Italian Winter: explore Torino and Piedmont Alps

Winter in the Piedmont Alps is magical.

11 Jan 2020

Gruppo UNA

And, just a short drive from the city are the hiking trails and ski slopes of the Piedmont Alps. If you fancy a taste of winter in Turin, then you're guaranteed a warm Gruppo UNA welcome and traditional Italian hospitality at the Principi di Piemonte | UNA Esperienze.

Vittorio Veneto Square, Turin

Principi di Piemonte | UNA Esperienze.

Located right in the heart of Torino, the five-star Principi di Piemonte | UNA Esperienze is perfect for soaking up a spot of city culture before heading into the Piedmont Alps for skiing and hiking. The hotel is housed in a Rationalist-style building that is an architectural attraction in itself. At the end of a day's sightseeing or skiing, you can relax in your comfortably furnished room or suite that is decorated in contemporary style blended with traditional Italian warmth.

During winter in Turin, the hotel's Casa Savoia restaurant offers a menu of hearty Italian dishes prepared with the finest local produce. Enjoy a pre-dinner aperitif or relax at the end of the evening with cocktails in the Salotto dei Principi Bar while admiring the night lights of the city. If winter weather has taken its toll on your skin or your muscles ache at the end of a day's skiing or hiking, then indulge yourself with a treatment or massage in the modern wellness centre and spa at the Principi di Piemonte | UNA Esperienze

A unique feature of the wellness centre is a Turkish bath finished in traditional Arabic style with an impressive mosaic floor. Other spa treats include a classic Finnish sauna, hot and cold shower circuit and a Jacuzzi big enough for sharing. If you're in the mood for exercise, then head to the well-equipped fitness room for an hour or two.

SPA at Principi di Piemonte | UNA Esperienze

Turin highlights to enjoy in the winter.

Turin was the first place in the world to produce a bar of chocolate that was saleable but it also serves up delicious hot chocolate drinks in its art-nouveau cafes, the perfect place to escape from winter weather in between your city sightseeing. When it is chilly outside, let the city museums tempt you into their warmth. Torino is the birthplace of Italy's most iconic car, the Fiat (the 't' in Fiat stands for Torino!). The Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile is an exciting collection of automobile history spread over three floors. It is built around a collection of 200 cars ranging from an 1892 Peugeot to a fire-engine red Ferrari 308 from 1980. 

 The Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze should also be on your winter itinerary. It is home to the Museo Egizio. Almost 200 years old, this museum houses what is considered the most important Egyptian collection outside of Cairo. The Palazzo is also home to the work of Tuscan artists including Fra Angelico. See how Torino royalty lived in the lavish Palazzo Reale built for Carlo Emanuele II in the mid-17th century. The palace gardens were created by André Le Nôtre, designer of the gardens at Versaille. While not at their best in winter, they do have a certain charm.

Winter in Turin: activities in the Piedmont Alps

With snow on the ground and a crisp blue sky above, winter in the Piedmont Alps is magical. This mountain region offers hundreds of miles of ski slopes with the nearest, Via Latteo, being just a short distance from Torino. As well as skiing you can enjoy sledging, snowboarding, bobsledding, snowshoe walking and skating with most resort areas offering activities designed to suit everyone from tots to teens and beyond. 

Alps

A little further away tucked between the Piedmontese borders of Italy, France and Switzerland is Valle d'Aosta. It truly is a winter wonderland. Towering over villages that look as though they are straight off the pages of fairy tale books are the highest Alpine peaks including Mont Blanc. There are also Roman ruins to explore as well as impressive medieval castles.

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