# Bergamo in 3 days > For the Ascension weekend, we chose to fly off to the north of Italy, to Bergamo. The city is well served by direct flights from Paris, notably with Easyjet. Source: https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/blog/bergamo-in-3-days/ Published on 29 May 2022 For the Ascension weekend, we chose to fly off to the north of Italy, to **Bergamo**. The city is well served by direct flights from Paris, notably with Easyjet. We paid **83€ return** per person. The airport is right next to the city, so it's simple and quick to get there. Coming out of the terminal, we took the shuttle, which cost us 2.40€ per person: cheap and efficient. The bus dropped us at the foot of the funicular leading up to the upper town (the ticket is the same as the shuttle one, remember to keep it). You should know that Bergamo is split into two parts: **the upper town**, the historic city where the vast majority of the monuments to visit are concentrated, and **the lower town**, more modern but no less interesting. > **Our tip** > > stay in the upper town so you're right in the historic heart and avoid long journeys (on foot or by funicular). ## What to see and do in Bergamo? ### The upper town (_Città Alta_) Stepping off the funicular on the first evening, we were struck by the beauty and the calm of the upper town. Our first impression was the right one: Bergamo won us over! Two full days can be enough to visit the whole of the Città Alta. Don't miss the main points of interest such as **the Piazza Vecchia, the Antico Lavatoio, the Piazza della Cittadella, the via Bartolomeo Colleoni**... But the nicest thing is still to stroll and get lost in Bergamo's cobbled lanes. No need for a map! ![Renaissance palace with white arcades on a cobbled square](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-02-a7f62a7c.webp) ![Narrow sloping lane between tall ochre walls](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-03-83a4f750.webp) ![White scooter parked beneath a flower-decked balcony on an ochre facade](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-04-5cd9c29e.webp) ![Old covered stone washhouse on a small square in the upper town](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-05-63b75d16.webp) ![Cobbled street heading downhill between orange and beige facades](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-06-1e5365da.webp) ![Romanesque stone apse and bell towers overlooking the old town](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-07-bf35441c.webp) ![Passer-by in red in a street lined with columns](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-08-4e275b17.webp) ![Crenellated tower glimpsed from the arcades of a square](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-09-2ae9ec7b.webp) #### Museums and monuments There is a [good value pass](https://www.museodellestorie.bergamo.it/) (_Museo delle storie di Bergamo_) for visiting many monuments in Bergamo, priced at **12€ per person** for 6 monuments. It includes the **Palazzo del Podestà** museum, the climb up the **Campanone** (bell tower), the **Convento di San Francesco**, which includes the excellent photography museum and the museum of the 20th century (Bergamo 900), the **Rocca castle**, the **Donizetti music museum** and also the **Torre dei caduti**, the Great War memorial in the lower town. We advise you to get it because it lets you have a good overview of the city's history and architecture. ![Six colourful pictograms of the monuments to visit](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-10-e58f55d6.webp) ![Clock campanile overlooking a courtyard with a loggia](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-11-a5e52c2d.webp) ![Tiled roofs and square tower above the plain](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-12-c0676394.webp) ![Large bronze bell hanging in the timber frame of the belfry](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-13-c4add101.webp) ![Domes and carved marble facade seen from above](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-14-1b0b780e.webp) ![Row of tiled roofs in front of the Lombard hills](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-15-34a788d0.webp) ![Domes and terraced gardens of the upper town](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-16-00f9419a.webp) _Spectacular views from the Campanone_ ![Arcaded cloister surrounding a square lawn](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-17-a8352267.webp) ![Exhibition room with a wooden model and a red moped](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-18-b16b72e8.webp) ![Wooded hills and scattered houses seen from above](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-19-8b29240a.webp) ![Stone well at the centre of a colonnaded cloister](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-20-35c1a76e.webp) _Convento di San Francisco_ ![Old cannons lined up on a terrace shaded by a large pine](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-21-1b2eb2ff.webp) ![Round stone tower framed by umbrella pines](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-22-29a4283c.webp) ![Path lined with a low wall and cypresses under the clouds](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-23-73cc9aaa.webp) ![Ochre roofs of the upper town and hills on the horizon](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-24-34fcf9d2.webp) ![Pink flowers in the foreground in front of the inhabited hills](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-25-32f62749.webp) _Rocca di Bergamo_ You also mustn't miss the free visit to the Duomo, the **Cattedrale di Sant'Alessandro Martire**, not to be confused with the basilica right opposite, the **Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore of Bergamo** (paid entry). Next door is the **Cappella Colleoni**, being restored when we were there, and the **Baptistery**. Really, there's plenty to do in terms of visiting monuments! ![Polychrome marble facade framed by a large arch](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-26-6a7c486c.webp) ![Painted vault and gilded dome of a Baroque interior](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-27-33da1ee4.webp) ![Columned porch and staircase leading to a red hanging](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-28-47c385a6.webp) #### The ramparts One of Bergamo's most emblematic walks is the one that goes around the **Venetian ramparts** dating from the 16th century, listed as UNESCO world heritage. You can start the loop from any gate: we chose to begin at the **Porta Sant'Alessandro** and go down the **viale delle mura**. That takes you to the **Baluardo di San Giovanni** and then the Porta San Giacomo. When you reach the via della farra, you find yourself almost in the middle of nature. The whole walk offers very beautiful panoramic views over Bergamo and its surroundings. Not to be missed! ![Venetian ramparts overlooking a grassed moat](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-29-c1f97ef6.webp) ![Long stone wall bordered by a grassy slope](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-30-a63b6482.webp) ![Monumental white gate at the end of a stone bridge](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-31-818d730a.webp) ![Dense vegetation at the foot of the walls, plain in the distance](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-32-e1e90209.webp) ![Cultivated hill and arched viaduct at the foot of the fortifications](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-33-49b88378.webp) ![Rounded bastion emerging from a grassy slope planted with trees](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-34-35d26ca2.webp) ![Ivy heart clipped on a retaining wall](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-35-2ecab045.webp) ![Curve of the wall beneath the perched buildings](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-36-8bbd148a.webp) ![Path climbing between stone walls and yellow houses](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-37-633b5c8b.webp) #### San Vigilio and the trails To get another viewpoint over Bergamo, we decided to go up to **San Vigilio castle**. To do that, you go through the **Porta Sant'Alessandro** and take the **via San Vigilio** to reach the panorama from the San Vigilio church. The view over the two towns and the surrounding mountains is magnificent. While the castle can't be visited, the **park** around it can and lets you take a bucolic break after a climb in the sun. ![Yellow bell tower and roofs glimpsed between palm trees](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-38-42276afa.webp) ![Terraced lawn opening onto the wooded hills](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-39-5fdaf349.webp) ![Stone trough at the foot of a planted bank](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-40-1941846b.webp) ![Vine pergola fixed to an old facade, hills behind](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-41-51089ca3.webp) ![Red geraniums at the edge of a panorama over the lower town](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-42-f068e6b1.webp) Many walking trails set off from San Vigilio: we chose to take the one that goes down from the church ([Salita dello Scorlazzone](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Salita+dello+Scorlazzone/@45.7091789,9.6446301,15.69z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x478151b719415813:0x1f9822c7a1d4f8!8m2!3d45.7070358!4d9.6483056)). At the bottom of the steps, turn right towards the **Via Astino** to get a magnificent view over the Bergamo countryside. One of the prettiest parts of the trail is the **Scaletta Scorlazzino**, which runs alongside orchards. We then came back up via the **via Borgo Canale**: here again the views are impressive. ![Paved path running along a wall facing an inhabited hill](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-43-c5dce807.webp) ![Slender bell tower above a meadow and a bare tree](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-44-d0e37c48.webp) ![Paved path between two walls leading towards a