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Bergamo is the capital of the province of the same name and has approximately 120,000 inhabitants. The entire Bergamo agglomeration has about 400,000 inhabitants, and apart from Bergamo itself consists of a series of villages and towns that have grown together, of which Seriate, Stezzano and Dalmine are the most important. Bergamo is located at the foot of the Orobian Alps, at the point where two mountain valleys meet. . From these valleys flow two rivers, the Brembo and the Serio, passing the city on their way to the Po in the south. The rivers are not navigable.
Bergamo is an important industrial city. The spearhead is the metal industry. Many cars have brake discs from the Brembo factory and the steel pipes from Dalmine are exported worldwide. There is also a traditional leather industry and a strong distribution sector. All that industry creates an enormous amount of freight traffic.
Arrive
Bergamo is accessible via the west-east Autostrada a4 (also called the 'serenissima', the nickname of Venice) and the more or less parallel Milan-Venice railway. There is also an extensive network of provincial roads and there are a few national through two- or four-lane roads (Strade Statali or Staatswegen). The Bergamo agglomeration also has a system of ring roads called Circonvallazione. This Circonvallazione also leads to Bergamo's only Autostrada slip road ("Uscita").
The local airport Orio al Serio has grown considerably over the last twenty years and serves as the third airport of Milan. A few low-budget airlines maintain connections with the Netherlands (Schiphol, Eindhoven, Eelde). Orio al Serio also has a station and its own Uscita on the Autostrada.
Travel around
Public transport in the Bergamo metropolitan area is provided by the ATB (Azienda Trasporti Bergamo) and consists of a light rail tram line (with two more under development), 15 bus lines and two cogwheel railways (‘Funicolari’). A zone system is used. The main public transport hub is the Bergamo bus station opposite the train station. The supply of taxis is generally substandard.
To look at
The perched, walled old city is called Bergamo Alta (high). It is one of Italy's most beautifully preserved ancient fortified towns.
To do
Bergamo has a professional football club, Atalanta Bergamo, which plays in Serie A. They play in an old, dilapidated stadium from the time of Mussolini. Tickets are usually quite easily available.
To learn
Bergamo has a university, the 'Università degli Studi di Bergamo', with a Faculty of Arts in the Upper Town, Law and Economics in the Lower Town and a Faculty of Engineering in Dalmine. Nationally known is the Istituto Italiano delle Arti Grafiche, the Italian Institute for Graphic Arts.
To work
To buy
Food
Broadly speaking, the Northern Italian, Lombard cuisine is served. A local specialty is polenta with roasted birds (polenta e ösei). They also have the Casoncelli alla Bergamasca, large stuffed pasta envelopes with butter, sage and Grana Padano. Immediately east of the city begins the Valcalepio wine region, which produces mediocre reds, not high-flyers. A nice dessert wine is the Moscato di Scanzo from the nearby village of Scanzorosciate.
Budget
The Italian breakfast, in the cafe, standing at the bar a cappuccino with brioche (a sweet croissant) is absolutely budget. Count on 2.50 euros p.p. Many cafes serve continuously filled sandwiches, 2 to 6 euros, also pay attention to the name paninoteca at catering establishments. More and more common is a pitta with Döner, which in Italy Panino Arabo hot. Also pay attention to delicatessens, rosticceria or delicatessen where they often sell hot food to take away. Slightly more extensive, but still budget, are the lunches on weekdays, Pranzo Lavoro called. Count on 12 to 14 euros per person for a simple menu with a pasta, a meat or fish dish, a bowl of vegetables, bread, wine, mineral water and an espresso. You will find these things mainly on the roads and along the provincial roads, and you often sit at a long table with plasterers and truck drivers. During lunchtime, keep an eye out for the many parked vans and trucks. You shouldn't be surprised by street prostitution in those parking lots.
Average
Da Mimmo ("since 1956") in Via B. Colleoni (the main street of the Citta' Alta) is always busy, good, certainly not too expensive and regionally known. They have the Bergamask dishes but also pizzas, for example. A good, not too expensive wine list with national and local (Valcalepio) wines. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday a fifteen minute wait for a table is normal.
Expensive
Going out
Bergamo is a provincial town with a strong Roman Catholic political movement; therefore do not expect miracles in the nightlife. The nineteenth-century Grand Café Balzer on the Sentierone (literally: 'the broad path') in the lower city center is famous. The Sentierone intersects with the main street of the low town, Via Roma, where some large hotels and restaurants (some with star) are located. The Via Roma naturally becomes Viale Vittorio Emanuele II, and that street climbs slowly up to the Citta' Alta (high city). The only important street there is Via Gombito, which runs along Piazza Vecchia ('old square') to the Citadel, where you will find several nice and good restaurants as well as a few bars. Discos can be found along roads in the surrounding towns. Locals themselves also feel free to drive thirty kilometers away to Lake Iseo or Lake Lecco, the 'right leg' of Lake Como. At Lake Iseo, the discotheque 'Number One' is a must-see, a beautiful and expansive establishment with several indoor and outdoor halls, a swimming pool and an outdoor theatre. From Bergamo take the A4 motorway towards Venice, take the Rovato exit, head towards Iseo and then the Number One will be on the right after a few kilometers. Don't be surprised - especially on Sunday evenings - in Italian discotheques at a dance orchestra that plays Italian tearjerkers while the elegant Passo Doppio dances. Such an evening with orchestra is called Ballo Liscio and is announced at the entrances. Another nightlife option is of course Milan, half an hour away.
For the passeggiata, the ultimate early evening Italian stroll, go to Via Gombito / Piazza Vecchia (high city) and Via XX Settembre / Largo N. Rezzara in the low city. Smart clothing (everything ironed, including jeans!) is a must.
stay overnight
Budget
Average
Expensive
Safety
Health
In principle, a Dutch or Belgian pays little or nothing for first aid in Italy. In February 2011, a European directive was adopted which stipulates that EU citizens in the EU country where they rely on healthcare are entitled to the same reimbursement of medical expenses as in the EU Member State where they live. Your Dutch/Belgian insurance is therefore also valid in Italy. People from Suriname should inform themselves. In any case, first aid is free for everyone under Italian law. Italy has a healthcare system (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale/SSN) which is somewhat similar to that of the United Kingdom (National Health Service), although many hospitals are private (read: Catholic). Italians are health freaks and healthcare workers are highly regarded everywhere. Many villages and small towns have been able to maintain their own small hospitals and the care there is generally excellent.
Contact
Daily life
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