Visit Bergamo
(Why you should
do this trip)
Bergamo Italy


✍️ In less than 45 km from Milan - the city of fashion and top models, is located the city of Bergamo, a beautiful UNESCO's World Heritage Site, the walls of which link 6 cities, 3 regions and many nations.

Bergamo is divided into its modern city (or città bassa), which at its top is decorated with Cittadella, its medieval Upper Town (or else città alta) which undoubtedly deserves to visit at the first opportunity you'll find or at any occasion your life journey might lead you there.

◉ However, although most (or almost all the rest) travel sites show Bergamo as a MUST VISIT TOWN as well as an amazing tourist destination in Lombardy, my travel experience would never advise you to believe such an exaggeration and certainly - if you don't have many holiday days available to wander around Italy - don't spend all your vacation time on your trip there.

Two or three days along with the overnight stays in a good weather and reliable accommodation in Città Alta are pretty enough to live in the Bergamo's fairy tale without getting bored.


Lily's tips | Bergamo's reviews
Bergamo • Italy


Lily's tips:


• What can I see in Bergamo's (downtown) Città Bassa?

Città Bassa (downtown in Bergamo, is a modern, small Italian city with buildings, restaurants, parks, squares and fast paces will impress you with like anything else with its view of the Upper-Medieval walls of the city. But as long as you are in the lower town or Città Bassa or Lower Bergamo you can visit the following attractions:

✔ ACCADEMIA CARRARA - One of the most important Italian galleries and the only one that was created by the generous donations of many private collectors, managing to preserve numerous masterpieces over 200 years old, reaching the impressive number of 1,800 works of art.

✔ BORGO SAN LEONARD - The most cult side of the Bergamo's downtown lies at the crossroads of five major streets of the city at the Borgo San Leonardo - the worship area in Bergamo that stands as the perfect place to feel the everyday's vibe of life and of people from Bergamo and to enjoy a successful happy hour in one of its beautiful neighborhood cafe - restaurants

✔ BORGO SANTA CATERINA - The place where you will find the best boutique shops, cafes and restaurants in Bergamo and arguably its most beautifully dressed people day and night.

✔ GAMEC - Bergamo's contemporary art exhibition space.

✔ PALAZZO AGLIARDI - The visitable Italian palace dating from 500 AD

✔ TEATRO CREBERG - Creberg is the theater - jewel of the modern city of Bergamo with its 1526 seats and which recently replaced the Teatro Donizetti for all the theatrical performances taking place in Bergamo.

✔ ENTIERONE AND CENTRO PIACENTINIANO - The elegant center (also called Centro Piacentiniano) with its commercial pedestrian streets beautifully decorated with chestnuts, with its local market, with all the local people on their daily walks, the modern center where hits the pulse of the modern city of Bergamo.

In Piazza Dante you will luckily find a special artistic creation by Alberto Garutti, which is decorating this city's square on bright lights - every time a baby is born in the city's hospital - in order to welcome each new life!

And finally:

✔ The catholic churches of SAINTS BARTOLOMEO AND STEFANO - The church of St. Bartholomew and Stephen with its monumental facade and the artwork of the Venetian conductor Lorenzo Lotto, the church of ALESSANDRO DELLA CROCE, the baroque church of Saint SPIRITO - and the FORMER MONASTERY OF ASTINO an ancient monastery - recently renovated - with a rural oasis that protects organic farming and offers the opportunity for wonderful walks in the surrounding hills.

Bergamo • Città Alta

• What do I need to know before visitng the Città Alta in Bergamo?

Choose to visit Città Alta when it's a good weather or at least when it's not raining because its paved area can become a little slippery.
Don't put on heels or uncomfortable walking shoes, wear comfortable clothes and shoes so you can enjoy the walks in the narrow alleys and in the rest of the medieval city.

The Città Bassa cable car can be found in the heart of Città Alta. If you had taken earlier the bus, you won'tt have to pay an extra ticket for the cable car (this is the 1,50 euro coach fee).
After wandering at the Città Alta, it is worthing to climb a second funicular to the Castello di San Vigilio for panoramic views across the city.

