Hello from beautiful Bergamo!

I love visiting Bergamo, specially Città Alta (the upper city). It’s a charming medieval walled city full of winding roads and beautiful architecture. Despite how busy it can get during the weekend, it still feels quite peaceful.

Usually, to get to città alta we would take the funicular from Bergamo Città Bassa (lower city); but this weekend, as the queue for the funicular was so long, we decided to walk. If you plan on doing this, wear comfortable shoes! I thought my sandals would be fine but because of the material my foot kept sliding all over the place and I had to walk at a snails pace!! You see, città alta is on a hill and walking up, there are parts that are REALLY steep, BUT the views are worth it. It’s like something out of a movie.

I wouldn’t advise walking up to Città Alta in the middle of summer as it is way too hot, so definitely take the funicular; but during spring and autumn it’s perfect. Something that I absolutely love about this time of year in Italy, is that jasmine flowers are in full bloom and they smell incredible. Walking up to the old town they were everywhere and I think that’s what kept me going. Make sure to take breaks to take photos and stay hydrated!!

Our first stop was the Piazza Vecchia – the heart of Città Alta!

Here, you’ll find restaurants, café’s and some of the most important buildings in Bergamo.

If you walk to the back of Piazza Vecchia, past the arches you will find the beautiful Cappella Colleoni and right next to it the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, which is definitely worth visiting. The beautiful and ornate interiors of the basilica were designed by Lorenzo Lotto, mostly known for his perceptive portraits and mystical paintings of religious subjects.

To the left of the basilica is the Duomo, also known as the Cattedrale di Sant’Alessandro; and opposite the Duomo you will see the Battistero di Bergamo.

Make your way back to the funicular for Upper Bergamo and go up Sant’Eufemia hill, it’s a 6 – 7 minute walk from the Piazza Duomo up to the Rocca Fortress which has some amazing views. Best place to enjoy the sunset in my opinion.

Another great spot, not just for photos but for some great food is San Vigilio Hill. You can take the funicular up there and it only takes a few minutes.

Once you’re done in San Vigilio you can take the next funicular down to Città Alta and continue exploring the medieval town through its endless maze of cobblestone roads. Also, don’t miss the panoramic views from the Punto Panoramico di Colle Aperto, you can see the Orto Botànico from here as well as the mountains.

What to eat

There are so many brilliant little bakeries and café’s you really can’t go wrong.

The two things that you should try whilst you’re here are the Casoncelli Bergamaschi which are pasta filled with a mixture of bread crumbs, egg, parmesan, ground beef, salami or sausage. These are usually served in a butter and sage sauce and are quite a simple dish but full of flavour. You’ll find this at pretty much every restaurant. Another thing to try is the polenta cake which I found a bit too sweet for me but still nice. If you like marzipan you will love this.

Another dessert to try, is the stracciatella icecream from La Marianna, it is where it was first created and they continue to make it in the same way.

Getting around

The funicular is the best and quickest option but you can also take the bus, numbers 1 and 1A take you to upper Bergamo. From Bergamo airport, you can reach the city by taking the Airport bus.

Upper Bergamo as well as the centre of Lower Bergamo are limited traffic areas. On Sundays and public holidays car traffic is prohibited from 10am – 12pm and 2pm – 7pm. With daylight savings time, access is also banned Friday and Saturday from 9pm to 1am.

Information point – the office is on Via Gombito, 13. It is open from Monday to Thursday 9am – 1pm and 1:30pm to 5:30pm; and Friday to Sunday from 9am – 5:30pm.

Hope you enjoyed this post! Happy exploring!!