Project Description
Imagine you have a friend born and raised in the city, who greets and squires you around. This is Welcome to Torino, a urban bicycle safari across highlights and hidden gems, as seen through the eye of a native.
We will ride from the luxuriant Valentino Park through the bustling Quadrilatero Romano district to the elegant Royal area, uncovering beauties and hearing stories about the first capital of Italy.
The bike tour is free to join, you are welcome to leave a tip at the end if you liked it. We do it in the spare time, tell your favourite date and we’ll try our best to make it happen.
Duration: 3.5 hours |
12 km |
Level: easy |
Start/End: Torino |
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Read more here
VALENTINO PARK | BORGO MEDIOEVALE | RIVER PO SHORES | THE GRAND PIAZZAS | THE ROYAL PALACES | PORTA PALATINA ROMAN GATE | PORTA PALAZZO OPEN MARKET | QUADRILATERO DISTRICT | BASILICA DELLA CONSOLATA CHURCH | MOLE ANTONELLIANA | CASTELLO DEL VALENTINO
A journey through 2,000 years of history in 3 and a half hours! The bicycle ride starts at the Valentino, the oldest and most popular park of Turin, designed in the XIX century by the royal gardener Barillet-Dechamps. The “Vale” as folks call it, shows a number of fancy castles and gardens, and it is a beloved leisure place for residents and visitors. Past the entrance arch, a path leads to the panoramic terrace over the river Po: here we stop to take some pictures and get an overview about the city from our local expert. We now cruise into the park, many are the notable places to be seen: the Borgo Medioevale village, the gorgeous “Fontana of 4 Stagioni” fountain, the Rocky Garden with its streams and flowers, the majestic Castle of Valentino – one of the royal residences of the Savoy family.
We move out of the park and reach the site where Torino was founded by Emperor Augustus in 28 B.C.: the ruins of the Roman walls and the 30-metres-high Porta Palatina gate will bring us back to the time of gladiators! Just a stone’s throw is Porta Palazzo – the largest open air market in Europe where you can find any sort of goods, and the Quadrilatero Romano area: this historical chessbord-shaped district is the city’s oldest, today a trendy destination filled with bars and restaurants. But also the Santuario della Consolata church, a stunning piece of religious architecture featuring colored marbles, giant pillars, rich Baroque and Rococo decorations; the church gallery hosts a collection of 13.000 “Ex-Voto” artworks, donated by the worshippers as a token of thanks for blessing.
Leaving the Quadrilatero Romano and heading now towards the Royal District, the most notable of Torino’s areas, adorned with Baroque-style buildings and piazzas. Palazzo Carignano, Palazzo Reale, Piazza Castello, Piazza San Carlo, Galleria Subalpina: amazing architectures showing the power of the Savoy Family who ruled the city for centuries. Not far is the symbol monument of Torino, the imposing 167 metres-high Mole Antonelliana; stand and raise up your eyes towards the top, it’s a gripping experience.
DISTANCE: 12 km
ELEVATION GAIN: flat
N.B. We will follow paths and backroads as much as possible, but also take some busy public roads: you are therefore required to be confident in riding on city streets with cars and motor traffic.
The tour is on request, you choose the date and we’ll do our best to make it happen. It takes place all year round according to the time availability of the bike host.
For Info&Bookings contact info@easytorino.com or fill the form above.
Where: Torino, Italy
Info&Bookings: fill the form above or email info@easytorino.com
Duration: 3 hours and 30 mins
Distance/Elevation gain: 12 km/flat
Difficulty: easy
Cost: free tip-based
Bikes: you can join with your own bike or we can help rent one. You can also borrow one of ours (limited availability). Please inform us if you need a bicycle
Notes: in case of bad weather the tour might be cancelled. Please book in good advance
