Olympic Fever
Holding - Around The World - Escape
by Abigail Vint
Athens' transformation is enough to make anyone start planning ahead for the next Olympics. The place you'll want to be is Turin for 2006. While the city itself doesn't need as much renovation as the smoggy Athens, the publicity it will recieve by hosting the world's premier sports event will do the city quite well.
Once the capital city of Italy, Turin has faded a bit into the background and is not often a hot spot for many travellers. It is famous for a couple of the most sacred Italian traditions--the Turin Shroud, the Fiat and football. Plus no one can deny the picturesque cafes and Baroque style architeture are like something out of a foreign film. With less tourists than Florence, Venice and Milan, you'll be able to slip into the background, wandering amongst Italians, soaking in the true city life of these passionate people.
So, what are you waiting for? Get there before the Olympics do, because although it will bring people to the city, it may lose a bit of its charm with all the tourists.
The official tourist office website is only in Italian but has plans, it seems, to build an English and French section.
Traveler Type: Couples, backpackers and families with older children will appreciate Turin. There is not much to do with the little ones besides wander, but this will hardly keep them occupied for very long. The laid back attitude of the city allows for a relaxing romantic escape. The modest nightlife allows for intimate interaction for backpackers, plus you can't beat some of the accommodation prices. (see more below)
For Families: There is nothing specific for families but definitely worth a day or two if you are planing on doing a lot of travelling around Italy. Fancy suiting up in winter gear and hitting the slopes? You won't have a problem in Turin. Located near the Alps, it's the perfect home base for your day ski trips.
Costs: With the arrival of the Olympics, pricing is bound to go up but that's no reason you can't take advantage of the reasonable pricing beforehand. You will find the same delicious food, luxurious architecture and beautiful people that the rest of Italy has to offer only at a fraction of the price of the other major cities.
You can go out for a nice meal here cheaper then in some of the major cities in Italy. 40 Euros would get you a nice meal for two with a bottle of wine. You'll find plenty of take away places as well as cheap pub food in some of the cities bars. Lunches here can range from 3 to 8 Euros per person and are usually filling and appetizing.
There is quite a buzz in this city when the lights go down. whether it's theatre or nightclubs you're looking for, you're bound to find something that you're into. Along the banks of the River Po is where you'll find trendy intimate discos, for dancing or chilling. Party with the locals as they love the atmosphere here, especially in the summer.
Accommodation, as in any city, will be more expensive during peak season. Turin, however, does have a lot of little pensions that are reasonable if not a bit shabby. The Olympics, of course, will change all of this so be sure to take advantage of the tourist-free zone while you can.
Places to Stay
Budget: Some of the cheaper accommodation may be a bit run down, however, as it gets closer to the Olympics, you may find less of a problem. Ostello Torino is located outside the city but has reasonable bed rates, 12 Euros.
Mid range: You will find a lot of places are in the mid range but may have more facilities then in other cities.
Bologna is a popular pension, near the train station and reasonable rates of 76 Euros for a double with bath.
The recently reonovated Hotel Montevecchio has doubles for 88 Euros and is centrally located. For a bit more, you can get rooms at the Hotel Le Petit, located in the historic centre doubles ranging from 90 to 132 Euros.
Expensive:Hotel Turin Palace, doubles range from 150-200 Euros - Elegant and regal, this hotel has been open for almost 150 years. You'll be sure to get the royal treatment in this fancy hotel.
Hotel Diplomatic, doubles range from 130-250 Euros, located in the heart of the city, a nice treat perched above a walkway with portico archs.
Best Time of Year to Go: The city seems to have both the seasons going for it because it's hot for the sun tourists in the summer but cold enough for the skiing and snow bunny ones in the winter. If you want to travel out of season, September and October will be less busy, as will March and April. The tourism, however, will probably be on the rise with the upcoming Olympics in 2006, so beware if you are considering going there for a winter holiday.
Top Five Must-Dos:
- Egyptian Museum: This is host to one of the best collections of Egyptian articfacts, second only to the Museum of Ancient Egypt Civilization in Cairo. Although I didn't get to it myself, it is one of my regrets from this city. If you don't think you'll ever make it Egypt, at least you can get to Turin.
- Piazza San Carlo and beyond: The centre of the city and the heart of Turin's beauty, everything that you'll want to see leads off from this square. The Palazzo Reale, designed by the Versailles architect, has magnificent gardens that are equally as peaceful and beautiful as the ones in Paris. Two churches, the San Carlo and Santa Cristina are also off this square. You can access the pedestrian Via Garabaldi, with shops, cafes and pretty buildings--prefect for a stroll with some gelati.
- Turin Shroud: One of the most important treasures of the Catholic Church is said to reside in this northern Italy city. The Turin Shroud is believed by many to have been the linen cloth that was wrapped around the crucified Christ. You will be impressed by the faint image of the face of a man with a thorn halo around his crown, his eyes closed and mouth open. While the cloth itself has been dated back to the 13th century by carbon, it still doesn't keep the faithful away. You won't get too close to the Shroud but you will be able to sit by the case it is in. There are enough postcards of the image to give you the full picture. Admission is free.
- Juventus Football Match: The Europeans are known for the passion about football (soccer) and when it comes to passion, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't fit the description as well as the Italians. They have a love/hate relationship with this team, touted as the best in Italy. There is nothing quite like sitting in a stadium watching a live match. The chanting, the singing, the cheering, the cussing, the raw adrenaline from fans in the stand. Well worth it to get to a match, even if Juventus is not playing a team at their level--the fans will still be on pins and needles even if their guys are up 4-0! You can get a bus out to the stadium, but be prepared for a long ride back once the game is finished.
- Welcoming Italians:: Turin is a small enough place that tourists haven't yet overrun it so you will find the locals very patient. It is not often a stop on the backpackers' tour and most other visitors will come to this area in the winter to get to the nearby ski hills. So as a summer destination, it's a great place to really enjoy life as the Italians do. There are plenty of patios and people streets to mingle on and you may even find a local shop owner engaging you in conversation. During my own short time spent there, it was the only place where the locals tried to help me with my Italian - the biggies like Rome, Venice and Florence would never have time for a beginner like me. Plus, you can sit amongst them quite easily in the cafes. We didn't see any other North Americans during our entire stay. By the end, we felt very Italian.
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