Turin has a past – and resume – like few others. The first capital of the Kingdom of Italy, Torino was famously an anti-fascist centre during World War II, and emerged as a nexus of industry in post-war Europe. Today, the ever-evolving jewel of Piemonte thrives at the foot of the Alps, an only-in-Italy basecamp for culture, cuisine, and good fun.
The best way to see it all? Step by step, bite by bite, sip by sip. Few cities so persuasively invite you to get lost on its streets, its signature portici – historic, covered walkways – justifying the #1 Biking ranking and fifth-best Walkability ranking. When it’s time to recharge, Piedmontese cuisine, in its unctuous glory, arrives courtesy of some of Europe’s best restaurants (#23). It’s worthy fuel for a nightlife scene (#18) that starts at aperitivo hour and goes well into the night, enlivened by a healthy population of students from the University of Turin.
It’s exciting below street level, too: the Mont d’Ambin Base Tunnel, part of the new Turin–Lyon high-speed railway, will carve a monumental underground route through the Alps, cutting travel time from Turin to Lyon in half. When completed (estimates aim for 2033), it will be the world’s longest railway tunnel.