Population:
117 000
Regione: Lombardia
Year visited: 2008
Bergamo is much more than just a city where the airport for lowfare airlines, Orio al Serio, is. Even if the airport is considered to be in Milan on the
ticket, Bergamo lies one hour by train from Milan and is definately a city of its own. It has a spectacular historical part that lies on a hill while the
newer part is the city center, that lies in the flat lower part of Bergamo. So we decided to spend some hours in this cultural and historical city before
catching the plane to Gothenburg (one evening and one morning). The city is beautiful and looks very wealthy, but I also got a feeling that the new
part of it is very segregated with many homeless people and beggars and the streets, at least in the evening. Some streets were considered very
dangerous, according to the staff on our hotel, something that feels very strange since it is not very big, is not a harbour town and it is located in
the rich regione Lombardia.
The Old Town (Upper Town), Città Alta, seen from the railway station in the Lower Town, Città Bassa.
Città bassa (new town):
Via Giorgio E Guido Paglia, the street where our B&B was.
The people in the window are not real.
Modern architecture in the modern city center, that feels a bit like Milano.
The big church of Città Bassa.
The large church is a landmark in the Lower Town, but it is impossible to find information about it anywhere.
Bergamo is home of the famous football team Atalanta. The Swedish football player Glenn Strömberg plays
in the team and lives in Bergamo.
Banca d'Italia, a rustic bank building.
Mercue Hotel. There are many tourists in the streets, partly because the airport is so close to the city.
I think that the airport makes tourists discover the city (when heading for Milan) and not the opposite, because
Bergamo as a city is not very famous outside Italy.
Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII, the main road of Città Bassa.
Monument Vittorio Emmanuelle II.
A kind of statue that you rarely see in public places in Europe...
A main pedestrian street in the modern city center. Looks good, but we got the feeling it should be avoided after dark.
The Abaco bed & breakfast close to the station was a good choice, since the interior was very nice and we got some personal tips from the staff.
Our B&B was located in this building.
The view from Abaco´s kitchen.
A strange sculpture in Cittá bossa. Sorry for the quality.
A luxorious mansion.
Città alta (old town):
The funicular (a diagonal railway) takes you to the top of the hill, where Città alta, the historical old town is located.
Looking up towards Citta Alta from the funicular.
Views of the lower part from the funicular.
Piazza Mercato delle Scare, the square where you get off the funicular.
Torre di Gombito.
Palazzo de la Ragione is the historic building to the left. Of course it was under renovation so you cannot see the beautiful facade!
A fountain at Piazza Vecchia.
Bibloteca Angelo Mai at Piazza Vecchia.
Piazza Vecchia.
Santa Maria Maggiore at Piazza Duomo. It was founded in 1137, but its newest parts were completed in the 17th century. The facade has no entrance.
Cappella Colleoni is a very decorated Renaissance annex to the church Santa Maria Maggiore.
The bell tower is from 1436.
A sculptor's workshop.
Views from the higher part (Città alta) to the lower part (Città bassa):
Private residences in Upper Town.
The airport:
Orio al Serio International Airport is a small (but not very small) airport just outside the city. It is a cheaper alternative to the larger airports in Milan, Malpensa and Linate.