Discover Bergamo

When looking for a hotel in Bergamo, you can start by considering what you want to shape your stay: urban history, architecture, collections or views. Città Alta is the historic heart of Bergamo. Here, and at other named locations around the city, different chapters of its history unfold—from archaeological traces to Renaissance buildings.

Urban history and the Venetian Walls

The Venetian Walls were built in 1561 by the Republic of Venice as an example of Renaissance military architecture. Stretching about six kilometres, they encircle Città Alta. You can explore the complex on foot or by bicycle, taking in views across the plain and of the Orobie Pre-Alps along the way. The Walls thus combine a striking historical landmark with an opportunity to experience Bergamo outdoors.

Another way to explore the city’s history is through its public and civic buildings. The Palazzo della Ragione dates from the late 12th century and is the oldest surviving municipal seat in Lombardy. For centuries, Piazza Vecchia was Bergamo’s political centre; today, it remains a meeting place and a place to spend your leisure time. If you are interested in religious architecture, the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore brings together a Romanesque exterior and a Baroque interior.

Views and getting your bearings

Bergamo can be seen from a range of viewpoints. The Campanone rises 52.76 metres above Piazza Vecchia and offers panoramic views of the old town. The tower at the Rocca affords a 360-degree view of Città Alta, the Orobie Pre-Alps, the Bergamo plain and as far as Milan. The two viewpoints thus differ mainly in the extent of the views described.

The city funicular also travels up and down between its stations. Its route passes between flowering gardens and notable viewpoints; on clear days, the panoramic views extend across the Po Valley. The Walls, meanwhile, can be explored on foot or by bicycle, combining views of the landscape with a structure whose history dates back to Venetian rule.

Museums and windows onto the past

The Museo dell’Ottocento divides its tour into eight sections. It traces Bergamo’s history from the uprising against the Serenissima to Italy’s situation after unification. The Museo “Mura di Bergamo,” by contrast, focuses on the individual stages of the fortress’s planning and physical construction. Both explore history but have different emphases: political development in one case, and the creation and construction of the fortifications in the other.

The Civico Museo Archeologico traces the history of Bergamo and its surrounding area from prehistoric times to Lombard rule in the Middle Ages. It is housed in the 14th-century Palazzo della Cittadella, a building constructed by the Visconti, the rulers of Milan. The Area archeologica preserves remains from various periods, from a protohistoric settlement to the Middle Ages. It includes a Roman Imperial-era complex of shops along a paved road or square. When choosing your cultural interests, you can therefore decide between a broad historical narrative and tangible archaeological remains.

Collections and nature

The Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali “Enrico Caffi” houses more than 55,000 exhibits covering zoology, entomology, geology and palaeontology. These include a life-size cast of an Allosaurus skeleton. If you are more interested in plants, the Orto Botanico “Lorenzo Rota” in Città Alta is home to more than 1,200 plant species. The range thus spans natural history collections across several disciplines and a botanical collection at a named location.

For a cultural and historical focus during your stay, buildings, museums and archaeological finds offer different points of interest. If you would rather include landscapes and city views, the viewpoints mentioned above, the funicular and the Venetian Walls each offer their own perspective. These options give you a starting point for exploring Bergamo according to your interests and finding a suitable hotel for your stay.

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