Bergamo

Valcamonica holds one of the largest collections of petroglyphs in the world and was the first of the Italian sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List thanks to fits timeless enchantment. The “Valley of Signs” is an unprecedented plunge into the past, and beyond. An excursion that means culture but also nature. If you head towards the North on the left side of the valley, you will come to Adamello Park. Acknowledged as a UNESCO Global Geopark, its rare geological and morphological heritage is of great scientific interest. It is home to no fewer than 1,300 different species of plants and flowers of rare beauty, numerous wild animals, both small and large, glaciers, coniferous forests and many Alpine lakes. Lastly, ski enthusiasts should put Valcamonica on their to-do list of places to visit in winter. Stopping at Ponte di Legno, you can take advantage of the fantastic slopes of the Ponte di Legno-Tonale ski area.

As Unesco World Heritage, Crespi d'Adda is the best-preserved workers' village in Europe, a small oasis of peace to explore slowly, with the rhythms of the past.

A trip out of town on a Sunday, for the weekend or a full week: all great options to enjoy the Bergamo Alps and Prealps that offer beauty, nature, sport and relaxation for all tastes.

Indeed the itinerary starts with a hellish carousel of ascents and descenta, more than 120 kilometres through the Bergamasque Pre-Alps. It continues with a long flat stretch, strenuous but not overly so, which sounds like a temporary pain for the legs. Finally, it heads into biking Eden, up the Ghisallo Pass, where a painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary honours the Madonna who was proclaimed Patroness of Cyclists in 1949, complete with a papal bull from Pius XII. But two wheels are not the only thread running through this enterprise, which we suggest you ‘spread’ over two or three days: along the 253 kilometers, from Bergamo to Como, you will encounter breathtakingly beautiful passes, art cities, inns that are the guardians of ancient gastronomic traditions, lush gardens and sunsets that are reflected in sheets of blue water. The professionals will have to play dumb, busy as they are with the battle. Lucky you who have won at the start because you can enjoy everything: the sporting challenge and the riches of the territory.

Do you know Milan, but not its surroundings? We have selected 7 places worth discovering, Italian treasures no more than an hour away from Lombardy's capital.

Lombardy is also a land to be discovered through its flavours. From olive oil to wine, truffles to salami, to PDO cheeses: what we present and invite you to taste are five typical specialities, for as many different taste experiences. A new dimension for the palate through the tasting of the region’s raw materials.

The connection between downtown Bergamo and Bergamo Alta The Bergamo funicular railway has connected downtown Bergamo to Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe in the Bergamo Alta part of town for more than 120 years. Engineer Alessandro Ferretti, in 1887, created the first design where the funicular would operate driven by a steam engine with a two-carriage system: thanks to the weight of one, the other would be lifted. Later, in 1917, a rail was added and the machinery and stations were renovated. Thanks to the Bergamo funicular railway, it is possible, in just 240 m, to cross a height difference of 85 m with a 52% slope. This is without a doubt the most scenic way to reach Bergamo Alta. In fact, on clear days one can enjoy a fantastic panorama over Bergamo and the entire Po Valley and sometimes even catch a glimpse of the Apennines!

The art gallery is one of the best in Italy in terms of quality and breadth of cultural-historical horizons, to be visited in a neoclassical building at the foot of Bergamo Alta that has been perfectly restored thanks to a series of extensive works completed in 2015. The founder of the Academy had been Count Giacomo Carrara in 1795, who had donated his already splendid personal art collection. Numerous other private donations had enlarged the collections since the early 19th century, and they were joined at the end of the 20th century by some 50 fine sculptures left by the great art historian and connoisseur Federico Zeri. The Academy now houses more than 1,500 artworks by Italian and European painters from the 14th to the 19th century, in particular from the Bergamo, Lombard and Veneto schools, but with interesting Tuscan and Flemish influences. Among the artists on display are Antonio and Bartolomeo Vivarini, Bonifacio Bembo (the famous illuminated tarot cards), Pisanello, Vittore Carpaccio (Birth of Mary), Sandro Botticelli (a portrait of Giuliano de\' Medici), Andrea Mantegna (Madonna and Child), Giovanni Bellini, Carpaccio, Lorenzo Lotto, the Baschenis of the Bergamasque valleys, Titian (Orpheus and Eurydice), Tintoretto (a portrait of Gerolamo Venier), El Greco, Giovan Battista Moroni, Fra\' Galgario, Francesco Guardi (a view of the Rio dei Mendicanti in Venice), Canaletto (the Grand Canal, also in Venice), Bernardo Bellotto, and the 19th-century Venetian-Milanese Francesco Hayez. Paintings are complemented by drawings, prints, miniatures, bronzes and plaques, medals, ceramics and porcelain, cameos, glass and weapons.

