This morning we enjoy a tour of Torino with a local guide.
The industrial grey and polluted "car city", as Torino was known until the end of the 1990s, has nowadays given way to an elegant, vibrant, and cosmopolitan metropolis that will pleasantly surprise even the most well-travelled visitor. With two thousand years of history, Torino developed from a Roman military settlement to the capital of the kingdom of the House of Savoy, and in 1861 became the first capital of the newly-unified Italian nation. As a result, the urban grid spread with large tree-lined boulevard, baroque facades, and art-nouveau covered shopping galleries can remind of some corner of Paris even though a unique local character is predominant. In more recent times, Torino hosted the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, an event that changed the face of the city. Among many attractions, we mention the Holy Shroud – an important (and controversial) relic for Christianity – which is displayed periodically and the second largest Egyptian museum in the world. Today Torino is a technology and design centre, as well as a university campus with students from all over the country.
Our walking tour gravitates around the central Piazza Castello with a look at the magnificent Church of Saint Lawrence, a masterpiece of baroque architecture. From the Royal theatre, down to Piazza Carignano and to the XVIII century Piazza San Carlo, our guide reveals hidden private courtyards and leads discussion on the social changes that Torino has faced throughout history.
After a break for lunch and some free time, we'll transfer to our Agriturismo surrounded by vineyards in the Asti Region near Torino (+/- 90 minute drive). For four nights we are based at a 4-star 'agriturismo' south of Asti proper. Typically, an agriturismo is an independently-owned farm that the owners have decided to use partially — although usually only partially — for accommodation purposes. That means that, 90 percent of the time, you can expect that the owners of your "hotel" are, primarily, farmers (or people who have someone else farm for them). It's a relaxing and intimate way to experience rural Italy and, since many of Italy’s best food traditions aren’t found in swanky restaurants, but in nonna's house in the countryside, there's often no better dining than at an agriturismo.
Overnight and dinner near Asti.
 
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner