Bergamo, Italy, Day Trip

- December 05, 2015

Bergamo ("Bare-ga-mo") is a hilltop medieval town (from 49 BC) that makes a wonderful day trip from Milan. This town has plenty of old buildings along its small cobblestone streets to see. My friends and I took the train from Milano Centrale to reach the town in about 50 minutes. The walk from the train station takes about 20 minutes to reach Upper (Alto) Bergamo. We went on a Sunday in October so the town was fairly crowded. I recommend going on a weekday when the locals aren't visiting. The walk from the train station in Lower (Bassa) Bergamo is unique because it offers more contemporary architecture such as the twin statues below. But as you walk along the main street to reach Upper Bergamo, the architecture becomes more reminiscent of the old town.

Along the main walk in Lower (Bassa) Bergamo, the newer section of town.

As you walk along the main street in lower Bergamo...

Walking along the straight Lower Bergamo street to reach the Upper Bergamo old area.

Who put the FUN in Funiculare? This one takes you to the top of the hill to old Upper Bergamo. There are also lovely old stone steps and pathways to reach the top if one desires the scenic route. The Funiculare costs 5 Euros for a round trip ticket. Purchase a ticket along the way in the lower town at pharmacies or stores.

Once you reach Upper Bergamo's main piazza, you'll see how how fun it can be even though it's bustling with many people.

The main piazza in Upper Bergamo

The Cathedral near the main piazza

Venture out to walk along the cobblestone streets and you don't see so many people. There are some great hidden restaurants on these streets also.

We found our way on this narrow street and to a most unique restaurant, La Tana. The owner allowed us to dine without reservations. As we soon learned, this is a very popular restaurant with the locals.