Last Updated on October 10, 2024 by Aswetravel
When landing at Bergamo airport the message was clear: take the next bus to Milan and leave this place ASAP. The push to get people to Milan started already in the air, where you could pre-purchase your bus tickets straight to Milan. When stepping out of the airport – which for the record is called “Milan” by Ryan Air, there were so many buses waiting to bring everyone to Milan that the old little local bus (discretely named Linea 1) going to Bergamo was left unnoticed. Only a handful of us went against the stream and got on the bus to explore what seemed to be a forgotten place: Bergamo.
Arriving in this gorgeous city brought back a lot of memories. In recent years, the city of Milan has been gaining a reputation for its vibrant and progressive culture which is reflected in Milan’s art, fashion, food and design scene. Yet while there are many places where you can find the latest trends in Italian style, it isn’t always possible to get hold of them in one central location. The same goes for the best quality products; whether you are looking for designer furniture or unique gifts, you may struggle to find something of great value locally. Bergamo is an easy day trip from Milan and other northern destinations like Lake Como and Varese but it deserves at least half a day. When it comes to great food and wine, there’s no better place than this city in northern Italy. It’s a small town with big character.
- Bergamo Forgotten City
Bergamo Forgotten City
We had been to this little city once before as a simple stop-over before flying out of Italy, and fell so much in love with it that we said we would be back one day to see more. So when Bergamo showed up as a great deal we knew it was meant to be. I was surprised to see that the city didn’t seem to have become more popular since last time we were there. But while walking along the streets of the old town, I felt a sense of relief – there were no crowds of tourists, no tour groups, just a relaxed vibe and quiet streets. I couldn’t help but to wonder if perhaps the people of Bergamo don’t want everyone to know about their lovely town, to keep it the way it is and let the jam-packed buses with travelers continue to Milan instead. Well if that was the case, I’m happy with that – more space, no queues, no stress and beautiful surroundings – perfect. The town is divided in two parts, Lower Town and Upper Town – the Upper Town is the medieval part of Bergamo, and the small size makes it perfect for a day’s of exploring, giving you plenty of time to relax – be it in a garden cafe with a spritzer at midday, or in the botanical garden with a gelato.
Bergamo Italy Healthy Fat Food
We never thought it was possible to feel fat and starved at the same time, but Portugal showed us otherwise. Being a vegetarian in that country is hard, but being a healthy vegetarian is impossible. Italy, on the other hand, soon showed us how you could eat all the fat foods you wanted, and still feel healthy about it. All the foods you would normally associate with grease and fat – tasted so god damn good that you could pretend you were being healthy. Indulging in pizzas with that thin, crispy crust, impossibly creamy gelato, spritzers and wine at noon – I couldn’t help but to understand exactly how this woman must have felt….!! After having traveled all over the world since last time we visited Bergamo, we were happy to find that it was still very much the way we remembered it, a cozy town that gives you the ultimate Italian experience, but without the fuss.
Things to do in Bergamo
After our weekend in Bergamo, we continued to Innsbruck, a stunning city which everyone who visits instantly falls in love with. With dramatic mountain peaks surrounding you in every direction, a beautiful old town, outgoing people and the most delicious pastries, it’s hard not to love this place. In fact, we liked it so much we decided to try and settle down to live there for the next six months. If there is one change we know will happen with As We Travel, it’s the way we travel. We need to slow things down, stay in places for longer, or simply settle down and take smaller trips from there. Traveling full time is an incredible experience, but it certainly has its downsides.
The city’s past and present are reflected in its buildings: from a castle-like 18th century cathedral with two towers to modern glass skyscrapers with Italianate facades. This is Bergamo, once home to Leonardo da Vinci, Boccaccio, and Mozart, and now one of Italy’s most vibrant cities. The town centre is pedestrianised, lined with cafés, bars, boutiques, and gelaterias—a perfect place for people watching or just relaxing after sightseeing. There are also plenty of parks and squares where locals can take a break from their shopping or enjoy a picnic. Just outside the main area, there’s little village feel, dotted with family-run shops and cafes; while in nearby towns like Sesto San Giovanni you find more restaurants, pizzerias, and fashion boutiques. And if it’s wine you want, you need look no further than this region, which has over 1,000 wineries.
The Bitter Chocolate Company
The Bitter Chocolate Company, established in 2010 by Italian chefs, Andrea Piccino and Enrico Mazzon. Their mission is to create delicious products using raw materials from all over the world; including 100% organic ingredients and their specialty is rich, melt-in-the mouth chocolate truffles filled with hazelnut cream or strawberries and mascarpone cheese. She also loves sharing her passion for cooking as well as reading – especially biographies and autobiographies about women, such as Madame de Sade, Anna Magnani, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Virginia Woolf, and Daphne du Maurier.
La Scala Opera House
La Scala Opera House Bergamo Italy is a new opera house built in the city of Bergamo, Italy. It has 3 floors including two underground levels. The first floor will be the main auditorium where more than 2200 seats are available for concerts, shows, conferences or meetings. The second floor will be a restaurant with about 300 seats and it also is possible to go up there for an excellent view of the venue. The third floor will be a rehearsal and recording studio. The exterior includes a terrace that can accommodate about 200 people. This project was realized by Italian firm La Scala Studio Associato and French company Ateliers de l’Opéra, with the collaboration of architect Gino Viterbo and Philippe Villeneuve .
Upper city Bergamo
Bergamo is located about north of Milan, northwest of Brescia, west of Verona, south of Lake Garda. It lies in the plain region of the Po Valley, bordered to the east by the Apennine range. A large portion of the territory of Bergamo is covered by the comune of Monza Brianza e Alba; it had a population of 636,921 inhabitants in 2015. The town is crossed by the Bergamasco River, a tributary of the Adda river and a right channel of the Po. A number of archaeological finds have documented human presence in the area of today’s municipality since Palaeolithic times. Human habitation in present-day Bergamo began roughly 4,000 years ago from the mid-Holocene age. The existence of a Neolithic settlement has been demonstrated near Montevecchia, while evidence of a Bronze Age village was discovered
Lower city
Along the road to Serio Valley . The city rapidly expanded during the 20th century. In the first decades, the municipality erected major buildings like the new courthouse and various administrative offices in the lower part of Bergamo in order to create a new center of the city. After World War II many residential buildings were constructed in the lower part of the city which are now divided into twenty-five neighborhoods:Bergamo has been heavily affected by immigration throughout history. After World War II more than 20% of people living in the city were immigrants. In 2016, the population of Italians living in Bergamo was only 52%.
Bergamo lies within the Po Plain region of northern Italy, just north of Lake Como. It lies between the Alps and sea, about east of Milan and west of Switzerland, and borders on Emilia Romagna. The main rivers running through Bergamo include the Adda, Adda tributaries Ticino and Oglio, the latter supplying most of the drinking water of the city. Other important streams flowing through the area include the Canale, Chiese, the Savena, and the Tanaro. The surrounding hills provide the source for some important minerals like limestone and silica.
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