Bergamo
Bergamo is a hilltop gem with a beautifully preserved medieval upper city (Città Alta) surrounded by Venetian walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its lower city offers modern amenities while the upper city transports visitors back in time.
Things to do
- Ride the funicular to Città Alta — The historic funicular runs regularly from the lower city and costs very little.
- Walk the Venetian Walls — The 16th-century walls offer sweeping views of the Po Valley below.
- Visit Piazza Vecchia — The main square of Città Alta is one of Italy's most elegant Renaissance spaces.
- Explore Accademia Carrara — One of Italy's finest art museums, with works by Raphael, Botticelli, and Mantegna.
- Visit Cappella Colleoni — An extravagant Renaissance funerary chapel with magnificent frescoes by Tiepolo.
Food to try
- Casoncelli alla Bergamasca — Stuffed pasta with sausage, raisins, and breadcrumbs in browned butter.
- Polenta e Osei — A sweet cake made to look like polenta with marzipan birds on top.
- Stracchino cheese — A soft, mild cow's milk cheese produced in the Bergamo valleys.
- Salame di Bergamo — Locally cured salami with a robust, slightly garlicky flavour.
Local customs & good to know
- Two cities, two moods — Città Alta is historic and calm; Città Bassa is modern and commercial — plan for both.
- UNESCO wall etiquette — The Venetian walls are used for walking; avoid cycling on the historic ramparts.
- Bergamasco dialect — Locals take pride in their distinct dialect; a few words like 'Cumé stit?' (How are you?) will delight them.