Italy is filled with ancient towns and bustling cities offering charm, beauty, and entertainment. While the “big 5” cities in Italy (Naples, Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan) often get all the attention, exploring beyond these can give us a different viewpoint and a different pace of Italian life, while still delivering culture and history. Italy is a treasure trove of hidden gems waiting to be discovered, and one such gem is the beautiful city of Bergamo.
Easy to reach by train, bus or car from Milan and sitting just three miles away from the Orio al Serio Airport, visiting Bergamo offers a captivating blend of history, culture, and natural beauty.
Here’s how to visit this charming northern Italian city.
A tale of two cities: Città Alta and Città Bassa
Bergamo’s uniqueness lies in its dual identity, where two distinct areas, Città Alta (Upper Town) and Città Bassa (Lower Town), meet to create a city of remarkable contrast.
Travelers can move between the two parts of the city by walking up its winding Venetian walls, counting the steps up from the trails in the surrounding Parco dei Colli or by taking a short funicular ride up the hillside which has connected the two parts of the city for more than 120 years.
Città Alta: A journey through time
Built atop a hill rising from Bergamo city, Città Alta makes the Bergamo skyline, with its buildings and towers rising above the city’s imposing walls. The historic heart of Bergamo, Città Alta’s history as a medieval stronghold is still seen today in its narrow streets and four great gates leading into the city center.
Travelers can visit Bergamo’s Città Alta by walking up its winding roads (the city center is car-free) or taking a short funicular ride up the hillside. Today, the city offers artisan boutiques, fun eateries and great views.
What to see when in Città Alta and Città Bassa
Piazza Vecchia
One of the most iconic spots in Città Alta is Piazza Vecchia. Nicknamed “Bergamo’s living room,” Piazza Vecchia is a picturesque square surrounded by historic buildings such as Palazzo della Ragione and Palazzo Nuovo and marked by the 17th-century Contarini Fountain in the middle.
Rising above it all is the Campanone, or Civic Belltower, which has signaled 10 pm with 100 tolls for more than 360 years. Visitors can climb the 230 steps or simply take a lift to the top for panoramic views across Bergamo.
Directly across from Piazza Vecchia is the Palazzo Nuovo, or “new building”. It stands up to its name with modern architectural elements, especially by its bright white marble. Today, this building houses the 18th-century Angelo Mai Civic Library with approximately 600,000 volumes and more than 16,000 manuscripts among its stacks.
Piazza del Duomo
Pass through the arches of Palazzo della Ragione in Piazza Vecchia to visit Piazza del Duomo, Bergamo Alta’s religious center and home of the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica. Nestled among a maze of streets and a jumble of buildings, the Basilica is unique in that it doesn’t have a central entrance, but rather multiple entrances split between its two separate façades.
Construction on the Basilica began as a votive to the Virgin Mary from the citizens of Bergamo in the hopes that a long period of drought would end.
The Bergamo Cathedral (Cattedrale di Sant’Alessandro) is another architectural marvel in Città Alta. Attached to Palazzo della Ragione and located in Piazza Duomo, this massive church is not only a place of worship but an art gallery in its own right, with beautiful frescoes and artwork that tell stories of centuries gone by.
Stracciatella and more…
Bergamo Alta doesn’t end here. History enthusiasts can visit the Civic Museum of Bergamo to learn about the city’s past. Pay homage to the famous composer Gaetano Donizetti in his birthplace with a visit to the Donizetti Museum and catch the viewpoints from the city’s Venetian-era walls that are still perfectly preserved today.
But one thing is sure: a visit to Bergamo Alta is hardly complete without a stop at La Marianna, a restaurant and gelateria where the famous stracciatella gelato was invented, milk gelato with chunks of dark chocolate.
Città Bassa: Modern elegance
The historic charm of Città Alta gives way to a more modern elegance in Città Bassa. This is Bergamo proper, where most people live and work and the contemporary pulse of Bergamo beats.
Walk through the different boroughs to explore the restaurants, workshops, and shopping the city has to offer.
What to see in Città Bassa
Donizetti Theater
For culture enthusiasts, the Donizetti Theater is a cultural hub in Città Bassa.
Named after the renowned composer Gaetano Donizetti, this theater hosts opera, ballet, and classical music performances throughout the year, offering a glimpse into Bergamo’s thriving arts scene.
Accademia Carrara
Art lovers should not miss the Accademia Carrara, an art gallery housing works by famous Italian painters such as Raphael, Bellini, and Mantegna. The gallery has recently added a new piece to its collection by Mantegna, titled “The Resurrection of Christ.”
The painting sat in storage for nearly a century, overlooked as a copy. Tour the gallery for an insight into the artistic heritage that Bergamo has long hosted.
Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art
Those looking for something more contemporary can visit GAMEC. Bergamo’s Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art sits directly across from the Accademia Carrara in a restored 15th-century monastery.
Apart from its regular and rotating exhibitions, GAMEC also hosts workshops and events for adults and children and happy hours with music and art in the courtyard, so be sure to check out their website for specific dates and times.
Sant’Alessandro in Colonna
Take part in Bergamo lore with a visit to Sant’Alessandro in Colonna, a church dedicated to Bergamo’s patron saint. The church, located on a road of the same name, is believed to have been built on the site of the saint’s execution by the Romans.
A column in front of the church marks the exact spot where the saint was martyred, after refusing to renounce his Christianity.
Via Sentierone
Sentierone, a tree-lined promenade, is a focal point for both locals and visitors. Here, people gather to socialize, shop, and enjoy the daily passeggiata, a leisurely walk before dinner to see and be seen.
Go for the luxury boutiques and local coffee shops or simply stroll the beautiful street to get a true sense of community in the heart of Città Bassa.
What to eat while visiting Bergamo
When visiting Bergamo, turn to traditional favorites for a taste of the local life.
- Bergamo-style pizza: A local variation featuring a thicker, fluffy crust and topped with ingredients like stracchino cheese, is perfect for a quick bite.
- Or else accompany your happy hour with a cheese and meat plate with local favorites like: Taleggio, a soft cheese with a kick, branzi, a semi-soft cheese made in the mountains north of Bergamo, or a local salame, perhaps one made of sheep or goat.
- For something heartier, go for the polenta: Polenta taragna, made from buckwheat and typically mixed with butter and cheese, is the ultimate comfort food dish.
- The crown jewel of Bergamo’s culinary offerings is the Casoncelli, a sort of ravioli made with fresh egg pasta filled with meat, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and spices and served with melted butter, bacon, and sage.
- No Italian meal is complete without a glass of wine. Surrounded by vineyards, Bergamo is part of the Valcalepio wine region, known for producing excellent red and white wines that perfectly complement the local cuisine.
- Finally, try something unique for dessert with polenta e osei, or polenta and birds. A typical savory dish from Veneto, in Bergamo polenta e osei is a dessert. In this sweet treat, polenta covered in almond paste form small nests and chocolate shaped into small birds sit on top.
They say Bergamo is a city with two hearts and one soul. The perfect combination of characteristic Italian charm and modern elegance, a visit to Bergamo is incomplete without touring both Città Alta and Bassa and experiencing both sides of this unique city.
