Bergamo has escaped my attention for quite a long time. Especially considering that flights here are often really cheap. Finally, I went here during Christmas time, which added some extra charm to this beautiful town and I really liked it. Milan Bergamo is sort of the more remote Milan airport, the one for low cost carriers. But I decided not to go with the crowd to Milan and visited Bergamo itself. It’s smaller, quieter, and while not as spectacular, I’d say nicer.
Where to stay in Bergamo
For me, the historic centre, Città Alta, is fine. Especially if you are going to Bergamo for one night, this is where it makes the most sense to me. But the lower town, the new center, is also very nice to live in and makes sense especially if you are going to Bergamo for a longer visit. Because after all, the historic center is tiny, there are some cool businesses and alleyways, but by the next day you’ve explored it to the hilt. It’s also better to stay in the lower town if you’re going to the airport in the morning to Milan or if you want to travel around, then it’s better to be somewhere near the train station.
There is a funicular between Città Alta and Città Bassa (Funiculore Città Alta). Right by the cable car at the top (before you go into town) there is a cafe, with quite a nice menu, but mainly a view of the lower town. So I didn’t go there because it was either dark or foggy every time I went by.
Tips for accommodation in Bergamo
- GombitHotel – Design boutique hotel right in the heart of Città Alta. Modern interiors in a historic building and a few steps from Piazza Vecchia.
- Petronilla Hotel – Elegant hotel in Città Bassa with beautiful design and excellent location a short walk up the cable car. Great value for money.
- Arli Hotel – A more affordable option in the lower town. Clean, modern rooms and a short walk to the centre of Città Bassa.
Tickets, day trips and experiences in Bergamo
Bergamo isn’t a big city, but Città Alta gets pretty crowded in high season. Guided tours and food tours are worth booking ahead, capacity is limited.
- Bergamo by minibus or tourist train – a comfortable way to cover both the upper and lower town, handy especially if you don’t fancy walking uphill all day.
- Food tour around Città Alta – a tasting of local specialities right in the upper town. Groups tend to be small and spots fill up fast.
Things to see in Bergamo
Bergamo has two main parts, the upper, historic Città Alta and the lower, new Città Bassa. I’ll mention a few specific sights in a moment, but I want to point out that the thing to see about Bergamo is the city as a whole. In fact, from both parts there are beautiful views of the other, from the bottom up and from the top down.
Mura Venete – the walls around Città Alta
Città Alta is on the hill of Colle di Bergamo, at an altitude of about 380 metres, and the entire centre is surrounded by the medieval Venetian walls (Mura Venete), which, in addition to being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offer a beautiful walk around and plenty of views. The walls are up to 50 metres high and 5 metres wide in some places (often you don’t even feel like you’re on the walls, you’re just walking along a wide path).
The ramparts are perfectly preserved due to the fact that although they were built massive, military, they never got into any battles. They symbolise the power and wealth of the Venetian Republic, which sought to secure important cities on its northern borders.
You can get to the walls from many places in the centre by simply turning out of the centre and sooner or later you will come across the walls. Or more simply, go straight to the city gate of Porta San Giacomo and start from there. It’s the nearest point of the walls on the way from Città Bassa, or from Città Alta you can get here by taking the alley from the top cable car stop.
In addition to Porta San Giacomo, the walls have 3 other important gates: the Porta Sant’Agostino to the east, for access from Milan, the Porta Sant’Alessandro to the northwest towards San Vigilio and the mountain roads, and the Porta Garibaldi to the northeast.
Piazza Vecchia
Beautiful central square in Città Alta (said to be one of the most beautiful in Italy), with the Contarini fountain in the middle. Around the square are important buildings and there are several restaurants.
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
Basilica from the 12th century. Romanesque architecture, interior richly decorated with frescoes, gilding and tapestries. It’s one of those places where I stand and stare open-mouthed. There’s an entrance fee, but it was worth it.
Cappella Colleoni
Next to the basilica is a chapel with a beautifully decorated marble facade.
Torre Campanone
Medieval tower with beautiful views of the whole town and the surrounding countryside. There is a bell at the top which when it rang without warning I almost fell off the tower because I was standing right next to it.
In sunny weather, you can see the entire Po Valley and the Alps in the background. Beware, however, in winter, when the humidity is highest and the temperature lowest, fog regularly appears in the morning and disappears only when the air warms up, which may be in the late afternoon. If it is also cloudy, the fog can linger all day.
