Turin lies in the Po River Valley at the entrance to Valle di Susa, the historic access road through the Alps to France. The Alps are an hour's drive west of Turin, and today the E70 motorway speeds skiers to mountain resorts on the border with France.
The source of the river Po is in a cave on the top of Monte Viso, a large pyramid-shaped mountain that can be seen on Turin's western horizon. The water gushes down the mountain, descending 500 ft/155 m in its first 10 mi/16 km. By the time it reaches Turin, it is a sedate river that meanders through the city from the south to the northeast.
Turin's central area follows a Roman grid, with streets running northwest of the Po River. The main roads around the center are Corso Regina Margherita to the north, Corso Inghilterra to the west and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II to the south. Piazza Castello is a large square in the center with two colonnaded streets, Via Roma and Via Po, connecting it to Turin's other main squares, Piazza San Carlo to the south and Piazza Vittorio Veneto to the east.
