I searched here on Connect for some pot regarding my hometown Bergamo but I found only a little information. As a good local guide I then decided to write a post that will be useful to those who intend to visit it or do not know it at all.
Usually in the tourist destinations of northern Italy there are important cities such as Turin, Milan, Venice but there are many smaller and less famous cities that would be worth knowing a little better. Today I would like to introduce you to Bergamo, my hometown, which has a medieval heart enclosed within Venetian walls declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.
Bergamo is a rather small city whose historic center of considerable size develops on a fortified hill. Bergamo in history has always been a small bulwark that has found itself under the influence of various populations and kingdoms. The city as we see it today, however, owes its characteristics to the influence of the Republic of Venice in fact the city walls, a UNESCO heritage site, were reinforced and fortified by the Venetians around 1430. Then the control of the city passed to the Austrians with the reign Lombardo-Veneto which made the territory of Bergamo very rich thanks to the foundation of textile industries that have been and still are the flower to the eye of the territory.
The link with Venezia is clear…in many places you can spot the San Marco Lion, especially on the fortified walls and on the historical entrances.
But I don’t want to bore you with history! But I would like to show you some glimpses of Bergamo to encourage you, if one day you will be in the area, to visit it.
The people who live in Europe have probably already heard of Bergamo and if they traveled to Italy probably in Bergamo it was because what was a very small airport has now become one of the main hubs of the Ryanair company that offers affordable rates and connects the airport “Il Caravaggio” with many other European and North African cities.
From Bergamo airport in less than an hour you can get to the center of Milan so tourists often use it as a landing place.
From the airport you can reach the medieval heart of the city directly with bus number 1 or you can choose to get to the train station, which is located in the lower part of the city, and go up on foot or by funicular.
The lower part of the city does not offer much to visit if not some street that winds in the center where you can take a walk and some shopping or have dinner in a good restaurant. The real tourist heart of the city is in the hills and can be reached by public transport or on foot. There are in fact many passages that lead from the lower city to the upper city on foot, each offering different views of the mountains behind Bergamo (the pre-Alps) or on the plain that extends to the south.
My advice is to walk to the upper town and enter as in the Middle Ages the inhabitants did for the Porta di San Giacomo. The path is not difficult and is suitable for all types of physical preparation but keep in mind that it is always a question of walking uphill with the presence of steps. If you cannot tackle the route, it is better to get on with one of the many buses that very often take people to the upper town.
When you arrive you can visit the historic center with the fantastic Piazza Vecchia (old square) surrounded by a concentration of buildings of historical / architectural value such as the civic tower called by the Bergamo “Il campanone” (which means the huge bell), the cathedral of Sant’Alessandro and the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. At the center of the square stands the Contarini fountain.
For the rest, the medieval city is divided into many alleys that are connected to each other but where you can take a walk in history discovering different views every time.
Not far from the main square stands the fortress of Bergamo, the last defensive and almost impregnable bulwark of the fortified city. Today the fortress is the seat of an interesting museum on the history of the city and houses a park where you can walk surrounded by monuments dedicated to the various divisions of the Italian armed forces.
Bergamo is not very large so it is possible to visit it in one day by organizing a transfer also from the nearby cities well connected by train (about an hour from the central station of Milan).
You can also discover the culinary delights of Bergamo which, like practically all the rest of Italy, has real delicacies and can satisfy all tastes. In the upper town you will find typical restaurants where you can try a tasting menu with which to learn about traditional dishes and savor the dozens of varieties of cheeses produced in this area. Even wine and grappas are an important part of tradition but be careful not to overdo it!
If you are not a restaurant type, I recommend an excellent pub called Tucan’s Pub which is located right in the square where the funicular arrives. This is an Irish-style place and it will seem strange to hear it from an italian guy but the atmosphere is really good, the beers are served to perfection and you can taste excellent pub food without spending much. In addition, the restaurant is housed in a very old building and, especially on the lower floor, you can have the feeling of having made a jump back a few centuries!
If, on the other hand, you are a street food lover, you will find many shops in the main street that offer pizzas, focaccias and sandwiches stuffed with Bergamo’s cured meats. There is also a place with only places outside that offers street food polenta: the idea was born from some guys who tried to open this place by offering a quick way to eat a plate of polenta without having to sit in a restaurant. The name is PolenOne. It has been so successful that they have also opened in other cities not only in Italy! In this restaurant it is possible to order polenta and choose its dressing from a long list of sauces and ingredients.
If you want to take a bit of Bergamo home you can also buy the traditional first course of Bergamo from one of the pasta factories in the upper town: the casoncelli that are egg pasta stuffed with a filling of meat and cheese that is usually served seasoned with butter and toasted sage.
Finally, do not miss the typical dessert of Bergamo: polenta and osei (polenta and birds) which is the sweet reinterpretation of an ancient dish. You will find cakes of all sizes from single portions to giant ones. Since it is a very sweet dish I recommend you before tasting a single portion. Every pastry shop in Bergamo displays this traditional cake in the showcase!
After the dessert italian are used to have a good espresso coffee. If this is also your idea this is my last tip: go directly to Bugan coffee LAB a unique shop where only coffee is served. This place is really a masterpiece if you love coffee because the bartenders are masters and Bugan owners choose each time unique blends whose recipes are studied directly by the owners and is served in a workmanlike manner. Remember that when you drink an espresso it is always good to rinse your mouth with a glass of water and in this place there is a tap on the counter for this reason. The price of the cafe is on average higher than the standard but trust me: it’s worth it. The price includes the explanation of the blends and the result that the owners wanted to achieve in terms of taste. A must.
A curiosity: Bergamo is also known as “The City of a Thousand” (the city of the Thousand) in fact most of the soldiers who were led by Giuseppe Garibaldi in the expedition of the thousand came from Bergamo.
Hereunder some shot of upper city of Bergamo!
This is a collaborative post by #TeamItaly included in the #TeamChallenge proposed by @ermest. The post is part of the series about Italy: Italian culture between ancient and modern
.
Are there any Adventure Parks in the area?