A Solar System the size of a hill
The Planet Trail lays out the Solar System at 1:869,653,000, sizes and distances alike: the Sun is a 1.6-metre sphere on the esplanade of the Basilica of Superga, the Earth a marble of a centimetre and a half a few steps away, and reaching Uranus means walking 3.3 kilometres. It opened on Sunday 5 October 2025 and runs entirely inside the Superga Hill Natural Park, a UNESCO MAB reserve, along the Grande Traversata della Collina.
The idea came from Raffaella Pasquali and Lisa Zaquini, consultants to Pro Natura Torino, which led the project with support from Fondazione CRT, the municipality of Pino Torinese and the metropolitan city of Turin, and scientific input from Infini.To, Thales Alenia Space and INAF Torino. Each stop has a corten steel lectern with HPL panels and the planet itself in stainless steel.
There are no technical difficulties, the gradients are gentle and there are several equipped rest areas: perfect for families, schools and scout groups, and for anyone who wants a scientific excuse to explore the hill.
Route facts
Start: the esplanade of the Basilica of Superga (672 m), at the sphere of the Sun.
Finish: Infini.To – Turin Planetarium, via Osservatorio 8, Pino Torinese (secondary entrance, in the woods).
Length: 8.6 km (official Infini.To figure). Ascent: about 400 m.
Time: around 3 h 20 walking; 1 h – 1 h 20 running.
Grade: easy, gentle gradients, suitable for a wide range of walkers.
Scale: 1:869,653,000, both sizes and distances.
Waymarks: Planet Trail signs along the GTC route (red-white-red).
Transport: reach Superga by rack tram or GTT bus 79/; from Pino Torinese return to Turin on bus 30. There is no direct Pino–Superga link.
There are no guided activities along the way: you walk on your own. The trail ends in the woods, at the secondary entrance of Infini.To.
Stops 1–5 — The Sun and the rocky planets
You start at the Sun: a 1.6-metre corten steel sphere set on the Basilica esplanade. The first four stops come quickly, and that is the first surprise of the scale: Mercury is a 6-millimetre bead, Venus 1.4 centimetres, the Earth with its Moon 1.5 centimetres, Mars just beyond. The rocky planets are all "close" to the Sun, and you leave them behind before even entering the woods.
It is worth stopping to read the panels with children: they explain not only the planet but how to read the scale, turning the following kilometres into a game of anticipation.
Stops 6–7 — The gas giants
The trail leaves the esplanade and joins the GTC towards Pino Torinese. After almost a kilometre comes Jupiter, 16 centimetres across, the first object that really looks like a planet. Saturn arrives 1.6 kilometres from the Sun, with rings 31.4 centimetres wide: the most photographed stop.
One important warning: the section between Jupiter and Saturn, in the municipality of Baldissero Torinese between the Strada dei Colli no. 8 junction and Bric Sueri, is closed by private works, with a signed detour along an alternative route. Check the notices on the Pino Torinese or Infini.To websites before setting out: the detour may change or be removed.
Stops 8–9 — Uranus and the Space Rest Area
From Saturn to Uranus there is nearly a kilometre and a half of woodland: Uranus lies 3.3 kilometres from the Sun and measures just 5.9 centimetres. This is when children, and adults, really grasp what "space" means: so much walking for so small an object.
The ninth stop is the Space Rest Area, dedicated to the International Space Station with scientific input from Thales Alenia Space, which builds ISS habitation modules in Turin. The right place for a snack. Along this stretch you also pass the equipped picnic areas of the Superga–Pino ridge road, with tables and a fountain.
Stops 10–12 — Neptune, the Kuiper Belt and Pluto
The final section follows the crest of the hill towards Pino Torinese: Neptune, then the sign marking the start of the Kuiper Belt, then Pluto, demoted to dwarf planet but no less loved. The wood here is dense and cool even in summer; the path alternates short climbs with long, almost level stretches.
Stop 13 — End of the Kuiper Belt: Infini.To
The last stop marks the end of the Kuiper Belt and coincides with the arrival in the woods, in front of the secondary entrance of Infini.To, Turin's Planetarium and Museum of Astronomy and Space, at via Osservatorio 8 in Pino Torinese, next to the INAF astrophysical observatory.
The ideal combination: walk in the morning, museum and planetarium in the afternoon, about an hour and a half. Hours and tickets on the Planetarium website; booking is advised for the dome show.
Planning the logistics
The trail is linear, from Superga to Pino: the return is the part to plan.
By public transport. From Turin, climb to Superga by rack tram (closed on Wednesdays) or GTT bus 79/. On arriving in Pino Torinese, return to Turin on bus 30. There is no direct link between Pino and Superga.
With two cars. Leave one car in Pino Torinese, around via Osservatorio, and drive the other up to the Superga car park.
From the B&B, in reverse. From Pino Torinese you can walk the trail the other way, from the Kuiper Belt towards the Sun, climbing steadily to the Basilica and meeting the planets in decreasing order of distance. It is the version with a prize at the end — and a bar on the esplanade.
Families and dogs. The route is designed for families, schools and scout groups, with gentle gradients and rest areas. It is not declared pushchair accessible: for small children a carrier backpack is better. Dogs are allowed on the park trails; on the esplanade and in the picnic areas they must be on the lead.
Why the scale matters
In book illustrations the planets are always too big and too close together: it is the only way to fit them on a page. The Planet Trail does the opposite, and does it with your legs: if the Sun is a sphere of one metre sixty, the Earth is a marble and reaching Neptune takes hours of walking.
It is also a fine way to tell Turin's story: the city that built the Space Station's modules and that hosts, in Pino Torinese, one of Italy's historic astronomical observatories, now an INAF site, next to the Planetarium.
Practical tips
When. All year. Spring and autumn for the colours, summer for the shade of the wood if you start early, winter with trail shoes for the wet clay. In snow the ridge can be icy.
Water and stops. Equipped areas along the way, with a fountain at the picnic site on the ridge road. Bar and restaurant at Superga.
Signage. Dedicated signs at every stop, along the GTC route. On the diverted Jupiter–Saturn section, follow the temporary signs.
Sleeping at the end of the trail
The Planet Trail finishes in Pino Torinese: if you stay with us, you walk home in the evening. Paradise Nature & Wellness sits on the ridge between Turin and the Chieri plain, with breakfast and parking included. Message us on WhatsApp for the GPX track and the best time to start.
Sources: Infini.To – Turin Planetarium (length, ascent, duration, scale, stops, transport, detours); municipality of Pino Torinese; metropolitan city of Turin and Po Piemontese protected areas (opening on 5 October 2025). Hours and conditions change: always check official sites before setting out.
Book directly on WhatsApp, breakfast and parking included.
