1. The contrast between the city’s industrial character and (aristocratic) historical past is interesting, as are the many grand boulevards, palaces and elegant villas from the middle of the 19th century.
2. The shops with a hint of the old days, the many art galleries, and the Piazza San Carlo crowded with sellers and visitors
3. Traffic is severely restricted in the city center, so the air is cleaner
4. Many beautiful drinking fountains, with crystal-clear alpine water
5. Infrastructure was improved for the 2006 Winter Olympics, including all forms of public transport (bus, tram, metro)
6. Turin’s spectacular natural surroundings
7. Funny how the elegant buildings in red and yellow rather seem to belong in a French than an Italian city (some even call it the “Little Paris”)
8. The Juventus stadium
9. The Museo dell’Automobile
10. The viewing deck in the cupola of the Mole Antonelliana museum affords wonderful panoramas of the Alps
11. Great markets
1. A lot of Baroque architecture, and I’m not a fan of the Baroque (I know, it’s just me)
2. They serve red wine too warm here
3. The total ruthlessness of the local drivers
4. Very few locals can speak English
5. There are some gray industrial zones
6. The Po River isn’t much to look at