Turin’s high-end shopping area is quite simply one of the most beautiful in the world. The arcaded Via Roma does full justice to the exquisite fashions on sale in Gucci, Armani, Ferragamo, Max Mara, and so on. At the end of Via Roma, the glass-roofed Galleria Subalpina (Piazza Castello 27), which links Piazza Castello with Piazza Carlo, competes with Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II for sheer opulence in its three levels of art galleries, antiquarian bookstores, and cafes. For those whose pockets may not be quite so deep, Via Garibaldi, Corso XX Settembre, and the surrounding streets together offer mid-range international brands at reasonable prices.
The windows of Italian food shops are always a thing of joy, and the specialist delis and confectioners of Turin are no exceptions. Confetteria Stratta (Piazza San Carlo 191; (tel) 011-547-920) and Pasticceria Gerla (Corso Vittorio Emanuele 11) are thronged daily for their extravagant pastries, cakes, and gianduiotti (chocolate with hazelnuts). The Turin branch of Eataly, the current top tip for gourmet Italian produce, is at Via Nizza 230, a little out of the center in Lingotto. Turin is famous for its quality confectionary -- it produces 40 percent of Italy's chocolate -- and pPerhaps the best chocolatier north of Perugia is sold at Peyrano, Corso Moncalieri, 47 (tel. 011-660-2102; www.peyrano.com), open Monday to Friday 9am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 12:30pm.
The produce market in and around Porta Palazzo takes over the gigantic Piazza della Repubblica Monday to Friday 7am to 2pm and Saturday until 7:30pm. A bustling flea market takes place in the warren of streets behind the Porta Palazzo every Saturday, among the antique shops on Via Borgo Dora. The second Sunday of every month, the same spot is the scene of an antiques market, the continuously expanding Gran Balon (www.balon.it), with more than 250 dealers from across northern Italy. Come December, a Christmas market sets out its stalls in Via Borgo Dora.
Turin has many stores specializing in rare books and old prints, and these also sell their wares from stalls along the Via Po. Most newsagents in Turin have English-language newspapers, and the two branches of Feltrinelli (Piazza Castello 19, (tel) 011-541-627 or Stazione Porta Nuova (tel) 011-563-981) sell multilingual books.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
