How do I get there?
Ryanair flies daily from Dublin to Bergamo’s Orio al Serio airport for around €100 return. Regular shuttle-buses take ten minutes to reach Bergamo railway station (€1.70 one-way).
When should I go?
Italy doesn’t come to a standstill at the first sign of snow – Dublin City Council hang your head in shame! – so you can visit all-year round. That said, we’ve a special grá for Bergamo in the late spring and early autumn when you get plenty of sunshine (anything below 20 degrees is considered a cold-snap) but not the tourist hordes that overrun the place in June, July and August.
Where should I stay?
Bergamo is split into two distinct areas – the older Città Alta (Upper Town), which is dotted with small privately owned hotels and the Città Bassa (go on, guess!) below, which is where you’ll find all the modern five-star jobbies. The best place to compare room rates is the always-reliable booking.com, which has some amazing deals if you’re willing to pay up front.
What’s the touristy thing you have to do?
Take the funicular up to the Città Alta and explore its warren of medieval lanes and alleyways. Along with some cracking restaurants – see below! – the Piazza Vecchia is home to the 16th-century Duomo di Bergamo and a septuagenarian flautist who treats people waiting to go in to a medley of classical favourites. You can also catch a second funicular – warning: your ears will pop! – up to San Vigilio castle, which is the starting point for some wonderful hillside walks.
Anything else?
Second only to the Duomo in terms of the religious devotion it inspires locally is the Stadio Atleti Azzuri d’Italia, home of perennial Serie A strugglers Atalanta. Relegation dogfights or not, the match-day atmosphere is electric with tickets for most games available in advance from www.atalanta.it.
What about eating?
You haven’t lived until you’ve sampled casconcelli, the sausage-filled ravioli smothered in sage butter that’s one of the reasons why Bergamo is considered the food capital of Lombardy. Others are polenta served tre formaggi-style with Parmesan, fontina and tallegio and castagnaccio, a savoury rosemary, chestnut and pine nut cake, which should be washed down with copious amounts of local Valcalepio wine. Some of the best cucina tipica Bergamasca is to be found in Osteria de la Aneti (see page 65 for details), a real neighbourhood haunt where two people can eat, drink and get extremely merry for around €40. It’s a swine to find, so take a taxi.
What should I avoid?
The €10 to €15 that a lot of Bergamese hotels charge for a very average buffet breakfast. Forgo the stale bread rolls and instant coffee, and join the locals in one of the city’s grand cafes. Remember that ordering a cappuccino in Italy after midday marks you out as a philistine or, worse still, a tourist.
How much to get tanked?
Given that you’ll rarely pay more than €8 for a litre carafe of local wine in a restaurant, not a lot! Lombardy also has a proud artisan beer tradition, with anything bearing the Lambrate brewery stamp worth a sup.
What to bring home?
As much food and wine as your combined 25kg Ryanair baggage allowance will allow. Some people go abroad to sightsee, we go to grocery shop!
Why should I go?
To experience the delights of a city that if it had canals or a Roman amphitheatre would probably be as big a tourist deal as Venice or Verona.