villa](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-45-7b97e195.webp) ![Walker seen from behind on a shaded downhill path](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-46-bbf15789.webp) ![Green valley and village perched on the ridge](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-47-58d898c6.webp) ![Low stone wall running along a meadow, bell tower in the background](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-48-0844569a.webp) #### Valverde At sunset, we ventured outside the walls of the upper town and passed through the hamlet of **Valverde**. A short walk starts on the **via Constantino Beltrami**, opposite the Porta Sant'Alessandro. At the junction with the via Roccolino, take the path that goes down to the right to find yourself in the middle of nature. You come back through the Porta San Lorenzo after going back up the via Maironi Giovanni da Ponte. A lovely walk, ideal at golden hour for example. ![Upper town lit by the raking evening light](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-49-f6df385b.webp) ![Pink and orange sky above a wooded hill](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-50-d938be13.webp) ### The lower town The **lower town** shouldn't be ruled out! We wanted to discover this other side of Bergamo over half a day. Our exploration starts at the **Porta Sant'Agostino**, which took us to the other side of the ramparts. Then take the **via della Nocca**, which goes down to the **Piazza Giacomo Carrara**, around which stand two big museums: the [Carrara Academy](https://www.lacarrara.it/en/) (which we didn't visit) and the [GAMeC](https://www.gamec.it/). Entry to the modern art museum was free when we were there, so we took the chance to have a look round. ![Fortified gate at the end of a lawn planted with trees](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-51-8bef4d29.webp) ![Neoclassical facade behind a railing, exhibition posters](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-52-c7cfb418.webp) ![Contemporary museum room, pale parquet and colourful works](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-53-5c3adbba.webp) ![Three-arched city gate spanning the avenue](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-54-a788fa3c.webp) ![Palace with a pediment and clock, Italian flag on the balcony](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-55-7a1bb48d.webp) ![Wooded meadow in front of a gate cut through the rampart](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-56-e03f96e8.webp) We went down the **via San Tomaso** to discover the very beautiful **Sant'Alessandro della Croce church** and then the **basilica di Sant'Alessandro in Colonna**. From there begins the nerve centre of the lower town and the shopping district with plenty of shops. Before going back up to the Città Alta, we walked past the **Porta Nuova** and visited the **Torre dei caduti**, included in the Lombard Museum Pass. This tower is dedicated to life in Bergamo during the First World War and offers a panoramic view from the top floor terrace. If you've bought the pass, don't hesitate to go up: it's worth it. ![Baroque nave with a chequerboard floor and a red hanging](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-57-d5c5a3c2.webp) ![Straight avenue closed off in the distance by a clock tower](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-58-babc35c2.webp) ![Brick tower overlooking a square with pale paving](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-59-0c242cbd.webp) ![Tree-lined avenue and modern district seen from above](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-60-fb9e65fa.webp) ![Neoclassical colonnade and green dome at the end of a deserted street](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-61-e28a7d04.webp) ![Upper town perched behind the roofs of the lower town](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-62-211a2414.webp) Instead of taking the funicular, you can walk up via the "[Scale per Bergamo Alta](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Stairs+to+Bergamo+Alta/@45.7001372,9.6602682,16.47z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x4781511dd4d17251:0x24ac1818067832cf!8m2!3d45.7002125!4d9.6629128)" (well signposted). The path then brings you out in front of the famous **Porta San Giacomo**, entirely clad in marble. A chance to take a few photos at the end of the day under a stormy, threatening sky. ![Alleyway climbing tightly between two high walls](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-63-f624de2e.webp) ![Woman seen from behind leaning on the rampart facing the panorama](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-64-d431841a.webp) ![Lower town and plain seen from the wooded heights](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-65-279804aa.webp) ## Accommodation: where to stay in Bergamo? We stayed in the heart of the **upper town** so as to be in the historic centre and walk around it. Our accommodation was perfect, ideally located, very spacious and with a magnificent view from the loggia. We booked directly with the owner of