During my holidays(Dec 24-Jan 4th) i did some travelling here and there.One of my stops was Bergamo.Such an amazing place.Bergamo is located in Lombardy region(Northern Italy) less than 2 hrs by train from Lombardy’s capital city Milan.The city is divided into two so  a  visit to Bergamo is a journey between two towns,one on a hill(Upper Bergamo) and the other on the plain(Lower Bergamo). The  two towns  are connected by the funicular!  which offers a different unique way of getting to know Bergamo.

I just love how the city is structured(i would use the word artistic to describe this town). All the beautiful sceneries (touristy places) are concentrated in one place making it easy for you to expore the medieval streets and alleyways in the shadow of towers and bell towers.

On my arrival I went straight  to the  upper city. That’s where you can find all the touristy places.Of course with no tour guide.I prefer grabbing a map and finding my way out in the wonderland. My  very first stop was the Palace of the Chief Magistrate(don’t know the whole story behind this but exciting to check out!). This is located right on the Piazza Vecchia (can be translated to Old square) .

-Old square(Piazza Vecchia) –

– Palace of the Chief Magistrate–

In the surrounding  you will find the Duomo ( Cathedral),Battistero(Baptistery)  and Torre Civica(Civic Tower)

-Basilica of Santa Maria maggiore –

-Cathedral-

Rocca(Fortress) –

Afterwards, I took the direction headed towards the  memorial  park  (Parco delle Rimebranze)  .All the soldiers were buried in this park. You will still find the old firearms they used.

Rocca(Fortress).

The Fortress. (from above picture).

This came after the walls were built to serve as arsenal and housed the first gunpowder factory.But today it serves as a museum (historical museum).Oh wait, maybe you are wondering the story behind the walls?.Well, during  15 hundreds, the city underwent several attacks. These  walls was to serve as defence  against a sudden attack from the Spanish who had gained control of Milan but this idea was abandoned and it was decided to build fortifications that were able to resist an army equipped with the most modern firearms of the era.

I thought to share with the world a little about this city. I was in town for only couple hours. Of course stopped by coffee shop  for some good Italian Cappuccino! Never goes wrong.

Here are some additional information that could be useful.

How to Get Around:

By public transport

ATB(Bergamo’s public transport company) runs the urban  bus services and funicular railway between Lower and Upper Bergamo.You can choose either the bus or the funicular to reach Città Alta(Upper Bergamo).The Journey only takes a few munites, passing through a tunnel in the other Venetian wall and arriving in thr heart of the old city,in Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe.

How to get there:

By air

The international Airport of Orio al Serio is just 5 km from Bergamo and 45 km from Milan. It’s known for its larger nu,ber  of low-cost  airlines. The Airport Bus service runs daily to and from the airport every 30 mins  and the journey takes about 20 mins.

By train

Bergamo railway station is directly connected to Milan,Lecco and Brescia. From Milan to Bergamo is about an hour.The train station is located in Lower Bergamo and is connected to Città Alta (Upper Bergamo) by bus which departs about every 10 munites.

Additional Pictures: