What are Turin's Luci d'Artista?
Works of light rather than ordinary decorations: each installation is signed by an artist (Mario Merz, Rebecca Horn, Daniel Buren, Giulio Paolini and Marco Gastini among others over the years) and placed in a specific street or square. Merz's "Flight of Numbers" on the Mole Antonelliana, the Fibonacci sequence in red neon along the dome, is the most famous. There are around thirty works (32 in the 2025-2026 edition, with new pieces by Tracey Emin and the Soundwalk Collective with Patti Smith and Philip Glass), in the centre and in the outer districts, lit every evening from about 6.30pm to 11.45pm. The last edition ran from 24 October 2025 to 11 January 2026, and the next follows the same calendar, late October to early January. Official map and dates on lucidartistatorino.it.
A winter weekend itinerary in Turin
Saturday afternoon. Arrive on the hill, settle in, and drive down at sunset: the lights come on early. Walk from Piazza Castello along Via Roma, Piazza San Carlo and Via Po to Piazza Vittorio and the Gran Madre. Hot chocolate or a bicerin in one of the historic cafés (Baratti & Milano, Torino, Al Bicerin, Mulassano). Dinner in the centre.
Sunday morning. The Egyptian Museum or the Royal Museums without rushing, then the Christmas markets in the centre (the location changes each year and the city announces it in November) and the Balon flea market in Borgo Dora, held every Saturday.
Sunday afternoon. Superga: on clear winter days the snow-covered Alps look close enough to touch from the dome balcony, and the basilica is minutes from the B&B. Drive back as Turin lights up below you.
Is Turin the city of chocolate?
It is. The gianduiotto was created here in 1865, the bicerin, layered coffee, chocolate and cream, in the eighteenth century, and the city still has dozens of artisan workshops. CioccolaTò, the artisan chocolate fair, now takes place in February in Piazza Vittorio Veneto (13 to 17 February in 2026, across Valentine's Day and Carnival, with around 70 free-entry stands): a second winter weekend to put in the diary after the lights.
What is the weather like in Turin in winter?
Cold and often foggy on the plain, with days that stay grey; the hill, at 400 to 600 metres, is frequently above the fog layer, in sunshine and with a view of the Alps. Anyone sleeping in Pino Torinese notices it the first morning.
Where to stay for a Luci d'Artista weekend?
At Paradise – Nature & Wellness in Pino Torinese: a ten minute drive from the centre, free parking, breakfast included. Mansarda Paradise, under its beams and with the hot tub, is the winter stay par excellence for two families or a group of up to eight (); The Green Space, with a kitchen and air conditioning, sleeps six and is pet friendly (). The partner restaurant five minutes away delivers on the evenings when nobody wants to go out into the cold. Book on WhatsApp: +39 338 993 03 39.
Direktbuchung über WhatsApp, Frühstück und Parkplatz inklusive.
