Bergamo
Discover Bergamo
Bergamo is a city in Lombardy, a region of Italy, and the capital of the namesake province. One of the most scenic cities in Italy, it is located on and around a steep hill, green in the summer and white in the winter, complemented by pastel-coloured architecture, against the backdrop of nearby Alps. Its appeal to tourists is enhanced by the nearby Orio al Serio airport. Looking at its beauty, it is hard to believe Bergamo is also one of Italy's most industrialized cities, from which it derives its relative wealth. Bergamo is a pretty town of some 122,000 people (2019) nestling in the foothills of the Alps. Widely acclaimed as a city of rare beauty, Bergamo is famous for its wealth of artistic treasures and enchanting medieval atmosphere. It is a real life tale of two cities: Città Bassa, the busy and modern lower city, and Città Alta, the upper city with its rich heritage of art and history.
Taste of Bergamo...
As Bergamo is not as popular as some other destinations of Northern Italy, while being a major business hub and domestic tourism destination, it has a well-developed accommodation base at reasonable prices compared to Milan, for example. The latter, being around 1.5 hrs away, can be a target of a day trip – a convenient option if you arrive on a flight to Orio al Serio airport. There are a number of good hotels in Citta Bassa; many on Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII (The main street from the station to the funicolare). Stezzano is a commune 8 km south of Bergamo. It is very easily reached both by train and by bus. The train takes approximately five minutes and Milan is also easily reachable. As of June 2022, Bergamo has 5G from all Italian carriers.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsBergamo airport is the 4th busiest airport in Italy, serving a wider area than just the province of Bergamo. It mostly hosts low-fare airlines, many of whom market it as an alternative to Milan's Malpensa and Linate airports, and therefore call it "Milan Bergamo". Airlines serving Milan are either point-to-point low-fare carries like Ryanair, Wizz Air, or holiday charters going either to Italy from other European countries, or from Bergamo to warmer holiday destinations in the Mediterranean. If you would rather travel on a major airline, your only choice are the two daily flights to Munich Airport, operated by Air Dolomiti, where the Lufthansa-owned carrier connects to the Star Alliance network of European and intercontinental flights. Munich is denoted Monaco in Italian when searching for the flights. Many passengers get on a coach to Milan right after arrival, skipping Bergamo entirely. Buses can be both unreliable and not punctual....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The city's public transit authority is called ATB (Azienda Trasporti Bergamo) and provides a comprehensive website in English. ATB operates a number of bus lines, two funiculars and a tram line. ATB's ticketing system is a complicated zone-based affair, with single-ride tickets starting at €1.30 (75 min) for zone 00 (24-hr card – €3.50). Basically, the whole city centre is included into this zone, but to travel to or from the airport you would need a 3 zone ticket for €2.30 (75 min). There are also "Whole Network" cards: 24 hr for €5.00 and 72 hr for €7.00. These tickets are also valid at the funiculars and tram lines and allow you to travel with luggage. Tickets can be purchased from automated or manned points of sale throughout the town - most importantly, at the train station, the airport, Porta Nuova and the lower station of the Citta Alta funicular.
Where to Stay
As Bergamo is not as popular as some other destinations of Northern Italy, while being a major business hub and domestic tourism destination, it has a well-developed accommodation base at reasonable prices compared to Milan, for example. The latter, being around 1.5 hrs away, can be a target of a day trip – a convenient option if you arrive on a flight to Orio al Serio airport. There are a number of good hotels in Citta Bassa; many on Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII (The main street from the station to the funicolare). Stezzano is a commune 8 km south of Bergamo. It is very easily reached both by train and by bus. The train takes approximately five minutes and Milan is also easily reachable. As of June 2022, Bergamo has 5G from all Italian carriers.
Money & Budget
As Bergamo is not as popular as some other destinations of Northern Italy, while being a major business hub and domestic tourism destination, it has a well-developed accommodation base at reasonable prices compared to Milan, for example. The latter, being around 1.5 hrs away, can be a target of a day trip – a convenient option if you arrive on a flight to Orio al Serio airport. There are a number of good hotels in Citta Bassa; many on Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII (The main street from the station to the funicolare). Stezzano is a commune 8 km south of Bergamo. It is very easily reached both by train and by bus. The train takes approximately five minutes and Milan is also easily reachable. As of June 2022, Bergamo has 5G from all Italian carriers.