A day among kings and queens: the Savoy residences starting from Cuneo

Here at Eremes, breakfast is the first gesture of the day. Then, if you feel like a trip that tastes of history without being tiring, we suggest this: a day by car among the Savoy residences, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from Cuneo up to Turin and Venaria.

No need to do it all “museum-style”. You can go in where you’re most curious and, for the rest, enjoy squares, parks and gardens. The common thread is the same: the royal family that, from the 1500s onward, turned Piedmont into a true “crown of delights”.

How to get around. Car (it’s the simplest option). Leave after breakfast, back for dinner. All in all it’s about 230–250 km including the outward trip, stops and return. Book tickets online the day before: on weekends the lines at the ticket office can be long.

The route we suggest

1. Racconigi Castle (on the way, the stop closest to Cuneo)
2. Stupinigi Hunting Lodge
3. Turin, Piazza Castello (Royal Palace and Palazzo Madama)
4. The Royal Palace of Venaria and its gardens

If time is tight, skip Racconigi’s interior and keep the park: you’ll save an hour and arrive fresher in Venaria, which deserves the biggest slice of the day.

1. Racconigi Castle — the closest holiday getaway

About 45 minutes from Cuneo, Racconigi is the first Savoy “country home” you come across as you head up toward Turin. It’s not just a palace: it’s where the royal family came to rest, far from court audiences.

A bit of history. Born as a medieval fortress, the castle was transformed in the 1600s by Guarino Guarini for the Princes of Carignano, a junior branch of the House of Savoy. In the 1800s Carlo Alberto loved it dearly: he called it “the beloved countryside”. You can still feel that everyday life of kings here, among drawing rooms, kitchens, and a huge park with little lakes and, in season, storks.

What to see with little time. If you have an hour: the façade, the grand staircase, and a walk in the park. If you have two: the royal apartments. Kids usually prefer the greenery and the park’s animals.

Tickets. Castle about €8 (reduced €2 for ages 18–25; under 18 free). Online purchase recommended on Musei Italiani. Info and hours: Castello di Racconigi – Musei Piemonte.

2. Stupinigi Hunting Lodge — the hunting feast

From Racconigi you head up toward Turin and, just south of the city, Stupinigi appears. The name says “lodge”, but don’t be fooled: it’s a star-shaped palace, with a golden deer on the dome. The Savoys came here to hunt and celebrate.

A bit of history. In 1729 Vittorio Amedeo II asked Filippo Juvarra for a hunting residence worthy of a king. In a few years this Baroque masterpiece was born, later enlarged by Carlo Emanuele III. Today it’s UNESCO-listed and preserves halls, mirrors, stuccoes and the great central elliptical hall, one of the finest in Piedmont.

What to see. The exterior with the backlit deer is already worth the stop. Inside, the central hall and the hunting apartments. If the weather is good, take a walk in the historic garden too.

Tickets. Full about €12, reduced €8, young €5. Info and hours: Fondazione Ordine Mauriziano – Visit Stupinigi. Tickets are also available on the official channels linked from the site (VivaTicket / GetYourGuide). Abbonamento Musei and Torino+Piemonte Card are valid.

3. Turin, Piazza Castello — where the Kingdom was run

From Stupinigi, central Turin is about twenty minutes away. Piazza Castello is the heart of Savoy power: from here the dukes, then the kings, ruled. Even just strolling around, without going into a museum, you see why Turin was a capital.

A bit of history. In 1563 Emanuele Filiberto moved the capital from Chambéry to Turin. Around the square rose Palazzo Reale (the king’s home), Palazzo Madama (first a castle, then the residence of the “Royal Madams”), and, a little farther on, Palazzo Carignano. Behind Palazzo Reale open the Royal Gardens: a green breath right in the city center.

What to do in an hour and a half.

• Walk it on foot: Palazzo Madama in the middle, Palazzo Reale in the background, the equestrian statues, the arcades.
• If you want an interior, pick just one: either the Royal Museums (Palazzo Reale, Armoury, Gardens) or Palazzo Madama.
• Lunch under the arcades or in a historic café. Then off toward Venaria.
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Royal Museums tickets (Palazzo Reale). Full 15 €, reduced 2 € (18–25 years), under 18 free. Purchase: Royal Museums official ticket office. Visit info: museireali.beniculturali.it. Closed on Wednesdays.
Palazzo Madama tickets. Full 10 €, reduced 8 €. palazzomadamatorino.it – tickets. Closed on Tuesdays.

4. Royal Palace of Venaria Reale — the stop you shouldn’t skip

Just fifteen minutes from central Turin is Venaria. If you have to pick just one “royal” interior for the day, pick this one. It’s vast, bright, and the gardens — with fountains and the Alps in the background — are the part guests always tell us about with the most enthusiasm when they come back to us.

A bit of history. In 1658 Carlo Emanuele II wanted a hunting and pleasure residence north of Turin, to complete what Amedeo di Castellamonte called the “Crown of Delights”. In the 18th century came Garove and, above all, Juvarra: the Great Gallery, the Chapel of Sant’Uberto, the stables were born. Then came abandonment and military use. The major restoration in the early 2000s brought it back to life: today it’s one of the most visited Savoy residences in Europe.

What to see. The Great Gallery (the most spectacular “corridor”), the apartments, and then outside: parterres, fountains, tree-lined avenues. On a full day, give the Palace at least two and a half hours, gardens included. In summer the gardens alone are worth the trip.

Tickets. The “All in one Palace” option (Palace + gardens + current exhibitions) is the easiest, around €20–25 depending on the shows. Online booking recommended: lavenaria.museitorino.it or lavenaria.it – buy online. Closed on Mondays.

We hope the guide interested you, and if you want to book at Eremes check out our rooms by clicking below!