Four things to do in Turin

The Basilica of Superga is located on the Superga hill, overlooking the entire city. Courtesy of Rachel Sang-hee Han

By Rachel Sang-hee Han

STUTTGART, Germany ― Many Koreans may recall Turin as the host of the Winter Olympics in 2006. Located in the northern Italy, it’s mostly famous for its car manufacturers Fiat and Lancia, winter sports and hearty Italian cuisine and culture of Italy’s royal family, the House of Savoy.

Keeping these in mind, I would like to recommend four things to do in the city of Fiat, chocolates and the second biggest Egyptian museum in the world.

The National Cinema Museum is located in the heart of the city offers a glimpse of the past, present and future of Italian cinema. / Courtesy of Mathieu Gasq

1. Superga

Simply known as the “Superga,” the Basilica of Superga is located on the Superga hill, overlooking the entire city. From the city center, it takes around 20 minutes by car, but you can also take atram that runs up the steep hill, which can perhaps be a more memorable experience.

Like many basilicas and cathedrals around Italy, the crème of the crop is walking up to the top to see the view. And Superga does not disappoint. Since it’s already high up on the hill, the trip up the stairs is not much of an ordeal, compared to other places like the Duomo in Milan or the St. Peters in Munich.

Apart from touristic reasons, the Superga Basilica is also a famous place to Italy football fans, particularly the Torino football team known as the Il Grande Torino.

The entire football team was flying back from Portugal after a friendly match in May 4, 1949, when the plane suddenly crashed to the wall on the back of the basilica, killing everyone onboard. The accident was a major blow to fans, not only because it was a tragic accident, but also because the players were considered to be some of the best in Italian football history. There’s a memorial behind the basilica, where football fans from around the world pay their respect with flowers, photos and team souvenirs.

The small confectioner’s shop called Al Bicerin serves one of Turin’s favorite chocolate drink: the bicerin.

2. Egyptian Museum of Turin

Interestingly enough, the biggest Egyptian museum outside of Egypt in fact is in Italy. The Egyptian Museum of Turin was created thanks to Italian diplomat and explorer Bernardino Drovetti’s personal collection during his stay in Egypt as a diplomat.

It is one of the must-see places in the city and for a good reason. The museum has a vast collection of statues, personal belongings, papyrus scrolls and various objects found inside ancient tombs, and for a person who has not yet been to Egypt, the visit was indeed memorable and even a bit creepy. According to the museum, more than 65,000 artifacts are on display while another 26,000 are in storage.

The mummies seem to be a popular artifact, as there were a lot of people ― men and women, old and young ― taking photos and just peering into the ancient tombs in awe.

The museum also owns three different versions of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, including the most ancient copy known in history. There may be three versions, but normally only one is displayed to the public and the other two stored in the basement, fearing that the ancient books may exude “negative” energy.

3. Chocolates

The very first chocolate house serving hot chocolate was founded in 1678 in Turin and since then, the city has served many other European nations with its unique chocolate sweets. There are two chocolate treats to try out when you are in Turin: the gianduiotto and the bicerin.

The gianduitto is a hazelnut chocolate truffle that looks like a little upside down boat and is usually wrapped in a gold or silver tin-foil cover, while the bicerin is a drink made up with espresso, melted chocolate and milk. You can find gianduittos in almost any market or store, while the original bicerin you can try at a small confectioner’s shop called Al Bicerin. The shop is located right next to the cathedral called SantuariodellaConsolata and serves the popular drink all day. I was there drinking a cup and so many people, including nuns from the nearby cathedral, came for the drink. Unlike me, they drank theirs without even sitting down, like it was a refreshment of some sort. Additionally, I would also recommend trying something different along with the famous drink and compare the richness and tastes.

4. The National Cinema Museum

Turin is the home of the Torino Film Festival, the second biggest film festival in Italy, and the National Cinema Museum located in the heart of the city offers a glimpse of the past, present and future of Italian cinema. It’s actually located inside the Mole Antonelliana, a major landmark building in the city, making it the tallest museum in the world.

Alongside the various memorabilia including posters, books, film devices, photos and movie reels of the Italian movie scene, the interior itself is also what makes the museum so unique. Because the Mole was originally intended to be a synagogue, the museum houses small chapels that represent different film genres and also has a panoramic elevator with glass walls where you can ride up 75 meters to the top to get an overview of the city.

Rachel Sang-hee Han is a former staff reporter at The Korea Times and former editor at CNN Travel. She lives in Germany and runs a travel blog at rachelsanghee.com.