I just went to the tower in December just after 10 and even though it was sunny, I waited there for quite a while to see if the fog would lift. But then again, it was kind of mysterious when the city was lit up by the sun but in fog.
Rocca di Bergamo
A fortress with an observation tower and other views of Bergamo and the surrounding area. Inside the fortress is the Museo della Storia di Bergamo (Museum of the History of Bergamo) and around the fortress there are open gardens.
Cable car to San Vigilio
Another cable car goes up to San Vigilio hill where there are castle ruins, gardens and other wonderful views. The cable car station in Città Alta is at Porta Sant’Alessandro.
Sentierone
We’re already in the lower town. The Sentierone is a wide pedestrian zone with trees, shops, cafes and restaurants around it. Sort of the centre of the lower town. There are seasonal markets, like the Christmas one.
What to taste in Bergamo
The cuisine of the Lombardy region is based on rustic and hearty dishes. Of course, the classics of Italian cuisine are available in the form of pasta and pizza. There’s even a branch of the famous L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, known from Naples, should you fancy a Neapolitan pizza.
Anyway, polenta is a typical local ingredient, as a side dish for many meals. The iconic dessert of Bergamo is polenta e osei, which has nothing to do with polenta, except that it is supposed to resemble it in appearance, refers to local tradition and is more or less a tribute to polenta, but otherwise no, it is not sweet polenta. It’s a round sponge with a chocolate cream filling inside and vanilla cream on top and a yellow layer of sugar or egg-yolk marzipan (which is what polenta is supposed to resemble). On top are small chocolate or marzipan birds (osei), referring to the tradition of bird hunting. So the top layer is ultra-sweet.
Another local dish is casoncelli alla Bergamasca, a ravioli-like pasta filled with a mixture of ricotta, breadcrumbs, meat, topped with butter, sage and pancetta. Stracciatella ice cream with chocolate chips also has its origins in Bergamo. Finally, moscato di Scanzo is a red dessert wine from the Scanzo Valley near Bergamo. It is DOCG protected, which is the highest level of wine protection in Italy.
Where to go around Bergamo
There are a lot of interesting tourist destinations around Bergamo, and actually I think you’re more likely to end up in Bergamo by chance when you’re in the area than the other way around.
Lago di Como
One of Italy’s most beautiful lakes, surrounded by mountains. Around the lake there are nice historical towns like Como, Bellagio or Varenna.
Milan
Just half an hour by train from Bergamo. Italy’s fashion city, one of the largest and most important in Italy. The complete opposite of peaceful Bergamo. There’s the famous Duomo di Milano with its rooftop view of the Alps. Or the sumptuous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Franciacorta
The Franciacorta region is famous for the production of sparkling wine (Franciacorta DOCG). If you like wine, this is the perfect place for wine tasting and walking through the vineyards.
Where is Bergamo
Bergamo is in northern Italy, in the Lombardy region, about 40 kilometres northeast of Milan. It lies at the foot of the Alps in the transition area between the Po Valley and the beginning of the Bergamo Alps. North of Bergamo the Alpine ridges already rise up.
It lies practically between Lago d’Iseo (about 30 km east) and Lago di Como (about 40 km northwest). Lago di Garda is a little further away (about 90 km east).
How to get to Bergamo
Bergamo may be a small city, but its airport, Aeroporto di Bergamo-Orio al Serio (BGY), is a key transport hub in northern Italy and one of the busiest airports in the country. It specialises in low-cost flights and is one of Ryanair’s bases, so a lot of planes land here every day.
The airport is also super handy if you’re based in Milan. Most people getting off the plane head straight there, so don’t get swept away by the crowd if Bergamo is your goal. The town itself is compact, so you can see the important stuff and still enjoy some Italian goodies in a single day.
From the airport to the city centre
Bus 1 stops right outside the airport exit. There are of course also buses to Milan, which most people take, so don’t follow the crowd, bus 1 is just down the road. You can buy a ticket from the machine at the stop, where you can also pick a day ticket. That one is then valid for the cable car and other buses too. I walked the whole of Bergamo and only bought a single cable car ride plus the airport ride, which came out a few cents cheaper than a day ticket. But if you go there and back the same day, the day ticket is already worth it.
You can also buy a ticket on the bus, not from the driver, but from a green card machine. There you get a ticket for 90 minutes, for one zone or more zones. The one from the airport is for more zones.
The bus has several stops. The main ones are Porta Nuova, in the centre of the lower town, from where you can walk through and take the cable car up. But it also goes all the way up to Città Alta.