If you visit Bergamo's Città Alta with your car, keep in mind of the available private parking for visitors (costs around 4 euros fot the first two hours) - you can't just park the car where ever you find a free space - local police might charge you a huge penalty for that.


• What I should see in Bergamo Città Alta (upper-old town)?

In the most beautiful part of Bergamo, in the smallest and oldest "city in the city" (more accurate might be "the city above the city") you'll probably leave a piece of your heart.
But you should get to know her first well in order to find out where to keep this piece of your heart safe, so that tourists of the weekend and of the Italian festivals on the area won't trample it down.

If you don't drive, you'll find local buses to take you to the upper city as well as a very economical cable car, which you can easily climb up.
So what are the main attractions or activities that are best suited to your best meet up with Bergamo's Alta Città?

✔ CORSAROLA - The main road in the heart of Upper Bergamo, full of historic art shops and lovely little restaurants, the road where time seems to have stopped long centuries ago!

✔ PIAZZA VECCHIA - It is the square that constitutes of the heart of the Upper Town (Città Alta) in Bergamo.
Stay in the middle of this historical square, close to its famous fountain or even better in one of its historical cafes and restaurants, close your eyes and you will immediately feel the presence of the history, from the time of Ancient Rome untill today.
From the same square you can admire the building called "Palazzo della Ragione", the oldest town hall building in Lombardy and the Torre Civica a bell tower also called "Campanone".

Bergamo Città Alta
Piazza Vecchia Bergamo

✔ SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE BASILICA - The church that is most loved by Bergamo's guests, with its Romantic rhythm and its distinctive Baroque interior, will surely impress you with one more special feature:
It has no central entrance but only two sidewalks, which are kept by four reds and white imposing marble lions.
It was first built by the inhabitants of the city in 1137 dedicated to the Virgin Mary in order to protect them from the plague that killed their fellow citizens, while in the same location, there were two other sacred temples (one of them idolatry).

Santa Maria Maggiore Basilic Bergamo

✔ BORGO CANALE - The most relaxing - with a panoramic view - area in the Upper Bergamo! Don't miss the amazing scenery from this incredible place (near which is the house where Gaetano Donizetti was born).

✔ CANNONIERA DI SAN GIOVANNI - Explore the heart of the enormous Venetian fortresses surrounding Città Alta.

✔ COLLEONI CHAPEL - A chapel, consisting of a collection of art and beauty, which lies in the heart of Alta Città. Every detail in this building will impress you with its incredible elegance, as for many visitors it is considered the most beautiful chapel in Bergamo.
A legend says that touching the coat of arms at the chapel's gate at midnight brings you good luck. Believe it or not, you can always use it as a very nice excuse to take another stroll to the beautiful Città Alta at night!

✔ PALAZZO MORONI and PALAZZO TERZI - The Moronies have always been lovers of art, reaching to the point where they fill their palace / house - which you can now visit - with the works of many famous painters, including Baschenis and Fra 'Galgario.

The old aristocratic mansion of the PALAZZO TERZI, with an amazing courtyard and views of the Italian countryside - among others - also hosted an excellent traveler: The german writer Hermann Hesse.

And finally:

✔ VENETIAN WALLS AND UNESCO - You could visit the enormous defense walls of Bergamo, which today are designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.


• Where to eat, what to eat and where to drink?

In the local Bergamo cuisine you will find a variety of Italian delicacies - from classic Italian pizza to more original, traditional recipes such as Casoncelli or the famous sweet Polenta.

Casoncelli is a dish of fresh pasta stuffed with meat, which the Italians first created along with their need to use the pieces of pork left over from other dishes.
Today, Casoncelli are also made with beef, while their filling has become more aristocratic and rich. Many times, however, you can find them served with a sweet filling of biscuits, lemon cream or seasonal sweet fruits.

Polenta is the local queen of the salty flavors of the region, while Polenta Osei is the local queen of the sweets - both in Lombardy and the rest of Italy.
The salty Polenta is made from a mixture of corn meal and buckwheat flour, which gives its characteristic brown color.
For a more creamy feeling, butter and casera cheese are added, which are typically Italian products that give dough density it's needs.

