Innsbruck or Turin?

Neither city is a beach destination, but Innsbruck makes a summer swim easier. The Lanser See and the Natterer See sit on the plateaus just above town and warm to around 22°C in high summer, so a swim fits into an afternoon after a morning in the old town.

From Turin, the lakes at Avigliana or Viverone take more of a journey. The nearest sea, on the Ligurian Riviera, is close to two hours away each way. Anyone set on salt water should plan a few separate days on that coast.

The gap here is wide. Innsbruck feeds you well after a day outdoors, with Gröstl, Kaspressknödel and Kaiserschmarrn that taste best at a mountain hut. In town, though, the choice is narrow and there is no market to browse.

Turin is one of Italy's serious food cities. It has agnolotti del plin, vitello tonnato, autumn truffles from the Langhe, Barolo and Barbaresco on every wine list, and the aperitivo it invented. Add bicerin in the arcaded cafés, gianduiotti and the huge Porta Palazzo market, and eating becomes a reason to go.

Innsbruck's sights are fine but few. The Golden Roof, the Hofburg, Maximilian's tomb ringed by bronze figures in the Hofkirche and the curiosities at Ambras Castle can all be seen comfortably in two or three days.

Turin works on a different scale. The Museo Egizio alone fills most of a day. Around it are the Royal Palace, Palazzo Madama, the Savoy residences out to Venaria, the cinema museum in the Mole and contemporary art at Rivoli. In Turin you run out of time long before you run out of sights.

Turin gives its evenings more shape, even if the mood in both cities is sociable rather than wild. The aperitivo leads on to the wine bars of the Quadrilatero Romano, the pavement crowds of San Salvario and, in summer, the Murazzi along the Po.

Innsbruck's after-dark life is smaller and led by its students. It centres on the bars and little clubs in the brick arches under the railway viaduct, and in winter much of the fun moves out to après-ski in the resorts.

Both cities have the Alps, but at very different distances. In Innsbruck, the Nordkette ridge at about 2,300m is under half an hour from the old town by funicular and cable car. The Karwendel starts behind it and the Stubai Glacier holds snow for most of the year, so you can be hiking, skiing or paragliding soon after breakfast without a car.

From Turin, the Gran Paradiso, the Susa valley and the slopes around Sestriere are an hour or more away, which makes each one a full day out. Closer to town, the hill path to Superga, the Mandria forest and the cycle paths along the Po are pleasant but gentle.

Turin has the edge as a base. Its biggest draw is the Langhe and Roero wine country, with Alba, Barolo and Bra about an hour south. Milan is an hour away by fast train, and Genoa, Aosta and the Sacra di San Michele add more choice.

Innsbruck's strength is its place on the rail lines through the Alps. Hall in Tirol is minutes away, Munich and Salzburg are each a little under two hours, and Bolzano and Merano lie over the Brenner. You get more countries from Innsbruck and more depth in one rich region from Turin.

Both work with children, in different ways. Innsbruck's appeal is mostly outdoors: the Alpenzoo's ibex and bears on the funicular line, adventure trails and hut playgrounds in summer, and gentle ski slopes in winter. Rainy days need more planning.

Turin has more for hot or wet days. Older children enjoy the glass lift through the Mole, the car museum and the Egyptian mummies, and the long arcades make pushchairs easy. Its main animal outing, Zoom Torino, is best reached by car.

Both centres are flat and easy to walk, but Innsbruck is simpler overall. Trams and buses reach Igls and the Stubai valley, and regional trains run along the valley from a central station. The funicular from the old town also puts the mountains on the public network.

Turin's grid and arcades make walking a pleasure, and its one driverless metro line runs to Lingotto. Beyond that, the trams and buses are slower and harder to work out, and the wine hills and mountains really call for a car.

Turin has more to offer here. There are luxury labels under the arcades of Via Roma, the long pedestrian Via Garibaldi, antique dealers around Via Maria Vittoria and the Balon flea market on Saturdays. The best things to buy are edible, from chocolate and gianduiotti to truffles and wine.

Innsbruck fills an afternoon on Maria-Theresien-Strasse and in the old-town arcades, with loden, dirndls, woodcarvings and Speck to take home. Where it wins is outdoor and ski gear, which its specialist shops do very well.

Turin is the easier city on a budget. Central hotels are fairly priced for most of the year, a generous aperitivo can replace dinner, and the trattorie and Porta Palazzo stalls are good value. Costs mainly rise with fine dining and during the truffle season.

Innsbruck adds an Alpine resort premium, highest in ski season and around the Christmas markets, and cable car tickets add up quickly on an active trip. Visiting in spring or autumn and using a guest or city card helps.

Turin has the fuller calendar. The Teatro Regio stages opera and ballet, the RAI National Symphony Orchestra has its own auditorium, and concerts fill Renzo Piano's Lingotto hall. There are also festivals of jazz, classical and electronic music, though the theatre is almost all in Italian.

Innsbruck's Landestheater and symphony orchestra give it a respectable season. Its highlight is the summer Festival of Early Music, held in settings such as the Spanish Hall at Ambras Castle. Folk evenings of yodelling and brass add charm, but there is less choice.

Neither city has thermal baths of its own, so the difference is in the kind of calm. Innsbruck's is Alpine: hotel spas with saunas and mountain views up in Igls, an evening at a hut, and the big thermal complexes of the Ötztal and Zillertal about an hour away.

Turin's calm is urban and slow. It comes from long sittings in historic cafés, evening walks under the arcades and by the Po, and quiet hours in Valentino park. Real thermal water means a longer trip, to Acqui Terme or the Aosta valley.