Turin: The Magic City

It is no wonder that Turin has a world-class reputation for black magic.

It has many of the attributes - a bizarre tower that was very briefly the tallest in the world, one of the world's leading collections of Egyptian artefacts, a secret labyrinth of tunnels and, of course, the mysterious Turin shroud.

But, perhaps, the sense of the numinous has more to do with the overall feel. The city was once Italy's capital but it is stuck high in a remote corner.

From the city centre's exquisite baroque colonnades, you can stare down the grid to snow-covered Alpine peaks. There is just something odd in the air.

Today, though, the city is bent on gaining another reputation. The Winter Olympics come at an opportune moment for the city.

Turin is currently desperate to redefine itself as a leisure destination.

Its massive Fiat car plants have shuddered in recent years and the city now looks to tourists to help motor the economy.

In fact, although Italians still see the city as a peculiar place to visit, it offers many delights.

Customer service can occasionally be just what you might expect from retrained motor mechanics, but high among the attractions is the fact that the city is not yet on the tourist radar.

Unlike Florence or Sienna, in Turin you do not have to battle your way past coach-loads of Americans.

In the centre of the city you can still sit with locals in a minuscule coffee-shop where the owners have, literally, not refitted for three centuries.