Bergamo

🌍Italy

Bergamo, Italy

In the Alpine foothills, just 50 km from Milan, Bergamo is the most striking city in Lombardy. Structured in two levels, the lower city is more modern and dynamic, whilst the famous ‘upper city’ boasts a stunning historic centre full of monuments and works of art. In the area around the city the Iseo Lake is well worth a visit, as is the sanctuary at Caravaggio and Crespi d’Adda – the most important company town in Italy, listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO.

Population:

120, 287 (2017)

Currency:

Euro, €1 = 100 cents

Emergency Numbers:

Universal Emergency Number: 112

Opening Hours:

Shops are usually open from 8.30 to 12.30 and from 15.30 to 19.30. Closed on Sunday and Monday mornings. Many shops in the upper town are open on Sundays and during the summer nights.

Newspapers:

L’Eco di Bergamo
Corriere della Sera
La Repubblica

The City

Bergamo is one of the richest and most elegant cities in Italy. The splendour of the city is in large part thanks to the domination of Venice, who ruled the city from the beginning of the 15th century until the end of the 18th century. The Venetians also constructed the city walls around the centre.

The upper city is easy to reach with the funicolar railway – and its main square – the Piazza Vecchia – hosts the most important religious and civic buildings as well as forming the focus for most of the main commercial and historic streets. Another funicolar railway – built in the beginning of the 20th century – leads up to the San Vigilio hill, from which you can enjoy a marvellous view of the city and the Lombard plain. The heart of the city lies in the less tourist lower town, where 18th- and 19th-century buildings are grouped in a semi-circle around the city’s hill.

Do & See

Bergamo is the perfect city to enjoy a nice weekend or a longer stay. Just walking around the city center and finding a nice café to enjoy a good cup of coffee is relaxing itself. If you however are interested in one of the many galleries, then Galleria d´Arte Moderna e Contemporanea and Accademia Carrara is worth paying a visit to. If you love culture, you have come to the right city!

Dining

Bergamo cuisine is extremely rich and with a high calorific value. Many dishes are meat based and you should at the very least try the “Casoncelli alla bergamasca” (homemade pasta parcels filled with beef meat, salami, amaretto biscuits and pears in a butter sauce) and polenta e brasato (braised beef with herbs). Typical cake - polenta e osei - is based on maize flour as well. The local Wine is the ValCalepio (DOC) produced in the surroundings of the Iseo Lake.

Cafes