A two-day itinerary from the upper to the lower part of Bergamo to explore the city.
Before we start: berghem de sura or berghem de sota? Literally upper Bergamo or Lower Bergamo? This is the question that every Bergamask has heard at some point in their lives, and do you know why? Because the city of Bergamo is divided into two parts: Città Alta, the upper part of the city and historic center surrounded by the Venetian walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Città Bassa, the modern city’s heart.
Bergamo is an ideal weekend getaway destination due to its proximity to the Orio al Serio International Airport (also known as the Caravaggio International Airport and the third busiest airport in Italy, after Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa). The Airport Bus connects the airport with the city, and runs every 20 minutes every day, 7/7. It allows you to head directly to Città Alta and/or stop in Città Bassa or at the Funicular and reach the upper part with this historic vehicle (120 years in operation!) and enjoy the scenery on the way up.
If you have never been there, grab a map and follow the itinerary we've created to explore our city in two days, a weekend dedicated to the two souls of Bergamo, Upper Town and Lower Town.
Day 1: Astino Valley and then off to Città Alta and San Vigilio
Welcome to Astino Valley, a stone's throw from Bergamo's hills. This is our home, the city's green lung, with multiple pedestrian and cycling pathways for excursions suitable for everyone, that allow you to reach various parts of the city, including the historic center of Upper Town.
We encourage you to walk directly from the B&B to the Monastery of Astino (1 km away), founded in 1107 by Vallombrosian monks. Then continue on Via Astino up to the fountain at the intersection with Via Lavanderio, and beyond the residential area you will arrive in Via Sudorno, straight along the main street you will get to Città Alta, or you can continue through the Scorlazzone stairs and arrive in San Vigilio, the highest part with its star-shaped castle, imposing towers, and mysterious underground passages. It is a captivating location with a breathtaking view of the city, nearby villages, hills, the Bergamasque Alps, and beyond the horizon.
You can eat lunch in San Vigilio, otherwise we recommend taking the funicular down to Città Alta, passing through Porta Sant'Alessandro, and going for lunch at Trattoria Parietti (850m from the funicular arrival point), a restaurant with over 40 years of history, a family atmosphere, and traditional flavors. We recommend a typical menu to discover the gastronomy of Bergamo, from the traditional cured meats (salame, pancetta just to name a couple) as an appetizer, to the must-have casoncelli as a first course. And how about rabbit alla bergamasca with polenta taragna as a second course? All accompanied by Valcalepio DOC wine, exclusively produced in the province in the hilly area north-west of the city, which is bordered on the north by the Bergamasque Alps, on the east by Lake Iseo, and on the west by Mount Canto.
After lunch, on your way to Bergamo's historical center, you'll come across La Marianna, a historic pastry shop where the taste of Stracciatella originated. It's a must-try!
Once inside the Cittadella, there are two museums for enthusiasts to visit: the Archaeological Museum and the Civic Museum of Natural Sciences, where the famous mammoth greets the visitors!
The tour continues past the Citadel square and walking along the Corsarola, the main street, and through the ancient streets that still preserve their medieval charm, to Piazza Vecchia, the Upper Town's heart.
The city's most beautiful square, surrounded by ancient municipal buildings such as Palazzo della Ragione and its sundial, Palazzo Nuovo, and the Campanone tower: the big bell on top of the civic tower still rings 100 chimes every evening at 10 p.m., in memory of a time when these sounds were used to warn residents of the gates closing.
Beyond Piazza Vecchia, there's Piazza del Duomo, where you can be enchanted by the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a Romanesque gem, as well as the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Colleoni Chapel, all in true Renaissance style.
Do you know about the Colleoni Chapel's superstitious ritual? Rubbing the coat of arms on the gate depicting the "attributes" of the leader Bartolomeo Colleoni is said to bring good luck!
Continue past the Basilica and through the medieval alleys until you reach the Venetian walls and the magnificent Porta San Giacomo. The scenery will take your breath away, and the route will take you to the lower town where you can take a bus to get back.
