SMALL-TOWN GIRLS, MIDNIGHT TRAINS

— travel inspiration for small budgets and big dreams —

travel inspiration for small budgets and big dreams

Bergamo is located in the northern part of Italy, in the Lombardy region which also includes Milan and Lake Como. It used to be a part of La Serenissima — the Most Serene Republic of Venice — and the wall built by the Venetians around the city to defend it from invasions now divides Bergamo into the Città Alta, its historic center on the hills, and the more modern expansion into the plains below, the Città Bassa.

 

 

You arrive by train at the Città Bassa, which is only 50-ish minutes from Milan, but you can easily walk across the road from the train station and take Bus No. 1 to the old city. On the way up you’ll travel along the Viale delle Mura (literally, the avenue of the walls) from which you’ll have spectacular views of the city below.

 

 

From the Città Alta, a funicular ride will take you up to the castle of San Vigilio, the residence of Bergamo rulers of old. It’s a legit castle with towers, tunnels, and even a secret passage to another fortress in the area. The sweeping views at the top of the Castello di San Vigilio were key to the defense of the city in the past but nowadays the panorama is the major draw for visitors.

 

 

The funicular going up is located just behind the stone arches of Colle Aperto, which in turn is accessible by the same Bus No. 1 that stops at the train station down in the Città Bassa. You can purchase a 24-hour transpo pass for 5 euros or a 72-hour pass for 7 euros — these will work on both the bus and the funicular, and even on the bus going to/from Bergamo’s Orio Al Serio (Il Caravaggio) Airport.

 

 

Straight up, one of the best things about Bergamo? The lack of crowds. Of course, it was winter when we were there, hardly peak season, but even so, it was a stark contrast to the scenes we encountered outside the Duomo in Milan, where we stopped by before heading to Bergamo. When you can’t move around freely because you’re trying not to photobomb anyone’s Insta-poses…that gets old pretty fast. In Bergamo, although there were definitely tourists, you get the sense they were there to see Bergamo, not to be seen in Bergamo. And an environment like that makes a world of difference in the way you are able to appreciate a place.

 

 

Probably the most photographed building in Bergamo is this one: the Cappella Colleoni. The Colleoni were one of the most prominent families in medieval Bergamo and Bartolomeo Colleoni one of the most important condottieres (or mercenary leaders) of the age. If you’ve been to Venice, you might have seen the statue of him there, riding his horse, as he was one of La Serenissima’s most valued captain-generals. However, his remains (and that of his beloved daughter Medea) lie back home in Bergamo, inside this beautiful chapel.

 

 

(Fun fact: the family name Colleoni is said to have come from the Latin word coleus, which means testicle, and the family’s coat of arms used to feature two pairs of white testicles on a red field above one pair of red testicles on a white field. Bartolomeo, therefore, in every sort of way, had balls.)

 

 

Another important landmark in Bergamo: the Piazza Vecchia. It is said that Le Corbusier adored the piazza so much, he called it the most beautiful square in Italy (or the world, depending on your source). Of Bergamo itself, he declared, “you can’t move a single stone, it would be a crime.” And while the Most Anything of Anything is always up for debate, what’s undeniable is that the Piazza Vecchia, the heart of Bergamo’s Città Alta, is a pocket of old-town Italian charm ringed by beautiful architecture. You can sit in the sunshine, eat gelato, and people-watch as locals and visitors alike drift through the arches of the Palazzo della Ragione. Or you could stay till 10 PM and listen to the Campanone, the bell tower looming over the piazza, ring 100 times to signal the closure of the city gates, a tradition dating back to the Venetian days. Personally, one of my favorite memories of Bergamo is the hour we spent just hanging out between the columns of the Palazzo Nuovo, waiting for the Cathedral across the square to open, thinking, “Ahhh, now THIS is a vacation.”

 

 

Speaking of the Palazzo Nuovo: it’s the beautiful building that forms the northern border of the Piazza Vecchia, serving as Bergamo’s Town Hall for 300 years. It now houses the Biblioteca Civica Angelo Mai, one of Italy’s most important libraries. It’s also not a bad place to soak in the winter sun while people-watching at the piazza.

 

 

As beautiful as Bergamo was, I don’t think it would have been as special for us if we hadn’t had the perfect place to call home while were there.

 

 

We were so lucky we found this bed and breakfast in Citta Alta. It was gorgeous — even more beautiful than its marketing photos, if you can believe it — and perfectly located a short walk away from Colle Aperto and the funicular going to Castello di San Vigilio. A narrow stone-walled alley leads to a private entrance and, outside the room, a private hillside garden overlooks Bergamo town.

 

 

There’s a microwave, a generously stocked fridge, and a Nespresso machine. The free breakfast includes freshly baked croissants personally delivered each morning by our host’s sister.

 

 

Most of all, the warmth and kindness showered on us by our gracious host and his family made us feel safe, welcome, and at home. I could not say enough good things about this B&B and would stay here again in a heartbeat, if I am ever lucky enough to find myself back in Bergamo.

 

* I’m using my phone to post this — my first time — so if anything looks funky, I’ll fix it in the morning. ^_^

12 Responses

  1. Bergamo Alta feels so different from the entire plain between there and Brescia (and Milan). Factories upon factories, the true heartland of Italy’s GDP. By the way, Bergamo is also home to some of the best builders in Europe; they construct skyscrapers, bridges and dams almost everywhere, from Dubai to Dushanbe… and they have the most impenetrable, profanities-ridden dialect e-v-e-r. My granny usually forbade me from listening to the builders lest I learned about 30 ways of mixing deities with farm animals. Zootheologisms, a friend called them.

    1. Now that you mention it, I remember being surprised on the train that we were approaching Bergamo station, because the area the train was passing through had an unexpectedly industrial feel. Did you listen to your grandmother or did it make you more curious?

  2. First I have to say stunning photos! You really captured the feel of the town and I’d love to go there. Heck I’d love to go back to just about anywhere in Italy, but Bergamo looks really special. I love the feeling of the whole post imagining what a special sweet time you had there.
    Welcome back Gaia! It’s been a while.
    Alison

    1. Hi Alison!

      First of all, let me apologize for taking four(!) months to reply. These days, I just pop into WordPress and then log back out, and I’ve only just had the chance to really sit down to respond to comments. Bergamo really was cool, although I know what you mean about practically all of Italy being worth a revisit. Anyway, I’m off to catch up on yours and everyone else’s blogs but I just wanted to say real quick that I hope all is well with you.

      Gaya

  3. Primarily this website and the tips it offered helped us achieved of getting a an Italian visa and we travelled to Rome, Florence and Zurich two years ago, was an amazing experience. Thank you so much Gaya and btw you write so well and you cover your every trip with wonderful and vivid descriptions of the cities. Well done.

    1. Thank you so much Sir Allan for taking the time to write and for your kind words! I’m glad you all had a wonderful trip and I’m happy to have helped in a small way. All the best to you and your family po!

    1. Hi, Alex! It’s been so crazy and weird and busy lately. But I’m okay — staying in because my son and I live with my parents who are both over 60 so we’re trying to keep the risks to a minimum. Thanks so much for checking. I hope you and the boys are doing well, too. We were planning to go thereabouts last month but then obviously the coronavirus happened. Sending you and the boys love from the Philippines. Stay safe and happy and well. <3

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