Just the Italian job

Turin knocks the socks off some other cities in Italy you might think of spending a weekend in, writes Mary Minihan

TURIN HAS NO leaning tower and no coliseum. Known as the town that Fiat built, it has been labelled as industrial thanks to its long association with the car company. But Turin got an almighty spruce-up, ahead of its hosting of the 2006 Winter Olympics, that revealed a surprisingly elegant heart to the city, which was once home to the Savoy royal family. If architecture is your thing, Turin is the European capital of the Baroque style.

A curiosity is the uninterrupted 18km of porticos that shelter the city-centre pavements. They were ordered by a Savoy king to allow for walks around town in all weather, so you'll be fine without an umbrella if it rains. And at the end of many of the streets are startling views of the Alps, which make the Dublin Mountains look like hillocks.

The city was the setting for The Italian Job (the original one, with Michael Caine). Now it's home to a quirky mix of people and products: Carla Bruni, Juventus FC, Martini and Nutella. (It also, thanks to the Olympics, has an excellent driverless metro; kids will enjoy sitting at the front window and feeling as if they're driving the train.)

Turin is a foodie paradise. The Slow Food movement, which promotes traditional production methods and the preservation of "endangered" foods, was born in the Piedmont region, in a nearby town called Bra. Piedmont - Piemonte in Italian - is also Italy's chocolate capital, and Turin has an enjoyable chocolate festival every spring. Buy a bag of gianduja, or hazelnut-flavoured chocolate, to take home; try not to eat it on the aircraft. The local Barolo and Barbaresco are among the best wines the country produces. The Gorgonzola is stinkingly gorgeous, and be sure to buy a jar of local honey, too.

Turin has a wonderful aperitivo culture. From about 6.30pm most establishments lay out trays of delicious snacks and allow you to help yourself - once you have paid €7 or so for a drink. The fare can range from canape-style nibbles to a dinner-spoiling buffet feast.

With luck you'll get to sample vitello tonnato, a tuna sauce poured over cold roast veal, and bagna càuda, a pungent garlic dip often served with peppers. (You might want to make sure your partner eats this, too.)

Turin has a cafe culture to rival Vienna's. Over the years the upholstery in some of the historic establishments has crossed the fine line from faded grandeur to plain shabby, but many retain their old-world charm. If it's winter, treat yourself to a thick, dark cioccolata caldo. It's a deliciously distant cousin to the watery hot chocolate we're used to at home. Breakfast - cappuccino and a brioche (like a croissant) - is always eaten out and on foot at a coffee bar.

Beware Mondays, on which Turin can turn into a ghost town. Museums, galleries and even some shops can be closed. You should be able to find churches and markets to potter around, however. In extreme cases, the drawn-out lunch break can begin as early as noon and continue until as late as 4pm, so plan something to do during these slack hours. And carry small change - Turin shop assistants are sticklers for the exact money. Presenting a €50 note from the ATM at Dublin Airport won't win you any friends here.

5 places to sleep

Principi di Piemonte, 15 Via Gobetti (www.atahotels.it). Weekend rooms cost €190-€230. This 99-room hotel just off via Roma is simply . . . bellissimo. Fans of 1930s elegance will adore the marble and dark-wood furnishings. Wealthy Turinese have been hiring the beautiful mosaic function room for generations of family weddings. The chef is formally of Del Cambio restaurant (see below).

Le Méridien Art & Tech, 230 Via Nizza (www.lingottoart andtech.lemeridien.com). Check the website for deals; rooms from about €130. Out of the city centre but close to the Olympic Stadium and Eataly (see 5 places to eat, right), this is a modern place with a minimalist feel and window-walled rooms. The hotel was designed by the celebrated architect Renzo Piano and is located in the former Fiat Lingotto factory complex. Try to take a jog on what was once the famous rooftop test track for cars.

Hotel Boston, 70 Via Massena (www.hotelboston torino.it). Rooms about €109, but ask about a weekend package including a sightseeing card. Quirky and fun, with art and experimental furnishings everywhere. Inside the Liberty exterior, each of the 91 rooms is decked out differently, with styles from pop art to ethnic.

Conte Biancamano, 73 Corso Vittorio Emanuele II (www.hotelcontebiancamano.it). Rooms €75-€115. Clean and friendly place near Porta Nuova train station. It's on the second floor, so you need to take an old-fashioned wood-and-glass lift. There's a common room with a strikingly Baroque ceiling, and frescoes have been recovered on the ceilings of some bedrooms.

Ai Savoia, 1/b Via del Carmine (www.aisavoia.it). Rooms €85-115. The pretty bedrooms in this 17th-century building, which has an excellent location in the Quadrilatero, are named after Savoy kings and queens, and are decorated with period furniture. There's a lovely breakfast room. Nearby Lobelix is good for an aperitivo.

5 places to eat

Cafe Mood, 3/E Via Cesare Battisti (www.moodlibri.it). If you've overdone the chocolate and cappuccino, Cafe Mood offers a healthy alternative. The staff are helpful and constantly cheerful. They serve simple fresh salads and quiches, and basic but tasty pasta dishes, in a modern, airy bookstore atmosphere.

Tredatre, 33 Via Verdi. Another good spot for lunch. This very pleasant pizzeria offers really good-value meals. There are often queues at one o'clock, but they move quickly. It's close to the University of Turin, so it attracts a student crowd, along with professionals from the nearby state broadcaster's television and radio headquarters.

