Short Break in Bergamo
We flew direct from Belfast with a low cost airline. As we were only taking hand luggage for our short stay I paid extra for ‘speedy boarding’ as this guarantees that our luggage would not have to go into the hold. The other advantage is that we were, of course, first to board the aircraft out and return!
On arrival at Bergamo, we purchased our bus tickets for the short 15-minute journey into the city and from there it was a short walk to our hotel, the Mercure Bergamo Centro Palazzo Dolci. We arrived at our hotel quite early and were delighted that they had a room already available for us, allowing us to leave our bags and start exploring. I had paid to upgrade our room to a Privilege room, the main advantage of this being that our room on the 4th floor had a lovely view of the Bergamo Alta.
We walked towards the funicular station to get up to the old city of Bergamo Alta. (There are also regular bus services passing right in front of our hotel which can take you up to Bergamo Alta.) The wonderful old funicular is a great way to journey up though, taking you under the impressive city walls. We then started exploring this beautiful old city walking past the lovely squares and piazzas. Finally, we stopped for lunch in one of the many restaurants and had a great leisurely lunch. After lunch, we had a leisurely walk back into the new city and a wander around the shops.
In the evening, we explored the area around our hotel, visiting more shops, and then found another lovely restaurant for dinner, the basement restaurant we chose was full of character and locals enjoying their dinner. My wife said that her spaghetti carbonara was the best she had ever tasted!
The next morning we headed back to Bergamo Alta, this time armed with guide books provided by the tourist board, and we started a walking tour of the city walls. Again, this area is just packed with history and there is always something new to see. For lunch we had already decided on a restaurant, Vineria Cozzi, where during the day they offer a simple business lunch. It was great value with a super pasta in a wonderful sauce. We enjoyed it so much we returned that evening. In the evening, the menu is completely different as it becomes a ‘fine dining’ restaurant - we both had a wonderful meal, with excellent service, and this is also a restaurant that I would love to return to.
For our last day, we had planned on taking one of the hourly trains from Bergamo to Lecco on Lake Como. Unfortunately, due to a railway strike, we couldn't go and so, as an alternative, took a bus to Milan. The bus took us from Bergamo to Lampugnano near Milan, where you take the metro into the city centre. We got off at the Duomo stop and were rewarded on leaving the station with the wonderful view of Milan Duomo in all its glory. We also had a walk through the Galleria, window shopping at the very expensive designer label shops. Unfortunately, there were huge queues to get into the Duomo so we ran out of time so I would recommend if anyone wishes to visit that they arrive as early as they can.
All too soon, it was time to return so a quick stop at the bakers to buy some cannoli to bring home and then we were off back to the airport for our flight back to Belfast. We had a super time in Bergamo and I would definitely return, not only to revisit the city but also to use as a base for more exploring of Milan and the lakes. We were also very lucky with the weather whilst we were there, although cold it was bright and sunny everyday – ideal for getting away from our grey skies.
I would thoroughly recommend a short break to Bergamo, and avoiding high season also means that you avoid the crowds and queues in the old city. Let me know if I can help you plan your next city break!