Europe’s airports are regularly ranked from best to worst to help travellers make informed choices.
19.11.2023 - 13:15 / lonelyplanet.com
Italy’s fourth-largest city, Turin, is the essence of la dolce vita.
Not in the full-throttle, scooter-screeching style of the hot south, but with a composed dignity befitting of an elegant northern city shaped by the noble House of Savoy and politically explosive unification movement. This was the country’s first capital in the 1860s and is the capital of Piedmont today.
Turin’s refined vibe might feel more françaisthan italiano, but delve into this handsome metropolis stitched from porticoed streets and palazzo-laced squares, and you’ll quickly find a compelling city screaming "Made in Italy."
Explore niche, top-drawer museums (football, cars, chocolate and coffee) and avant-garde galleries bursting with powerful art. Promenade through extraordinary royal palazzi (palaces) and gardens.
Linger over Slow Food and wine in chandelier-lit cafes and centurion osterie. And at every turn, with every morsel, feel the creative pulse of a go-getting city driven by an epic artistic, cultural, historic and epicurean heritage.
Outdoor adventurers and those seeking a green escape might not find a real buzz here. But for anyone looking for a weekend of urban Italianate living – with a provocative dash of creativity and curiosity, by day or by night – Turin hits the sweet spot any time of year. Here are the best things to do when you get there.
Few Italian cities sport such a varied portfolio of museums – there really is oneto suit every taste and interest. Turin’s blockbuster Museo Egizio is among the world’s best when it comes to anthropomorphic coffins, animal mummies and other priceless artifacts from Ancient Egypt.
The Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano suits anyone interested in modern Italian history, while car buffs and families rave about Turin’s superlative Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile.
This being Italy, art and design lovers are well served: Palazzo Reale displays the personal art collection of the Savoy monarchy, and the sensational Pinateco Giovanni e Marella Agnelli showcases masterpieces acquired by the late Fiat head Gianni Agnelli.
Galleria Civica d’Arte e Contemporanea is the place to go for 19th- and 20th-century Italian and European art, and Fondazione Merz, Fondazione Sandretto re Rebaudengo and Museo Ettore Fico for influential contemporary art.
Detour: Head to out-of-town Castello du Rivoli for works borne out of Italy’s city-spawned Arte Povera movement in the 1960s and 1970s.
The early-evening aperitivo (aperitif) crawl is a golden opportunity to taste exceptional wine from Piedmont and sample savory delicacies such as acciughe al verde (anchovies in pea-green, garlic-parsley sauce) or carne cruda al’Albese (raw beef) while finding yourself in neighborhoods you might not otherwise frequent.
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Europe’s airports are regularly ranked from best to worst to help travellers make informed choices.
In the historic streets of Trieste, an often overlooked town on Italy’s Istria peninsula, there is an aroma of coffee in the air. Dating back to the early 18th century, when the tax on coffee beans arriving at its port was waived, the city has had a deep association with coffee and was the main entry point for coffee beans into Europe. In the historic centre, visitors can still find some of the original coffee houses, modelled on those found in Vienna at the time and, each year, the city hosts the Trieste Coffee Festival.
As options for the traditional chalet ski break have dwindled and prices risen, venturing to Europe’s far corners and beyond for a ski break can reap rewards. Costs are often lower, while luxury accommodation can be similarly priced to budget options in mainstream European ski resorts. As well as being potentially cheaper, skiing in territory off the beaten track can offer a rich cultural experience, plus better flight routes, less crowded slopes, sunnier days and a friendlier welcome.
Mercure has partnered with Munchies and TOPJAW to inspire the palates of world travelers with 50 amazing food & drink experiences around the globe.
Moving to a new country can be daunting, especially if you don’t speak the language.
Compelling books on travel inspire readers to not only learn about destinations and cultures across the globe, but also, lock in that bucket list trip they’ve been dreaming about. As most travelers can attest, exploring a new locale keeps the brain sharp, curiosities peaked, and humanity intact. Much may be gleaned through reading the memoirs, poems, and true tales of adventurers; seeing beautiful photography; and following writers down the rabbit hole, through verdant valleys, and up and over mountain peaks.
Of the key Alpine ski destinations, Italy offers the best value for money. Here, an espresso can cost €1.50 (£1.30) a shot, and a piste-side plate of pasta €10-15 (£9-13), items that are often 70-100% dearer in the A-list ski areas of France. And a peak-week, February half-term holiday in a three-star hotel can come in less than €1,745 (£1,500) per person half board, including flights and transfers. And that’s not taking some back-of-beyond resort as a point of comparison, either: all these prices are available in or around Canazei in Val di Fassa, part of the vast Dolomiti Superski area. On its doorstep, more than 300 miles of perfectly groomed pistes spin off the central Sella Ronda circuit; explore the area’s outer limits and that total hits 745 miles.
Since the holidays can be a hectic and stressful time of year, why not gift the person you care about a destination-inspired candle? This way they can whisk themselves to their favorite places in the world, right from the comfort of home and whenever the mood strikes.
The highest echelon of hotels know how to take an experience and bed it into something that lives on in the heart. The world’s finest perfumiers do a remarkably similar job. So it’s fitting that - increasingly - the two are coming together as hoteliers create brilliantly evocative scents - and perfumiers pay homage to their favorite hotels creating an experiential circle of glorious memories.
Rome (Italian: Roma), the 'Eternal City', is the capital and largest city of Italy and of the Lazio (Latium) region. It's the famed city of the Roman Empire, the Seven Hills, La Dolce Vita (sweet life), the Vatican City and Three Coins in the Fountain.
Florence (Italian: Firenze) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany known as the "cradle of the Renaissance" (la culla del Rinascimento) for its monuments, churches and buildings.
The acquisition operation has benefited from the expert guidance of the consulting firm Bluebull, an investment banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions for technology companies, and the specialized law firm Cuatrecasas.