Reasons to Visit Turin, the Italian Center of Innovation

With boulevards elegantly lined with trees, you'll find Turin, even more appealing with its in its stately art nouveau cafes. The industrious Turin culture has paved the way to first saleable hard chocolate and Italy's most iconic car, Fiat. Today, contemporary Turin is booming with art and architecture with its live-music scene just as exciting as its innovative food and wine culture. Download the Turin Travel Guide and Offline Map and discover Turin in your next adventure to Italy.

1.     Castello di Rivoli

Established in 1984 Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Arts to help build a new identity for the city. Its permanent collection has a sizeable number Arte Povera works are beautifully displayed in the historic setting, along with pieces from the Transavanguardia, Minimal, Body and Land Art movements. So it comes to no surprise that it is the envy of Milan, Venice, and Rome's art worlds.

2.      Museo Egizio

This Turin institution houses the most important collection of Egyptian treasure outside Cairo. The museum officially opened in 1824 and among its many highlights are the statue of Ramses II and the world's largest papyrus collection. There are also 500 funerary and domestic items from the tomb of royal architect Kha and his wife Merit, dating to 1400 BC and found in 1906. Both coffins are incredibly beautiful, but Merit's image, rendered in cartonnage, gold leaf and glass inlays, is one of the most hauntingly beautiful ever displayed.

3.     Basilica di Superga

Built on a hill across the Po river, the basilica was built by Vittorio Amedeo II in the 1700's as a promise in honor of the Virgin Mary if Turin was saved from besieging French and Spanish armies. The Basilica is also the final resting place of the Savoy family whose lavish tombs are displayed for viewing. The Basilica made recent news when a plane carrying the entire Turin football team crashed into the church in thick fog, killing all on board.

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3 Great Reasons to Visit Milan, the Italian City of Many Hidden Secrets

Milan is often overlooked because tourists often prefer the more popular Italian destinations such as Florence, Venice and Rome. The fact that not that many tourists visit Milan has enabled the most of its traditions and culture to remain untarnished by tourism. It also has a plethora of hidden gems just waiting to be discovered. Below are a few reasons to go and visit Milan. Refer to the Milan Travel Guide and Offline City Map & Metro for more information.

1. The Trendy Navigli District

Milan is also a city of canals like Venice or Amsterdam. Compared to the latter that try to remain unchanged so as to not risk losing their immense appeal to tourists, Milan’s most popular canal district, Navigli, is rapidly evolving. It is regarded by many as the trendiest Italian city because of how it becomes more and more hip with each passing day. Navigli is quite accessible. You can get to this part of the city by tram, metro, bike, or on foot. Numerous establishments such as vintage shops, artisan shops, boutiques, coffee joints, gelato spots, and local restaurants can be found along the canals. Local street art is everywhere and there are numerous hidden courtyards to discover.

Visit Milan Navigli District

2. Delicious Food

The various eateries in Milan offer a perfect combination of traditional and modern cuisine. The modern gourmet market Eataly Milano Smeraldo is the city’s most popular source of authentic Italian cheeses with the soft burrata cheese and the cured speck cheese being its specialties.

For pizza, you can go for the Da Rita e Antonio for traditional Italian pizzas or the DRY for more creative and original pizzas. If you are very particular with the ambiance, then the Segheria is the perfect pizza house for you.

3. The Bike Culture

Milan is also called a city of bikes. A majority of its population prefers bicycles as the primary mode of transport. The city streets have also been modified to be more accommodating to bikes. The mild climate and flat terrain makes biking in Milan a pleasant experience regardless of the time of year.

Move around Milan by Bike

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