Bergamo – sights in the old town

From Cremona to Domodossola to Verona, northern Italian cities are well represented here on the blog. And yet I haven’t visited all the exciting sites on the Gotthard and Simplon Passes. I had put a short trip to Bergamo on my travel idea list a long time ago, but somehow something else always got in the way. The wait was worth it – in the meantime, Unesco has also become aware of the magnificent Venetian city walls and has included them in the list of Unesco World Heritage Sites this year. So it’s high time to get down to business.

Travelled – Zurich-Bergamo uncomplicated

One reason why Bergamo caught my eye as a possible weekend destination a long time ago is the easy accessibility from Zurich by public transport. With the fastest connections, the journey takes just 4.5 hours with a single change in Monza. So if you get on the train at noon on Friday, you can toast the weekend with an aperitivo in Piazza Vecchia. Things didn’t go quite so smoothly for us, because we stupidly waited on the wrong side of the road for bus line no. 1A, which serves the route train station – Città Alta. A good thirty minutes passed before we realized our mistake and realized that the bus stops right at the first bus stop in front of the station building. If you get it right from the start, you don’t have to wait long. The bus runs every 10 to 15 minutes.

Done in Bergamo – Dolcefarniente and sights

Climb viewpoints |

We are magically attracted to the viewpoints every time. This is also the case in Bergamo. First of all, we let ourselves be transported up to the former castle hill of the city with the Funicolare San Vigilio. All that remains of the castle itself are ruins. But if you stand at the top of the hill, you can understand why the previous rulers chose this place: The view over the Città Alta and the surrounding area is great! The walk back to the old town streets takes less than 15 minutes and is a nice walk. If the 1.30 euros for the funicular seem too expensive for you, you can of course also march uphill.

A second – worthwhile – viewpoint is located in the middle of the old town. The Torre Civica, on the edge of Piazza Vecchia, is home to the largest bell in Lombardy. And just above it is the bird’s-eye view over the winding streets of Bergamo. The entrance fee is 5 euros and included in the ticket is the entrance to the surprisingly interestingly designed Museum Storico dell’Età Veneta.

Stroll through the alleys of the old town |

After we have got a bird’s-eye view of the situation, we are drawn down into the maze of alleys. To be honest, we walked up and down Via Bartolomeo Colleoni 100 times this weekend and marveled at the expansive shop window decorations and looked into exciting little shops. Of course, a look inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is also a must – what a magnificent church! By the way, it could well be that you feel like shopping while roaming around.

Explore the Venetian ramparts |

The imposing Venetian fortress walls were somewhat neglected during our visit. The weather wasn’t exactly that bad. But it is certainly wonderful to overlook the lower town from the city gates in the golden evening light or to walk along the fortress walls.

Looking at art |

After a short stop at the imposing Porta San Giacomo, formerly the gateway for all those who traveled to Bergamo from the Milan area, we are drawn back inside. Visiting the Accademia Carrara is a good bad weather option. With an impressive collection, the Accademia is one of Italy’s most important art galleries (admission 10 euros for adults).

Eaten – Bergamo for foodies

Bar Flora | Aperitivo with style

We ended up directly in Bar Flora on the first evening and stayed loyal to the nice little bar on the edge of Piazza Vecchia on the second evening. By the way, the friend recommends the – strong – Negroni.

Ristorante Hosteria | dine between historic walls

Note July 2021: the restaurant Hosteria is unfortunately closed.

On the first evening we spontaneously got a table in the restaurant Hosteria, which belongs to the Relais San Lorenzo. We were convinced by the ambience (the restaurant is placed between the excavations of old city wall fragments), the very attentive service and the fine selection of vegetarian dishes. I’m not a vegetarian – but I didn’t order a meat dish that evening because of the delicious options (like beetroot tartare).

Ristorante DaMimmo Regional Cost

If you’re in the mood for regional fare, you’ll find a selection of typical Bergamo dishes at Ristorante DaMimmo (centrally located on the “main street” of the Citta Alta). My tip: try the homemade Smaiassa Glacé, which reminded me of Farina Bona products that I know from Valle Onsernone.

Ristorante Casual | Fine Dining

For Saturday evening we chose a special restaurant. I reserved a table at the Ristorante Casual, which has been awarded a Michelin star. Chef Enrico Bartolini runs a total of three Michelin-starred restaurants (the one in Milan has three stars). The cheapest tasting menu with four courses costs 45 euros (which I think is an absolutely phenomenal price). We opted for the 7-course menu with wine accompaniment (150 euros per person) and let ourselves be surprised. And while at the amuse bouche I casually said: “as long as there are no frog legs or snails, I’ll eat everything”. After all, we were actually served snails as an intermediate course. They tasted surprisingly good, but my head didn’t quite keep up. Otherwise, a great evening including an exciting foray into the world of autochthonous Italian grape varieties.

Restaurant tips for the Città Bassa |

Shortly before the journey home, we took a short walk in the pouring rain through the old town alleys of the lower town, which also has a beautiful pedestrian zone on offer. Unfortunately, our plan didn’t work out in terms of culinary delights. We happily headed for the Trattoria Camozzi (just outside the city center) to find out that the restaurant was already fully booked for Sunday lunchtime. Good for you, because we can now confirm that the trattoria is a real tip among locals, and that you should definitely make a reservation in advance! Somewhat saddened, we made do with espresso and dolce at l’Art Caffe Torrefazione instead. Not a bad choice either – there is not only good coffee here, but also a secluded courtyard.

Slept – our hotel tip for Bergamo

Note July 2021: the Relais San Lorenzo is unfortunately closed.

We stayed at the Relais San Lorenzo in the middle of the Città Alta of Bergamo. I had already discovered the stylish 5-star city hotel a long time ago and kept it in mind for a possible trip to Bergamo. For two nights in the “Superior Room” room category, we paid 486 euros including breakfast from Friday to Sunday. The room rate also includes a free hour in the hotel’s spa. This is relatively small and can therefore only be visited by appointment (there are a maximum of four people in it). But we didn’t have the time to try it out. The breakfast buffet is not sumptuous, but freshly prepared ice cream dishes are offered on request at no extra cost. We can recommend the hotel to anyone who wants to combine their weekend trip to Bergamo with a touch of luxury.