Turin, Italy is often described as having a rich industrial history. A visit to the 1920s Fiat Factory (with a test track on the roof!) and the National Automobile Museum proves that description true twice over.

Surprisingly, details on where to find and access both the old Fiat Factory as well its impressive rooftop track were fairly elusive. But a couple conversations in broken Italian and lots of hand signals later, my sister and I rode the Il Lingotto elevator up to the fourth floor to experience Fiat’s (free and tourist-free) rooftop test track.

If you’re planning a trip to Turin and have stumbled upon this post, here’s some quick advice on visiting (and finding) the track: take a taxi to Il Lingotto on Via Nizza. Enter through the escalators into what is now a mall– but once was considered one of the most avant-garde factories for its time. Take the elevators up to the fourth floor where you find a the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli art gallery as well as free access to the rooftop track. The gallery bookstore also sells postcards with images of the old factory in use.

The Museo Nazionale Dell’Automobile is about a fifteen minute leisurely walk from Il Lingotto and is impressive in its own right. The large museum, which boasts an unbelievably expansive collection of classic and modern cars, is absolutely worth a visit for car enthusiasts and lovers of Italian design.

A presto!

Sarah

This post is #45 of the #The100DayProject. For more updates on my progress, be sure to follow me on Instagram and look for the hashtage, #100DaysofMiaPrima.

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