Bergamo, Italy

Bergamo is probably most famous as the city with one of Milan's nearest airports. Which is sad, because it has much more to offer than that. On the other hand, it was our flight to "Milan" that brought us here and we are extremely thankful for that! Unprepared, but adventurous, we decided to take the bus from the airport to Bergamo and less than half an hour later we were taking a walk in this beautiful diverse city in Northern Italy.


The tour:

Admittedly, Città Alta (the Upper City) is the most interesting, most touristic and most beautiful part of Bergamo we could visit. However, I would still recommend you to get off the bus at one of the earlier stations - for example at the main station, and stroll around the streets of the pleasant modern city of Bergamo. Walking towards the funicular (Funicolare Città Alta) you can enjoy the view of the Upper City  towering above the lower one.

The ride with the funicular is short, cheap, quick and exciting, so don't miss it! ;) Once you are up there, you can dive into the romantic atmosphere of the historic city.

Our walk began at Rocca di Bergamo: a fortress encircling a charming park with a fantastic view over the modern city. Since our visit was in late spring, we could enjoy some recreational minutes beneath huge conifers, breath in the refreshing air and take a couple of close-ups.

Even though I am a photographer more fascinated by details than by panoramas, I have to admit that taking some time to observe the view beneath the fortress walls is worth it. You can see a great part of the Lower City and the mountains of the Lombardy surrounding the Po Valley. Walk around the park and find the window of trees that frames another beautiful view - the center of Città Alta with its multiple campaniles, the red brick roofs and of course the Doumo.

Going back to the city, we took the Via Gombito - a very touristic street with lots of cafés, restaurants and shops, but still maintaining the idyllic atmosphere of a small Italian city. When you reach Piazza Vecchia, you will know that this is the center of Bergamo - it is relatively big, loud and crowded, but also very sunny, beautiful and welcoming you to sit on the ground, feed or photograph the doves and study the surroundings.

The next stop hides right behind the Piazza Vecchia - Doumo di Bergamo, the beautiful catholic cathedral and Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, the stunning basilica right next to it. Most fascinating part of the basilica for us was the Cappella Colleoni - you are not allowed to take any photos inside, and they are serious about it - there is always a guard keeping an eye on you, your hands and of course your flash. Do not rush into the Duomo right away, take your time to examine the marble façade and the statues from different angles as I did.

After trying out the sunglasses photo (I know you will :P), you can go inside the cathedral and spend some time there. I concentrated on the details of course, but maybe you can show me something else I missed?

Tired of sightseeing, reading about history and admiring Renaissance architecture? Then you need something delicious! Italian cuisine has lots of incredible specialties to offer, but there are two dishes for the ones among us with a sweet tooth that are extremely typical for Bergamo. The first one is Polenta Osei - a sponge cake with rum, covered with bright yellow marzipan and sprinkled with sugar. If you are visiting on a hot day, you will probably prefer the cold treat Bergamo has to offer - the original Stracciatella ice-cream! No kidding, Bergamo is the city where this ice-cream flavor was invented, and the Pasticceria is called La Marianna.

To complete this tour you don't need more than a half day, so next time you are flying to Milan, consider visiting beautiful Bergamo too!