Shopping
Turin is also considered one of the Italian capitals of quality shopping because of the high level of its shops and their particular position: under the arcades of the town centre (which in the entire city stretches along a route unique in Europe, over 16 miles) that illuminate the beautifully kept windows of the most exclusive shops in the city (Cartier, Ferragamo, Gucci and Hermés, etc.). Turin offers a unique opportunity to alternate shopping with a break in the numerous historical cafés that open onto the streets of the centre: a visit is essential in order to see the unmistakable period furnishings and to savour the extraordinary and incomparable appetisers at cocktail time.

Just a short walk from the historical centre there is the picturesque old market of Porta Palazzo, the largest open air market in Europe. Just behind it there is the area called Balön, where Turin’s main flea market takes place every Saturday.
The second Sunday of every month is the day of the Gran Balon when the market is enriched by dealers’ stalls from other towns: it is the day of “big business” and offers opportunities for bargaining for very diverse articles - rare editions, period lace, English porcelain, silver and antique furniture.

The historical centre is an intricate tangle of streets rich in old craftsmen’s shops, small antique shops, wine shops, delicatessens, pasta shops, herbalists’, pastry shops and bakeries.