Bergamo Alta Location Guide

Bergamo alta (Upper town) is a medieval town in the Lombardy region of Italy where you can happily spend a weekend strolling through its narrow streets surrounded by its magnificent architecture including its ancient buttresses.

Take the time to stop and enjoy a pastry from one of the cake shops you can find on every corner as you relax in this quiet and beautiful getaway.

Top Ten Things to See and Do
Ride the funicular from the città bassa to the città alta.
Visit the Baroque style Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.
Visit the Piazza Vecchia with its Romanesque, Renaissance, and Neoclassical styles.
See the bell tower, the marble library and the Palazzo della Ragione.
Walk at the Rocca Fort for beautiful views of Lombardy.
Visit the Donizetti Museum.
Enjoy the Accademia Carrara with works by Botticelli, Raphael, Donatello and Pisanello.
Browse the contemporary works in the Galleria d’Arte Moderna.
Go skiing at the resorts of Foppolo, Carona, and San Simone.
Walk the streets of the old town

Events
September to November: Opera Season
Annual opera season held to celebrate the famous composer Gaetano Donizetti and his contemporaries. Donizzeti is one of Bergamo’ most famous sons and his body is buried here in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore.
November to April: Drama Season
Yearly drama staged at the Donizetti Theatre.
March: Film Season
Bergamo Film Meeting - The annual film festival
August – September: Classical Music Season
Tempo Barocco. An annual musical festival dedicated to classical music.

Food and Drink
Polenta e Osei: Don’t be fooled by its name as this polenta is not real polenta! That’s right.
Polenta e Osei (literally polenta and bird) is made to look and feel like polenta (corn meal) but in reality it is a sweet treat made of pan di spagna (yellow cake) covered by a yellow fondant rolled with big sugar crystals and filled with creamy hazelnut.
A marzipan bird sits on top of the little cakes as a reminder that this is not your regular polenta but a special one that is not likely to be served with sausages.

Spotlight on Caffè Balzer
The whole town of Bergamo is worth highlighting but I suggest that after enjoying a fantastic walk and admired the fabulous art and architecture, you should stop for a coffee break. Bergamo has many old coffee houses, the most famous of which is the Caffe Balzer which opened in 1936. Known as the ‘Drawing Room of Bergamo’ it has been voted one of Italy’s Top 20 cafes. Drink your coffee here and feel a part of history.

How to get there
By Plane: The Orio al Serio international airport is located in Bergamo. Most low-cost airlines flying to Milan actually land here. Take ATB No 1 bus to the city or pay more and take a cab.
By train: This is the fastest and easiest way to get to Bergamo. Trains connect Bergamo with Milan, Lecco, Brescia, Verona and Venice on a regular basis. Milan is only 30 minutes away.
By car: Bergamo is located off the motorway A4 Milano-Venezia. This particular autostrada carries a lot of trucks and has a lot of traffic often, plan accordingly.
By bus: There are regular buses between Milan and Bergamo, visit http://www.autostradale.it/ to find out more.