We are working our way back to Paris with a stop in at Turin and then Lyon to round out the trip. The reason for Turin was more about the train journey than the city itself as the rail line goes through the mountains between Italy and France and should provide some beautiful views along the way.

The title of this post gives it away as it turned out that Turin was a great short stay option as it has history, architecture and food at its heart. It’s also picturesque with the beautiful River Po, gardens, views from the church on the hill, easy walking with covered sidewalks, cobblestone streets and alleys, and a stunning backdrop of mountains.

Our first afternoon we spent walking the gardens along the River Po and using the breezes to try and cool ourselves down. That failed miserably so we decided beer was a better option and sat in the shade at the local rowing club watching the world go by while enjoying the cool freshness of the local brew. The gardens contain the Castello del Valentino which is a beautifully ornate building from the front and even has horse stables at the rear. They also house a range of interesting art installations and include the Panchina degli innamorati (Lovers’ Bench) which is a pair of lamp posts cozying up on a park bench.

The next day we are up early to beat the heat and decide to decide to trek up the hill to the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte dei Cappuccini (Church of Santa Maria) which provides a panoramic view of Turin back to the mountains. We cross the River Po and walk uphill through the quiet streets, admiring the architecture before arriving at the church. The view was well worth the sweat to get there. The bonus is that it’s all downhill from here.

We take our time ambling back down the hill and into the city. Roaming through the streets and alleys of Turin stopping at the National Museum of Cinema which is the tall building you see in the view from the Church of Santa Maria. It’s an impressive building close up. Then it’s on to Palazzo Madama, Piazzetta Reale and Musei Reali and its stunning gardens. You could spend several hours simply roaming these three places.

We finish off the day with a visit to Roman Ruins that lie in the heart of the city.

If it wasn’t so hot and humid and we had a little more time, we would have explored more. There’s so much that we didn’t have a chance to visit. Who knows, there may be a return trip at some time…