Sweet Polenta (Polenta Osei) was first created in 1910 by confectioner Alessio Amadeo and his wife and is considered by many people as an artwork for the palate still not by me, I won't write you lies about.
Outside it looks like it has corn flakes but it comes with a very sweet white cream or chocolate cream inside, its texture looks like a sponge which it is often sprinkled with sugar and I honestly can't find a reason of existance in something so spicy and so sweet while it is a deadly enemy for the health of your teeth and provides you calories you don't actually need.

But you should try one - it's the touristic treat of this region - and in case you are excited about its taste, please send me your opinion here about the how or why you liked it.

Sweet Polenta Osei

On sweets tastes Bergamo proposes you also the Torta del Donizetti (Turta del Donizet) an extra fattening cake with lots of eggs, powdered sugar, liqueur and fruit pieces - or a third of the taste of the homemade cakes that makes the average Greek Mom (Dear Bergamo, you disappointed us on your traditional sweets!).

So I suggest that you drown your hunger in the Gli Scarpinotti di Parre (Gli scarpinòcc de Par) the traditional fresh pasta stuffed with cheese, bread crumbs with spices, butter, garlic, chopped parsley, milk and eggs.
All of these materials help the dough become particularly soft and smooth, while the taste is often very good.
This dish, which comes from the traditional recipes of the popular cuisine, has enriched a lot and nowadays can be enjoyed in both small tortures and high-quality restaurants.

As for the places you can do well in Città Alta, try Pizzanto for Italian pizza (tasteful and in a good price). For great pizza and other Italian flavors (like an extremely well cooked rabbit) have lunch or dine at the Albergo Ristorante Il sole (Via Bartolomeo Colleoni 1) which offers affordable prices and a tasteful outdoor courtyard.

For more gourmet tastes, choose the restaurant Colleoni dell'Angelo Restaurant (in Piazza Vecchia 7 but a little expensive) as well as the Ristorante Lalimentari next door.

Your beer or a glass of wine will be served at La Birreria di Citta Alta (Via Gombito 1 / b), which usually stays open until late.

Street food in Bergamo


• Hotels and accommodation:

For a cheaper stay in Bergamo, try the hotels Albergo Il Sole (with the very good restaurant mentioned above) and the Palazzo Rivola in the center of Città Alta and if you want to try out the local luxury in the accommodation, book a room at the hotelHotel Relais San Lorenzo (Bergamo Alta) or at the Hotel Excelsior San Marco (Piazza della Repubblica, Città Bassa, 24126 Bergamo).



• Where exactly Bergamo is located and how can you visit it?;

Bergamo also has its own - nearby airport - the Orio al Serio just 5 km away and in which you can find cheap flights from Greece with Ryanair. From this airport you can get the local bus and reach the city center in less than 20 minutes.

If you decide to travel to Bergamo from Milan instead:

By car follow the A4 motorway (about 45 km away).
With a local bus, you will find regular routes every 30 minutes and your journey will last about (depending on the traffic you will find) 2 hours while with a train from Milan in a journey which lasts almost an hour until Bergamo's train station (from where you enjoy an easy access to the Città Alta) with one way ticket's prices being very affordable as it costs about 6 euros per person.
You can find quite frequent itineraries and tickets on this route to GoEuro.




• Summarizing Bergamo's trip:

Easy trip, either via Milan or directly from Greece, if you choose a low cost airline on this route (like Ryanair) and arriving at the airport Orio al Serio mentioned above.
Bergamo is a journey you can and you must do, especially in order to visit the medieval Città Alta but also to get to know this beautiful part of Italy called Lombardy and - why not - continue this trip with other beautiful cities nearby and destinations like, for example, the Lake Como.

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• Important note:

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♡ Thank you all for your trust and support!
💋 Kisses from the beautiful Bergamo in Italy!

_{Love Always}
Lily (WasHere)








More
photos
from Bergamo
Italy:


Bergamo Citta Alta

Bergamo Città Alta
Bergamo Città Alta
Άνω Πόλη στο Μπέργκαμο
Άνω Πόλη στο Μπέργκαμο

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