Turin Day Trip from Milan: Baroque Palaces, Bicerin & the World's Best Chocolate

Turin (Torino) sits just 140 kilometres west of Milan by high-speed train — a journey of barely 45 minutes — yet offers a city of such distinct character that the visit feels genuinely like travel to somewhere new. The capital of the former Kingdom of Sardinia and first capital of unified Italy, Turin is architecturally extraordinary: the Baroque street grid of the centro storico was laid out with a grandeur and coherence that makes central Milan look organic by comparison. The Po river at the city's edge, the Alps visible on clear days from the hilltop Basilica di Superga, and the extraordinary arcaded street system that allows pedestrians to walk kilometres without rain exposure — Turin is a physical pleasure to inhabit.

The food and drink culture in Turin justifies the trip on its own. The bicerin — a layered hot drink of espresso, drinking chocolate, and cream that has been served at Caffè Al Bicerin since 1763 — is Turin's greatest contribution to the European café tradition. Turin's chocolate culture predates and rivals Switzerland's: Caffarel invented the gianduja (hazelnut chocolate) that would eventually become Nutella, and the city's chocolatiers remain among Europe's finest. The Porta Palazzo market, the largest open-air market in Europe, runs every morning and showcases Piedmontese produce at its best. The Museo Egizio houses the world's second-largest Egyptian collection after Cairo. Turin is the day trip from Milan that Milan residents themselves make regularly — a reliable indicator of quality.