Lombardy itinerary from Milan
Bergamo Alta - Upper town

Bergamo Alta - Upper town

Bergamo Alta is a gem of medieval architecture, that has been preserved to the present days. It is very easily reached from Milan with the train, using the Trenitalia railway, the state company railway.

The trains run every hour, from 5 AM to 11 PM, more often in the pick hours in the morning and evening, from two different stations: Milano Centrale and Milano Porta Garibaldi, the two stations are very close to each other, and they are connected with the metropolitana, the line two of the underground service, they are two stops apart.

You can find the train schedule on the Trenitalia web site: www.trenitalia.it, just enter "Milano" in the "Da dove vuoi partire?" field, and "Bergamo" in the "Dove vuoi arrivare?" field, then enter the date, (Day, month and year) and time, in military (0-24) notation. The result will indicate MI P.GA for the Porta Garibaldi station, MI C.LE for the Centrale station.

It will also indicate the intermediate stations of MI GR P for Milano Greco Pirelli and MI LAMB for Milano Lambrate station. The trains that stop at Greco Pirelli do not stop at Lambrate as the two stations are on different lines.

If  there is CARNATE listed in the "stazione di cambio" field it means that you have to change train in the Carnate station, try to take a train that does not require a chenge, if possible. The trip takes one hour. For the return trip, of course you should enter Bergamo in the "partire" and Milano in the "arrivare" fields respectively.

The autostrada (highway) from Milan to Bergamo is the most trafficked road in Italy: even if the distance is just 50 kilometers, if you drive, it will take you much more than one hour to get from downtown Milan to Bergamo Bassa (Lower Town), you will have to leave the car parked near the funicolar station, and take the funicolar to get to Bergamo Alta anyway, so I recommend that you take the train if you can find suitable schedules.

Fog in wintertime is also a major factor to consider, the road from Milano to Bergamo is subject to heavy fog, and is therefore very dangerous to drive. Bergamo alta is usually free of fog, so you can leave with the train a foggy Milan and end up in a beautiful sunshine in Bergamo Alta.

Piazza Vecchia - Piazza del Duomo: Information

How to reach the upper town:
From Piazzale Marconi (Train/Coach/Bus Station) and from Porta Nuova bus 1 + funicular
bus 1 Colle Aperto
by car following these directions: V.le Papa Giovanni XXIII -
V.le V. Emanuele - Porta S. Agostino - Viale delle mura - Colle aperto

Recommended  restaurants (we visited them...):
- Ristorante Mimmo via Colleoni 17, Bergamo 035-218-535

Bergamo Alta: Piazza Vecchia | Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore | La Cappella Colleoni | Le mura venete
Bergamo accommodations | Getting in and around

Bergamo Tourist guides: Elena Miano, Paolo Gatti

Photos © courtesy of Provincia di Bergamo – Settore cultura, sport e turismo

 One day trips from Milan without a car:
 Milan on foot
 Milan - Chiaravalle Abbey
 Bergamo Alta
 Bologna
 Isola Comacina on Lake Como
 Lecco and Bellagio by boat
 Como and Bellagio by boat,
 Isole Borromee on Lake Maggiore
 Arona, Angera on Lake Maggiore
 Arona, Rocca di Angera on Lake Maggiore
 Villa Taranto on Lake Maggiore
 Mottarone on Lake Maggiore
 Lake Maggiore, Arona to Stresa by boat
 Stresa - Locarno, a day boat trip
 The Garda Lake - a day boat trip
 Pavia, the city
 Pavia, the Certosa
 Portofino in winter
 

© 1997-2010 Enrico Massetti
TangoItalia - Food, Wine, Travel, and... tango in Italy.