Journal · Turin

Things to do in Turin: a guide to food, culture and relaxation

Turin was the first capital of Italy and today it is a city to explore on foot: squares, museums, parks and an aperitivo that here is a ritual. This guide from Crigan Massaggi suggests six specific places, from the centre to Pozzo Strada, and ends where the body gets to rest: Mihail Crigan's studio at Via Monginevro 76/F, Borgo San Paolo.

This is not an endless list. These are stops that a visitor, or a local at the weekend, can string together without losing the day travelling between them. The Automobile Museum is on the Po. Parco Ruffini is in Pozzo Strada, a few minutes from the studio. The massage, if you want one, is booked in advance: Mihail sees clients by appointment only.

Food

Where to eat: Ristorante Arcadia

Galleria Subalpina, historic centre, a stone's throw from Piazza Castello.

Outdoor tables at a waterside restaurant at sunset

In the Galleria Subalpina, Ristorante Arcadia brings together Piedmontese classics and a sushi bar, in an elegant dining room. It is a city-centre stop, not a neighbourhood one: you can walk there from Piazza Castello, after the arcades and before heading down to the Po.

It is best to book, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings. The menu changes: no prices are given here, because they are not the studio's. Use the map for the exact address.

Open Arcadia in Google Maps

Sport and nature

Where to run: Parco Ruffini

Pozzo Strada neighbourhood, west of the centre.

Orange running shoes on a low stone wall, ready for a run in the park

If you are looking for somewhere to exercise outdoors in Turin, Parco Ruffini is a practical answer. Tree-lined avenues, footpaths and space for a morning run, skating or a walk away from the traffic of Corso Francia.

For people coming from Borgo San Paolo it is a local park, not a day trip. After a run, legs and back are the most common reason people book a sports massage at Crigan Massaggi. The studio is not inside the park: it is at Via Monginevro 76/F, with free parking nearby, because the area has no paid parking zone. Directions are on the how to get here page and in the guide to massage between Santa Rita and Cenisia.

Open Parco Ruffini in Google Maps

Art and culture

The museum to visit: MAUTO

Corso Unità d'Italia 40, on the bank of the Po.

Close-up of the front of a grey sports car, a nod to the Automobile Museum

The National Automobile Museum, MAUTO, is a stop Turin can be proud of without slogans. The modern building is at Corso Unità d'Italia 40. Inside there are not just rare cars: the exhibition tells how the car changed work, the road and the Italian Sunday. It also suits visitors with children, because much of the display is viewed standing up and can be touched where allowed.

Opening hours and tickets change: check them on the museum's website, not here. From the studio in Borgo San Paolo you can get there by car along the Po, or by tram towards the centre and then on foot along the riverside.

MAUTO official website

Nightlife

Where to go for apericena: La Drogheria

Piazza Vittorio Veneto 18/D, under the arcades.

Amber cocktail with orange peel, typical of a Turin aperitivo

In Turin the aperitivo is not optional. La Drogheria, under the arcades of Piazza Vittorio Veneto 18/D, is one of the places people go for apericena: a carefully chosen drinks list, small plates to go with your glass, and a view towards the hill and the Gran Madre.

Piazza Vittorio is crowded in the evening. If you want a table, book. It is not near the studio: Borgo San Paolo is on the other side of the city, to the west. It makes sense as a city-centre stop, not as "near Via Monginevro".

Open La Drogheria in Google Maps

Historic café

Where to have breakfast: Caffè San Carlo

Piazza San Carlo 156, Turin's drawing room.

Coffee beans, a portafilter and a cup with latte art on a wooden table

Piazza San Carlo is the square the people of Turin call the drawing room. Caffè San Carlo, at number 156, is one of the historic cafés: a nineteenth-century room, chandeliers, breakfast with cappuccino and pastries. If you want the city's signature treat, ask for a bicerin, chocolate, coffee and cream, to be drunk without stirring if you follow tradition.

It is a city-centre breakfast, before the museums or before going back to the office. It does not replace the local bar in Borgo San Paolo: it is the "postcard" stop, and it is fine to treat it that way.

Open Caffè San Carlo in Google Maps

Boutique

Niche perfumes: Maitre Parfumeur

Piazza Gran Madre di Dio, across the Po.

Black perfume bottle next to a red rose

Across the Po, a few steps from the Gran Madre church, the Maitre Parfumeur perfumery stocks niche fragrances and offers scent consultations. It is not a shopping centre: it is a small boutique, to visit at leisure after a walk along the Murazzi or after MAUTO.

Open Maitre Parfumeur in Google Maps

Well-being

Relaxing after the city: Crigan Massaggi

Via Monginevro 76/F, Borgo San Paolo. By appointment only.

Oil poured onto the palm of a hand during a wellness massage

After a day of squares and museums, your neck and back pay for the cobblestones and the hours on your feet. Mihail Crigan's Crigan Massaggi studio is at Via Monginevro 76/F, 10141 Torino. It is not a spa with several therapists: you are always treated by Mihail, a sports massage practitioner with a DIABASI® diploma.

A session lasts 60 minutes and costs 60 €, whatever the technique. For your legs after Parco Ruffini, a sports massage makes sense. For your neck after the museum, a neck massage or a deep tissue massage. To switch off, the Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage. The treatments are professional, not intimate and not erotic. Massage is a wellness treatment under Italian Law 4/2013: it is not a cure and does not replace your doctor.

You can book on +39 334 858 8535 or on WhatsApp. The 10-session pack is on the offers page. If you want to know who is on the other side of the massage table, read who Mihail Crigan is.

Open the studio in Google Maps

Questions about the guide

What can you do in Turin in one day?

Breakfast or coffee in Piazza San Carlo, lunch in the Galleria Subalpina, an afternoon at MAUTO. If you are staying in the west of the city, Parco Ruffini is enough for a run. If you want a massage, book it: the Crigan Massaggi studio has no walk-in waiting room.

Where can you run near Borgo San Paolo?

Parco Ruffini, in Pozzo Strada, is the green space most used by people living between Corso Francia and Via Monginevro. It is a few minutes from the studio. Parking around Via Monginevro 76/F is free: it is not a paid parking zone.

Where can you get a massage in Turin after a day in the city?

At Crigan Massaggi, Via Monginevro 76/F. Sixty minutes, 60 €, by appointment only with Mihail Crigan. Call or message on WhatsApp at +39 334 858 8535.

By appointment

Book your massage after a day in Turin

Via Monginevro 76/F, Borgo San Paolo. Sixty minutes for 60 euros, by appointment only.

Call +39 334 858 8535WhatsAppContact form

Address and booking

Where is the Crigan Massaggi studio in Turin?

The studio is at Via Monginevro 76/F, 10141 Torino (TO), in Borgo San Paolo. Mihail Crigan works by appointment only. The fastest way to book is to call or write on WhatsApp to +39 334 858 8535.

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