture and fabrics, as well as jewellery. Do not miss the stunning Galleria Subalpina, a 19th-century glass-roofed arcade on three levels with exquisite galleries, cafés and boutiques. Wonder off the main street and you will discover many small artisan workshops, art galleries, independent designer stores.
Via Borgo Dora is a heaven for antiques lovers as it has myriads of antique shops. On the second Sunday of every month one of Italy’s best antique and bric-a-brac markets, The Gran Balon, takes place in the area around the street with more than 200 dealers pitching their stalls.
Foodies on luxury tours of Italy have to head to the gourmet paradise of Eataly (Via Nizza, 230). The best food of Piemonte, from truffles to wine, can be bought, tasted and enjoyed here. Those who prefer old style delicatessens, Borgiattino (Corso Vinzaglio, 29) is the place to check out. Open since 1927, the shop is choke-full of excellent cheeses, wines and other delicacies that Piemonte has to offer.
No shopping in Turin can be complete without overdosing on chocolate. The city has been the Italian chocolate capital for many centuries and still boasts some of the top artisan producers in the country. Try mouth-watering traditional hazelnut paste gianduiotti made in the city since Napoléon’s regency in the picture-perfect Confetteria Stratta (Piazza S. Carlo, 191). Another temple of chocolate delights is Peyrano (Corso Moncalieri, 47 ) where locals come to get their regular fix of ‘alpine’, gianduia filled with a liqueur made to a secret recipe. The family-run chocolateria Giordano (P.zza Carlo Felice, 69), is famous for refusing to give in to progress: they are the only ones who still hand-cut their famous scrumptious creations with a knife.
Photos by: Alessio Maffeis/Flickr, Marco Segato/Flickr, Cioccolato Peyrano.
