Bergamo walking tour & city guide

Up to the Città Alta

The classic way to reach the upper town is the funicular from Viale Vittorio Emanuele, which climbs through gardens to the old market square. From there, Via Gombito and Via Colleoni, the main medieval street, are lined with shops, bakeries and palaces.

Piazza Vecchia is the heart of the upper town, with a fountain, the arcaded Palazzo della Ragione and the Campanone bell tower, which still rings 100 times every evening at 10 pm. Just behind it, the Colleoni Chapel and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore hide spectacular interiors.

Walls, viewpoints and the lower town

The 16th-century Venetian walls circle the upper town for about five kilometres, and the promenade along them offers wide views over the plain and, on clear days, to the Alps. A second funicular climbs further to San Vigilio, with a castle and a panoramic terrace.

Down in the Città Bassa, the grand Sentierone avenue and Via XX Settembre are the main shopping streets, and the Accademia Carrara holds one of Italy's finest art collections.

Visiting tips

Bergamo's Orio al Serio airport is just a few kilometres away, and trains reach Milan in about an hour. Many visitors arrive for a flight and leave wishing they had stayed longer. Lake Como and Lake Iseo are both within easy reach.