Attractions in Bergamo
Bergamo has so many attractions that you are guaranteed not to go through everything on a long weekend. In addition, of course, the nature experiences come, which should not be underestimated either. Both summer and winter, Bergamo and the surrounding area offer an amazing natural landscape!
Sala Manzu
In Via Camozzi street in Nybyen you will find Sala Manzu with its many fun and interesting statues. Definitely worth a look, and opportunities to take some fun photos. Opening hours are from 1600 to 1900 Monday to Saturday. Sundays and festival days are 1000 – 1230 and 1600 to 1900. Are you here when the building is closed, visit the garden!
Galleria d’Arte Moderna
If you like modern and contemporary art, GAMEC is worth a visit. The museum is located to the northeast of Nybyen, not far from the Old Town. The address is Via San Tomaso 53 and opening hours are 1000 to 1300 and 1500 to 1845. Closed Mondays.
Chiesa Sant Bartolomeo
This beautiful church is located in Nybyen on the street Via Tasso and Largo Belotti 1. The church contains famous paintings, including Lotto’s painting of Madonna with the child and the Holy Spirit.
Chiesa Santo Spirito
A beautiful old church located at the bottom of the street Via Tasso. Here you will find paintings by several famous artists, including Lotto, Bergognone and Previtali.
Museo Bernareggi
In the street Via Pignolo 76 you will find the Museo Bernareggi which offers varied art and the very built palazzo Bassi Rathgeb which was restored in 2000. Opening hours are Tuesdays to Sundays 0930 to 1230 and 1500 to 1830. Closed Mondays.
Accademia Carrara
This gallery and museum houses a very large collection of art mainly from the 1400s to the 1700s. There are reportedly more than 2,000 paintings in Accademia Carrara. The address is Piazza Carrara 82 in the northeast of Nybyen (Citta Bassa)
Duomo
The large Duomo cathedral is in ruins at Piazza Duomo in the Old Town. However, the church is very crowded and it is not easy to take the postcard pictures you send home. A visit inside the church is a must! At the time of writing, the facade is undergoing restoration. The construction of the Duomo was started in 1459.
Castello S. Vigilio
This fortress overlooking the Old Town of Bergamo offers magnificent views. Here you can walk in the ruins of the greatness of the past, relax in the cafe at the end of the cable car and take the most beautiful pictures. It is also possible to stroll (for those cracking) or down the street Via al Castello.
Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica
A stone’s throw from the Duomo you will find the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore which offers some of the most beautiful we have seen in a church in a long time. You have to go to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum to find similar ones. Externally, too, the church is something for itself. It was built in 1137 and is our first choice of sights in Bergamo. Address Piazza Duomo.
Natural History Museum
If you have children, the Natural History Museum can certainly be a sensible choice. It is located in the Old Town at Piazza della Cittadella 10 and is open Tuesdays through Fridays 0900 – 1230 and 1430 to 1730. Saturdays and Sundays are normally open between 0900 and 1900. Here you can see, among other things, mammoths and much more exciting.
Tourist in Bergamo
Bergamo has for a long time been a magnificent small town, with high spiers running towards the sky from a hill with city walls all around. The first major construction period happened in the 13th century. There were powerful families who built the houses as proof of their wealth. A brilliant example of this is the Campanone tower which you will find on the mighty Piazza Vecchia. This square is the heart of the historic center, and the tower was built by the Suardi family.
Bergamo has clear influences from Venice, both in terms of art and architecture. Not least, you can see this clearly at Palazzo Terzi not far from Piazza Vecchia.
Bergamo consists of two districts, Citta Alta and Citta Basso, which means Upper Town and Lower Town. Citta Alta is the historic center and is often referred to as the Old Town. Both cities have their charm and unlike many other cities it is well worth spending time in the Lower Town with all its 18th and 19th century buildings. We also have no problems recommending hotels in the newer neighborhood. But there is little doubt that most tourists apply to Citta Alta or the Old Town.
Nybyen – Citta Bassa or lower Bergamo
Dear child has many names. The new town, or more correctly the Lower Town, is closest to the airport and is located under the cliff that houses the historic center. For many, the train station is the first meeting point in Bergamo and you can easily get into the center by walking the street Via Papa Giovanini XXIII. After a short walk you will reach the main streets in the city center. We are talking about the streets of Via XX Settembre and Sentierone. The latter is an avenue with wide streets, sidewalks and a simple avenue. Via XX Settembre ends up in a pedestrian section where you find fashion shops and specialty shops. The shopping enthusiasts find their Eldorado here and in the area’s cross streets. The main square in Nybyen is Porta Nuovawhich practically separates the above two streets. The construction happened in 1837 and you will see the wall and arch which was the original main entrance to the city.
Along the Via Tasso Street and Sentierone Avenue you will find several attractions, including the Palazzo della Provincia Spazio and the Teatro Donizetti. The latter is located on the square Piazza Cavour. From here you will also be able to see and visit the church of Chiesa San Bartolomeo with beautiful paintings indoors. If you continue east along Via Tasso you will soon reach the very old church of Chiesa Santo Spirito. Here you will find pictures of Andrea Previtali.
If you continue north you will find interesting sights such as the Accademia Carrara on Piazza G. Carrara 82, the Galleria d’Arte Moderna, also called GAMEC in Via San Tomaso 52 and the Museo Bernareggi in Via Pignolo 76. By the way, the road is short up to the Old Town (Citta Alta).
A fun solution is to walk north from Porto Nuova along Viale Roma and Viale V. Emanuele II until you reach the cable car. The cable car is called funicolare in Italian, and this cable car brings you cheap money up to the Old Town.
Old Town – Citta Alta
The heart of the Old Town is Piazza Vecchi, a magnificent square that has been the center of political power in Bergamo for centuries. In and around Piazza Vecchi you will find many sights. We can briefly mention Campanone, a large bell tower dating back to the 13th century, the library, the Duomo and the perhaps even more amazing Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore. This must only be visited and the interior is so magnificent and detailed that we have only seen the like of St. Peter’s Church in Rome.
The cable car from Lower Town takes you to Via Gombit. Follow this road for a short while and you are in Piazza Vecchia. The streets of the Old Town are lovely to stroll in and you have to continue along Via Colleoni to Piazza Mascheroni and then onto Piazza Cittadella. Here you will find a new cable car that takes you to Bergamo’s highest point, Castello San Vigilio. Up here you can relax in a cafe, stroll around the castle square and enjoy a fantastic view.
East of the Old Town you will find the Monasteri di Sant’Agostino e Fara and the Fort La Rocca which also has a museum, the Museo Storico.
There are constant buses between Lower Town and Old Town, as well as the cable cars. It’s cheap, fast and easy. You will find many cozy cafes and simple pizzas and plenty of green spaces to relax. In addition, you have plenty of good restaurants for the evening.