Walk about 10 minutes to the funicular station and ride up, or continue on foot via Via San Alessandro if you'd rather see the climb. The funicular runs frequently and costs around €1.50 with a standard city transit ticket.
Discover Authentic Bergamo: A Local Travel Guide by Mercure
At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Bergamo, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?
Our map pins local favourites such as Città Alta's Venetian walls, Piazza Vecchia and the Accademia Carrara.
Top 5 Things to Do in Bergamo
Piazza Vecchia
The Renaissance square at the heart of Città Alta is framed by the Palazzo della Ragione and the Torre del Campanone, with the Contarini Fountain (a 1780 gift from a Venetian governor) at its center. Climb the bell tower, about €7, for a 360-degree view over both the upper and lower towns before the bells ring their nightly 10pm curfew count, a tradition kept since the 1300s.
The funicular to Città Alta
Rather than walk uphill, take the funicular from Bergamo Bassa (lower town), a two-minute ride that's been running since 1887. It drops you close to Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe, right at the edge of the old town, for around €1.50 with a standard transit ticket.
Via Colleoni
The main artery through Città Alta is lined with artisan shops, small delis selling local cheeses and cured meats, and cafés tucked into medieval buildings. It's narrow enough that you'll walk it slowly whether you plan to or not, which is really the point.
Venetian Walls (Le Mura)
The 16-century fortification that rings Città Alta is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and a genuine locals' walking loop, roughly 4.2km around, with gates and bastions offering views down over the Bergamo plain. Sunset laps are a local habit, not a tourist one.
Accademia Carrara
Down in Bergamo Bassa, this picture gallery holds works by Botticelli, Raphael, and Bellini in a 18th-century building, and it's far less crowded than galleries of similar caliber elsewhere in Italy. Entry is around €12 and the collection is compact enough to see properly in 90 minutes.
Explore Bergamo's Best Local Spots with Our Interactive Map
What's on the map in Bergamo
We've mapped local spots around Bergamo, from the funicular to the Upper Town to the cheeses of the European Capital of Cheese.
Città Alta
Funicular to Città Alta
For over 100 years, two funicular cars have climbed from the Lower Town to the Upper Town through gardens and views. Keep going: a second funicular rises to San Vigilio hill, one of Bergamo's finest viewpoints.
Città Alta · Funicular · Perfect for views
Venetian walls
Built in 1561 by the Republic of Venice, the walls ring the Upper Town for about 6 km and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017. Walk or cycle them for views over the plain and the Orobie Prealps.
Città Alta · UNESCO site · Made for a romantic stroll
Piazza Vecchia and the Campanone
The beating heart of the Upper Town – Le Corbusier called it too perfect to touch. Every evening, the Campanone tower rings 100 chimes. Be there to count them.
Città Alta · Historic square · Ideal for an evening walk
Donizetti itinerary
Follow composer Gaetano Donizetti's footsteps from his birthplace in Borgo Canale, one of the oldest villages outside the walls.
Borgo Canale · Heritage trail · Perfect for music lovers
Lorenzo Rota Botanical Garden
Over 1,200 plant species on 2,400 m² of terraces, with a balcony view over the Upper Town's rooftops. A second section lies in the Astino valley.
Città Alta · Botanical garden · Great for a quiet break
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
Behind an austere Romanesque exterior, a Baroque burst of frescoes, stucco, tapestries and inlaid wooden choir stalls. Donizetti rests here.
Città Alta · Basilica · Made for art lovers
Palazzo Nuovo and Angelo Mai Library
Facing Piazza Vecchia, the former town hall now holds one of Italy's most important libraries, rich in incunabula and manuscripts.
Piazza Vecchia · Historic library · Perfect for book lovers
Lower Town & culture
Accademia Carrara
More than 300 paintings and sculptures across 16 renovated rooms, five centuries of Italian art from the Renaissance to the 19th century – and a garden bistro for after.
Lower Town · Art museum · Ideal for art lovers
Il Sentierone
The grand tree-lined avenue of the Lower Town, Bergamo's open-air salon around the Quadriportico. Do as locals do: an evening passeggiata.
Lower Town · Avenue · Perfect for a passeggiata
Shopping district
Via Sant'Alessandro, Via Borfuro, Via Sant'Orsola and Via XX Settembre: international brands, historic shops and boutiques.
Lower Town · Shopping · Great for shopping
Teatro Donizetti
The city's theatre, named after the composer, hosts the Donizetti Opera festival every autumn.
Lower Town · Theatre · Made for opera
Food & wine
Bergamo cheese tasting
With nine PDO cheeses, Bergamo calls itself the European Capital of Cheese. Taste them with polenta, queen of the local table.
Bergamo · Tasting · Perfect for cheese lovers
Stracciatella at La Marianna
Stracciatella ice cream was invented here in 1961 by Enrico Panattoni. Try the original at La Marianna, in Largo Colle Aperto.
Città Alta · Gelato · Ideal for a sweet treat
Moscato di Scanzo tasting
A guided tasting of four Moscato di Scanzo passito wines at the producers' consortium – and the story of this rare grape.
Scanzorosciate · Wine tasting · Made for wine lovers
Trattoria Sant'Ambroeus
Local flavours and an apericena on the terrace in Piazza Vecchia, one of Italy's loveliest squares. Golden hour, glass in hand.
Città Alta · Trattoria · Perfect for an aperitivo
Mercato della Terra
A Slow Food farmers' market of seasonal produce and local specialities.
Bergamo · Market · Great for local produce
Cooperativa Ruah – Bottega
A social cooperative shop and venue supporting training and inclusion.
Bergamo · Social enterprise · Ideal for a meaningful stop
FAQ
Casoncelli alla bergamasca, stuffed pasta dressed in butter, sage, and crisped pancetta, and polenta taragna made with buckwheat flour and melted mountain cheese. Both show up on nearly every trattoria menu in Città Alta.
Yes, Mercure Bergamo Centro Palazzo Dolci is about 300 meters from Bergamo's main station, roughly five minutes on foot, useful if you're arriving by train from Milan (about 50 minutes) or connecting to Orio al Serio airport.
Take the funicular from the Lower Town: it has climbed to Città Alta for over 100 years. A second funicular continues to San Vigilio hill for some of the best views.
Its Venetian walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, and Piazza Vecchia in the Upper Town. Bergamo is also the European Capital of Cheese with nine PDO cheeses, and the birthplace of stracciatella ice cream.
Taste the local PDO cheeses with polenta, try stracciatella at La Marianna where it was invented in 1961, and sample Moscato di Scanzo, a rare local passito wine.
Where to Sleep in Bergamo
See Mercure hotels in Bergamo, all within reach of these picks.