Città Alta (Upper Town)
Perched on a limestone hill 380 metres above the Po Valley, Bergamo's Città Alta is one of the best-preserved Renaissance fortifications in Europe. Step through the Venetian gates and you enter a living medieval city of cobbled lanes, frescoed churches and candlelit wine bars.
Walking the Venetian Walls
The 6-kilometre circuit of 16th-century walls, built by the Republic of Venice and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, can be walked in about 90 minutes and rewards you with sweeping panoramas over the lower city and, on clear days, the Alps.
Start at Porta San Giacomo, the most photogenic of the four gates, and follow the ramparts anti-clockwise past the grassy bastions where locals picnic on Sunday mornings.
Piazza Vecchia — the Heart of the Upper Town
Stendhal called Piazza Vecchia the most beautiful square in Italy, and it is hard to argue: the 12th-century Palazzo della Ragione, the white-marble Contarini fountain and the looming Torre del Campanone form a stage-set of almost theatrical perfection.
Climb the Torre del Campanone (open daily, lift available) for a 360-degree view over terracotta rooftops and the green Bergamasque pre-Alps stretching north.
In the evening the square fills with aperitivo drinkers; grab a Spritz at the outdoor tables of Caffè del Tasso, a café that has been trading since 1476.
More of Bergamo
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Bergamo →