Grom, 4 Via Accademia delle Scienze (www.grom.it). Okay, ice cream isn't technically a meal. But you're in Italy, where such naughtiness is allowed. Be sure to stop at one of the city's Grom outlets for an ice cream or sorbet in lieu of lunch. There's one close to the central Piazza Castello. Flavours change monthly, and some even get the coveted Slow Food seal of approval.

La Cantinella, 3/A

Corso Moncalieri (www.lacantinella.com). At dinner time, cross the River Po and head for La Cantinella. You'll find traditional Italian restaurant decor, right down to the red-and-white checked tablecloths. In a good location, close to the Gran Madre church and the river, La Cantinella calls itself a pizzeria, but the menu is broad. The focaccia here comes highly recommended.

Del Cambio, 2 Piazza Carignano. Book here for a formal and elegant night out. Traditional Piedmont dishes and wine are the speciality. Courteous waiters in white hover through the luxurious red-velvet 19th-century interior. The Pepino ice-cream parlour is next door. It's closed on Sundays.

5 places to go

Eataly, 230 Via Nizza (www.eataly.it). Much more than a speciality food store. "Eat, buy, learn" is the Eataly philosophy, and the spirit of the anti-fast-food movement is alive and well here. There are eight small restaurants, two cafe-bars and an ice-cream stand. Come for a leisurely lunch and stay for a drawn-out dinner. You'll want to fill your suitcase with delicious treats.

Mole Antonelliana, 20 Via Montebello (www.museo nazionaledelcinema.it). Italians thought enough of this bizarre building, which was originally intended as a synagogue, to put it on the back of their two-cent pieces (the Colosseum is on the five). Its spire can be seen from all over the city.

Now it's home to a cinema museum, with a particularly strong focus on the birth of moving pictures, including some early and fairly innocent pornography.

Egyptian Museum, 6 Via Accademia delle Scienze (www.museoegizio.it). A world-class collection of mummies, tombs and papyri. There are dramatically-lit statues of lion-headed goddesses, and coffins with eyes painted on to enable the deceased to "see" the offerings beyond the grave. Interactive computer screens allow you to take a virtual tour of the Temple of Luxor, the Pyramids and Tutankhamun's tomb. Closed Mondays.

Gran Madre di Dio, with an aperitivo at the Gran Bar, Piazza Gran Madre di Dio. There's no doubt that Turin has pretty churches, but how many have witnessed Mini Coopers bumping down their steps? Fans of The Italian Job will know what I'm talking about. Now there's an iron gate across the bottom of the Gran Madre's steps - just in case. Look up when you go inside: the cupola is inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. The temporary-looking plastic chairs are a shame. Closed Mondays.

See a soccer match. A desire to walk in Giovanni Trapattoni's footsteps may have been what brought you to Turin in the first place. But here's a tip: forget about Juventus and go to a (much cheaper) game featuring Turin's other team, Torino, at the Stadio Olimpico.

Cool coffee break

It's impossible to pick just one place to have coffee in Turin, so here are two. Al Bicerin, 5 Piazza della Consolata (www.bicerin.it). A charming room resembling an old apothecary's shop, with just eight marble-topped tables. Little seems to have changed since it opened in 1763. Or Baratti & Milano, 27 Piazza Castello. A sumptuously decorated tearoom, this is a Turin institution. A real "please wait to be seated" place. Nearby Mulassano is cuter and cosier.

What to avoid

The Shroud of Turin. The shroud isn't scheduled for public display again until 2025, but pilgrims still come to Turin's cathedral, Duomo di San Giovanni, in Piazza San Giovanni. Here, the shroud is encased in a five-metre-long aluminium-and-glass case, protected by a large container and covered with an embroidered cloth, all of which is kept behind a thick plate of glass. A small picture of the shroud is mounted on a board. A feather-duster-wielding sacristan stands ready to shush anyone who dares to voice their disappointment.

Hot spot

Get lost in the bohemian Quadrilatero district, whose higgledy-piggledy cobbled streets are full of quirky designer furniture and clothes shops, plus bars where you can stop for a spuntino (snack). If you're young, or young at heart, head for the Murazzi, along the banks of the Po, where boathouses have been turned into all-night party dens.

Hit the shops

Via Roma is an elegant boulevard that knocks the socks off Milan's cramped Golden Quad. The chic portico-covered street used to end at Piazza San Carlo but was extended in the 1930s. The shift to the fascist architectural style is so severe you would think Mussolini himself had a hand in it. But you may be too distracted by the designer boutiques to notice. The other main shopping street, Via Garibaldi, is less classy. You may feel obliged to buy a souvenir from the (soulless) Juventus store, however.

A good night out

The Gourmet Tram (www.gtt.to.it). The interior of an old-fashioned tram carriage has been modernised to allow for dining on the go, with an English-speaking tour guide. There is room for 32 hungry passengers. Also, pick up a copy of the "local" national newspaper, La Stampa. Friday's edition has the useful Torino Sette supplement, in which you will find details on every cultural event. It's in Italian but easy to follow.

Ryanair flies direct from Dublin on Saturdays but not all year round. Aer Lingus will take you as far as Milan (Malpensa and Linate airports). A private bus company, Sadem, runs between Malpensa and Turin, but the times do not always suit flights from Ireland. Companies such as easyJet fly from London. See www.ryanair.com, www.aerlingus.com, www.sadem.it and www.easyjet.com.