Otherwise, return to Piazza Vecchia, walk along the Corsarola and take the funicular to the city's popular heart, where you can get off or you can walk back to the B&B the way you came. (Ask us for advice if you want to go to the Upper Town from the B&B and back; there are several alternative routes and stairs to take).
Day 2: Bergamo and its lower town
It is known as the new part of the city, and even if it is not as famous as its historical alter ego in the upper part, there are many places to visit that will win you over.
With its opening in 1857, the train station serves as the modern-day gateway to Bergamo. Its ancient fountain, which dates from 1912, is in the middle of the square. Bergamo is connected to Milan and other major cities in Lombardy by train; directly across the street is a bus station with connections to and from the entire province. A little further on you'll find the headquarters of the city newspaper, l'Eco di Bergamo, on one side of the street and Piazzale degli Alpini on the other: you're walking along Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII, the central avenue of the city, with the city center and Città Alta in front of you.
The Chiesa delle Grazie, with its round shape recalling Rome's Pantheon, is one of lower Bergamo's most important churches. The current structure, which replaced an ancient convent, dates from the mid-nineteenth century. In front of the Chiesa delle Grazie, there is Largo Porta Nuova and two of the most distinctive architectural elements of Lower Bergamo, the Propilei, built in 1837 to welcome Ferdinand I of Austria. Overlooking Porta Nuova are the Palazzo del Credito Bergamasco, the bronze statue "Anima Mundi" by Ugo Riva and the Zuccheriera, a fountain dating back to the 1930s.
Beyond the Propilei, you will find the "Partisan Monument" created by the famous sculptor Giacomo Manzù and the Centro Piacentiniano, a center designed to be the core of the city and which now hosts Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the Sentierone and Piazza Dante. The Donizetti Theater, dedicated to the famous composer from Bergamo, overlooks the Sentierone. Behind the Centro Piacentiniano there is Piazza della Libertà and continuing north-east you will come across the historic Palazzo delle Poste e dei Telegrafi di Bergamo.
Lower Bergamo has its museums, including the Accademia Carrara, an amazing picture gallery in Via San Tommaso that houses paintings by Botticelli, Raffaello, Mantegna, Bellini, Moroni, Lotto, Tiziano, Tiepolo, Canaletto, Hayez and others. GAMEC is the gallery of Modern Art.
Via Pignolo and Via Tasso are two pedestrian streets in the city's ancient suburbs that serve as one of the city's main connections between the lower and upper parts. In the small Church of San Bernardino in Pignolo you can admire the altar-piece "Pala di S. Bernardino" by Lorenzo Lotto (1571).
The Torre dei Caduti is a prominent element in the lower town, inaugurated in 1924 by Mussolini and housing a shrine to the fallen of World War I. You can see the city skyline from above if you climb to the top of the tower.
Palazzo Frizzoni is a neoclassical palace, the current location of the Town Hall of Bergamo and is at the beginning of Via XX Settembre, a pedestrian street full of boutiques and stores which, along with Via Sant'Alessandro and Via Sant'Orsola, forms the fashion triangle in Bergamo. The Church of Santa Lucia, located on Via XX Settembre, houses the Saint's statue, to which children bring their letters in preparation for Christmas on December 13. Via XX Settembre ends in the magnificent Piazza Pontida, where in ancient times the fruit and vegetable market was held and where in 1848 Giuseppe Mazzini persuaded the people of Bergamo to rise up against Austrian dominance from the balcony of one of the buildings surrounding the square.
And what about the nightlife? Via XX Settembre, Sentierone, and Piazza Pontida are ideal for happy hours with colorful cocktails and vibrant buffets, as well as traditional dinners. The night out can then be spent in Borgo Santa Caterina, a delightful and bustling old district of the city.
What are you waiting for? Bergamo is ready to be discovered; a weekend is a short but intense stay to explore the history of the palaces, the medieval streets and the mighty walls of the Upper City, the modernism and vibrancy of the Lower City and its monuments.
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