Even in a country filled with world class sites like no other, with a large backlog of well deserving sites on the tentative list, you will find the occasional dud. A bit surprisingly these are concentrated in the Piedmont region.

Having been to Turin before I could never quite make up my mind if I had actually visited the palaces. I only recall the splendid stair case of Palazzo Reale and the rather pricey tickets that came along with it. I was a poor student at the time and may have decided against entering.

This time  around I visited the Palazzo Reale, the Piazza Castello, the Palazzo Madama and the Borgo Medievale. Across the river I could also catch a view of the Villa della Regina. The highlight to me was the Royal Armory in the Palazzo Reale. But to be frank, none of them really made much of an impression on me. I also question why this had to be a serial nomination.

Meanwhile Turin is a really pleasant and nice city with visible French and Swiss influences. I loved strolling the streets and would have preferred a site focused on Turin the Capital instead.

Getting There

Turin has an international airport. By train you can connect to Milan to the East, Genova to the South and to the Aorta Valley and from there to Chamonix to the North.

The nearest WHS are the underwhelming Vineyards of Piedmont. To get there take the train to Asti or to Alessandria. You will also find one of the Sacri Monti nearby. Ivrea, the Olivetti factory town, is also part of the Italian tentative list and scheduled for 2018/2019.

While You Are There

As stated Turin is a nice city well worth exploring. The National Cinema Museum housed in the Mole Antonelliana is impressive and the lift inside the grand cupola is breath taking. The archeological museum is famous for its Egyptian collection. And if you have time, ice cream at Mara Dei Boschi comes recommended, but I think there are more places offering great ice cream.