Discover Ivrea

If you are looking for a charming hidden gem in Northern Italy, you should absolutely take some time to discover Ivrea. Avoid the other tourists in the major cities and go for local charm. Stroll along the river Dora Baltea, explore the medieval city center or visit the cathedral. Maybe you prefer to know more about the industrial heritage of Ivrea? Whatever you prefer, there is something for you discover in Ivrea! As always on The Slow Travel Express you will find plenty of options for using public transit to get there!

Ivrea, Piemonte, Italy

Ivrea is located in the North of the province Piemonte in Italy. The area is in large part shaped by what is called the Ivrea Morainic Amphitheatre. it basically means there is a large circle of flattened hills around the city, giving the impression of an amphitheatre. It’s beautiful to see, if a bit odd. It kind of looks like someone carved a horizontal line through the hills.

Ivrea also sits at the southern end of the Aosta valley passage. Meaning the Alps start just a bit North from there.

Discover the history of Ivrea

Ivrea was first settled in the 5th century BC. At the time it was founded by Celtic people, whose customs and beliefs can still be seen in some places. There is also evidence of people even before that time. Either way, Ivrea is a city with a lot of history. From Celts, to romans, to Italian to French and back again.

Ivrea also has a rich industrial heritage from the 20th century when it was home of the famous Olivetti. This company became most famous for their typewriters. Olivetti literally shaped a lot of the city of Ivrea, building whole suburbs for their employees. There are a number of dedicated museums and tours around Olivetti, which I personally found very interesting.

You may also know Ivrea for its famous orange battle during carnival. Thousands of people come to witness the violent fruit battle every year, so if you are hoping to to stay away from crowds, maybe avoid the carnival period.

Discover the best places for veggie food in Ivrea

There are no specific vegan restaurants in Ivrea. But if you know where to go, you can still find the most delicious foods. Here are some options where I know you will eat well. Some of these locations don’t have a set menu (so you know what you get is fresh) but they all know and understand vegan food. It’s always nice when you don’t have to explain that “yes that also means no cheese”.

Il picollo bistro da Ale

This is 100% my favorite place for lunch in Ivrea. This tiny bistro has a different menu pretty much every day. They usually have a vegan option (or a vegetarian one that can be easily made vegan). The staff is really friendly and helpful. The atmosphere here is great, it’s one of those places you can tell is run with love from the owners. It is located right in the historic city center.

ZAC!

ZAC! is a community center with a restaurant and bar, conveniently located inside one of the train station halls. Their menu changes every few weeks and they usually include a vegan option. If you are unsure you can ask the staff. Even if they don’t have one, they are happy to make you something that isn’t on the menu. The portions are always generous, and more than enough for me. As an added bonus, if you stop by here you help them fund the many events they organize for the community.

Caffè Gioberti Piadineria

Piadine are italian filled flatbreads. At Caffè Gioberti Piadineria they have a grilled vegetable Piadine, which is vegan and absolutely delicious. They grill the vegetables fresh, which you can smell as soon as you enter, it’s enough to make you hungry if you weren’t already. For the vegetarian options it’s the same grilled vegetables but with cheese. If you do eat cheeses I recommend trying the local Toma cheese.

This cafe also doubles as a coffee museum. So you can enjoy your piadine surrounded by coffee makers from all of history! It’s really charming.

Radici

This is the only place with a somewhat set menu, which includes a vegan burger. Honestly, when we tried it, it wasn’t great. Not bad, it just tasted very healthy, which is not something I look for in a burger. Their vegetarian options however, are delicious. So it’s a great option if you are comfortable with vegetarian food, or if you like healthy tasting burgers. It’s also a bit more expensive than the other options, but it is a lovely restaurant in a great location.

Discover the lakes of Ivrea

And if you visit Ivrea in summer, there is a bus that will take you up to the lakes for free! The area is called “Cinque Laghi” (five lakes). It has some beautiful walking trails around the lakes and the surrounding forest area. All the different hikes are well sign posted. You can choose whichever one you feel most comfortable walking, or combine them for a longer day.

The lake area offers many little restaurants and bars as well. Do make sure to check their opening times/days, especially outside of the summer months.

The most popular lake is “Lago Sirio” which is safe to swim in. It’s still open water without rescue services though, so only go swimming if you feel confident and/or take proper safety measures. Around Lago Sirio there are some beach clubs, where you can rent a sunbed for the day and use their facilities.

Ivrea as a stop on the Via Francigena

Ivrea is a stop on the pelgrim route from Canterbury to Rome called the Via Francigena.

If you want to walk a few stages without doing the full pilgrimage Ivrea is a great base to that from. You can take a train North (or bus until the railway opens up again, see below) and walk some of the first few stages in Italy.

I am working on an article describing the different stages / hikes between Aosta and Ivrea. For now, know that they are all gorgeous and well worth your time if you like hiking and are in decent shape/ familiar with hiking in mountainous terrain.

I also highly recommend the stage from Ivrea to Viverone, which takes you through so many different vineyards and isn’t as difficult. However be aware that there is no direct public transport option back to Ivrea from Viverone.

Discover how to travel by train to Ivrea

Ivrea is located on the trainline from Turin to Aosta. You can also easily get there from Milan, with a single change at Chivasso. At the moment there are replacement bus services to Aosta as they are working on electrifying the line between Ivrea and Aosta. The replacement bus can be taken with the regular train ticket. Please don’t feel discouraged by this though, the bustrip offers some great views and the busses are comfortable. The electrification of the line should be finished by the end of 2026. I will update this article when that happens.

The nearest airports are located in Turin and Milan. These cities also have international train connections (especially Milan). If you are travelling from elsewhere in Italy you will almost certainly go through either Turin or Milan as well.

Quick overview for public transport to and around Ivrea

Prices and times are correct at time of writing (September 2026) and I’ll try to keep it updated somewhat often.

The train from Torino Porta Nova to Ivrea takes +/- 1 hour (direct regional train) and costs €7 euros

The train from Milano Centrale to Ivrea takes +/- 2 hours and 10 minutes (regional trains, 1 transfer) and costs €12,90

A full day bus ticket for Ivrea and surrounding areas costs €3,60.

I hope this post inspired you to give Ivrea a visit. There are more posts coming about this region of Italy so look forward to that.