The heart of Bergamo Alta Piazza Vecchia is considered the "renaissance parlor" where all the medieval streets of the upper city join together. At the center of the square is the Contarini Fountain, the main meeting place of locals and tourists alike. Major historical buildings stand on the square, such as the Angelo Mai Civic Library hosted inside Palazzo Nuovo or Palazzo della Ragione, under which is an ancient sundial built in the 18th century. At noon sharp (solar time) the ray of sun filtering through the hole in the shield hanging from the arches marks the date and zodiac sign. In Piazza Vecchia there is also the “Campanone”, as the Civic Tower is nicknamed by the people of Bergamo. At 10 p.m. every night, with its 100 chimes, it announces the closing of the gates to Bergamo Alta.

Where to take a romantic stroll in Bergamo Bergamo would not be the same without its imposing Venetian Walls. They cover come six kilometers and are still well preserved, having been restored between 1976 and 1984. The inestimable artistic and cultural value of the Walls is also shown by their recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. Part of the transnational series of sites featuring "Venetian defense works between the 16th and 17th centuries" also include the fortifications in Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Croatia, and Montenegro. They were built from 1561 by the Republic of Venice to stem enemy attacks, and have been preserved almost intact to the present day. More than 250 buildings were demolished to construct the walls, including 8 religious buildings, among which, the Cathedral of Sant'Alessandro and the Dominican convent of Santo Stefano. A large number of workers were employed in their construction, under the direction of architects from Venice and Bergamo, because of the vastness and grandeur of the building works. At weekends, the inner perimeter becomes a large pedestrian island in the Città Alta. The most striking entry points are the four monumental gates, with Sant’Agostino to the east, San Giacomo to the south, Sant'Alessandro to the west, and San Lorenzo to the north.

A hiker’s paradise a stone’s throw from Bergamo A lush paradise on the outskirts of Bergamo that offers visitors countless outdoor activities, magnificent landscapes and picturesque villages. This is Val Brembana, home to some of the highest peaks in the Bergamasque Alps, including Pizzo del Diavolo di Tenda, at 2,914 metres, and Diavolino, at 2,810 metres. If you are ready to take on these trails, you will be rewarded with beautiful panoramic views from the summit. During your excursions, you can stop for a hot meal or a rest at one of the mountain huts in Val Brembana, such as the Grassi, Capanna 2000 or Laghi Gemelli, named after the legend of a tragic love affair between two local young people. In Val Brembana, you can also experience the thrill of walking across the world’s longest Tibetan bridge: the Ponte nel Sole, which is suspended in mid-air for over 500 metres. Cycling enthusiasts can enjoy the Val Brembana cycle path, a section carved out of the area of the old, now largely disused railway that runs alongside the Brembo river. From Villa d’Almè station in Bergamo you can reach Piazza Brembana in about an hour and a half. The valley also caters for visitors seeking relaxation and tranquillity. In Oltre il Colle, you can visit the Tree Cathedral, a symbol of harmony between human beings and nature. Anyone who loves small villages will find a true medieval jewel in Cornello dei Tasso, listed as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Or you can treat yourself to a trip to the thermal baths of San Pellegrino, where the beauty of nature intertwines with the magnificence of Art Nouveau.

The Le Cornelle wildlife park, in a 12-hectare area on the outskirts of Bergamo, is home to around a hundred animal species including mammals, reptiles and birds from various parts of the world. The park, which has been open since 1981, can easily be visited on foot with a walk through the reconstructions of the various habitats that also house tigers, elephants, kangaroos, leopards, giant tortoises, a tropical forest and a reptile house. Through research projects and reintegration into natural habitats, the park also collaborates on animal protection policies.