this loft, [Cà del Borgo](http://cadelborgo.it/#location), after spotting the listing on [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.fr/rooms/14836899?source_impression_id=p3_1660505852_jCkI4S1pR0Dx7GhF), and paid **275€ for the 3 nights**. We can only recommend this place for a stay in Bergamo! ![Roofs and chimneys seen from the window of the flat](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-66-03dd5541.webp) ![Neighbouring facades and roofs in the light of the setting sun](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-67-de285544.webp) ## Food and drink: where to eat in Bergamo? - **[Mimì • La Casa dei Sapori](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mim%C3%AC+%E2%80%A2+La+Casa+dei+Sapori/@45.7046026,9.6618466,18.61z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x47815111bc62ae73:0xd32fcb8f0be5a4d1!2sBergame,+Italie!3b1!8m2!3d45.6982642!4d9.6772698!3m4!1s0x0:0x2eb40b659e4d92f!8m2!3d45.705011!4d9.6609209)**: traditional caterer and restaurant where we got takeaway three times! Very affordable prices, even more so if you don't eat in. Excellent tiramisu (5€ a portion). - [Circolino Città Alta](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Circolino+Citt%C3%A0+Alta/@45.7051741,9.6609301,18z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x47815111bc62ae73:0xd32fcb8f0be5a4d1!2sBergame,+Italie!3b1!8m2!3d45.6982642!4d9.6772698!3m4!1s0x0:0x9dda45ddcfb5ebae!8m2!3d45.7051715!4d9.661644): Italian restaurant where again we bought takeaway, Bergamo specialities; 24€ for two. - **[Da Mimmo Bergamo Alta](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Da+Mimmo+Bergamo+Alta/@45.7051267,9.6605022,19z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xc2ecf1c0b33230a9!8m2!3d45.7051642!4d9.6609607)**: good pizzas (takeaway possible); 19€ for a pizza and a plate of ravioli. - **[Il Fornaio](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Il+Fornaio/@45.7050197,9.6614259,19.44z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xb5dd4a89f022321d!8m2!3d45.7045245!4d9.662697)**: bakery offering generous slices of pizza sold by weight to take away; 13€ the slice for two. - **[Il Coccio](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Il+Coccio/@45.6952404,9.6630902,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xc4c1611f5549eaa7!8m2!3d45.6952404!4d9.6644015)**: caterer and fine grocery offering dishes of the day to take away in the lower town; 23€ for the two dishes (lasagne). - [Carmen Gelato, Colleoni](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Carmen+Gelato+-+Colleoni/@45.7050197,9.6614259,19.44z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x83701dfdb57d13e4!8m2!3d45.704741!4d9.6617412): good artisan ice creams on the main street. - **[La Romana](https://www.google.com/maps/place/La+Romana/@45.6933875,9.667838,19.99z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xcc7d80869a2c6927!8m2!3d45.6933678!4d9.6682128)**: good ice creams in the lower town (you can sit on the terrace); 3.50€ for two flavours. ![Croissant held in the hand in front of an ochre facade](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-68-4a58fe66.webp) ![Restaurant room with checked tablecloths and exposed beams](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-69-855579bd.webp) ![Two-flavour ice cream in front of an ice cream shop window](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-70-453c8ea8.webp) ![Focaccia topped with tomatoes, mozzarella and ham](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-71-d7845d7e.webp) ![Delicatessen counter, handwritten slates and jars](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-72-62787fd7.webp) ![Display of topped focaccia slices behind a window](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-73-124668a3.webp) ## What we thought of Bergamo Bergamo was a lovely surprise! We didn't know exactly what to expect when we booked our plane tickets but it has to be said that it was worth it. Perhaps too little known and passed over in favour of its very touristy neighbour Milan, Bergamo deserves to be visited and to be given more than a day. Between town and nature, it's a well preserved historic city that has a lot to offer the visitor. We enjoyed that closeness to greenery, to the surrounding hills and forests; rare enough to be worth pointing out. **So we can only recommend this destination, less known and less popular with tourists, and yet very easy to reach by plane from Paris.** **Perfect for a long three day weekend, or longer if you combine it with a visit to [San Pellegrino Terme](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/blog/day-in-san-pellegrino-terme/) or [Milan](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/blog/four-days-in-milan/).** Planning a stay in Italy? Read [all our articles about this beautiful country](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/destinations/italy/)! ![Woman sitting on a low wall facing the hills, Bergamo banner](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/bergame-en-trois-jours-74-dea734a7.webp)