After a mandatory coffee (or whatever) in Piazza Costello jump on a number 15 tram and rattle down Via Po, through the great expanse of Piazza Vittorio Veneto and on out to the suburbs. After a while the tram crosses the river and soon you're at the stop for the Superga.
Sassi-Superga station is about 100 meters from the tram stop, and from there the cog railway runs up the steep hillside before it arrives just short of the Church, La Superga, that looks out over Turin. The ticket desk is hidden inside the restaurant. It's a cheap ride, and the restaurant itself is not expensive, though remember that the train leaves on the hour, so pace yourself accordingly, leaving enough time to enjoy whatever you order.
The ride up the hillside is slow. For eighteen minutes passengers are chugged noisily through woodland, on a hill slope that rises abruptly out of the city. The wooden-slated seats are uncomfortable, and at week-ends you might have to fight for a seat. The train and its history are interesting enough, but the main attraction is the view from the top.
The train stops at a station just below the summit and it's only a short but steep walk up to the Church from there. The inevitable Visitor Center complete with café and trinket shop and a panoramic view of its own are located at the station, and five minutes takes a reasonably fit person on up to the Church. Take your time though and enjoy it.
The Church is a Church is a Church. If you like visiting graves you have the privilege of paying to look at the tombs that hold the bones of members of the House of Savoy.
A path runs around the perimeter of the Church complex which is pleasant and shaded, and behind the Church is an interesting shrine built in honor of the members of the Turin football club who were killed in 1949 when the "plane bringing them from a game in Lisbon crashed into the hill. The shrine with its fresh flowers and family photographs of the dead shows how fresh the tragedy is in the minds of the people of Turin.
But it"s for the view that visitors make the trip. The city stretches out from the foot of the hill and it's not hard to pick out the Mole Antonelliana, the course of the Po and the Porta Nuova train station. Beyond that, over the plain, the Alps rise. If it's a clear day the mountains seem close enough to touch, with snow on top or even down the sides depending on the season. On hazier days the view is dulled but still impressive.
The trip back down to the city is the reverse experience of the ascent. The train leaves on the half hour, or if you prefer there are paths down through the woodland. It's a great place for mountain biking too. For those who can only free-wheel downhill there is the option of putting your bike on a special wagon to be hauled up the steep slope letting you return home with the wind in your face.
One thing to remember: the railway doesn't operate on Mondays and Tuesdays.
