Traveling with kids in Italy

Erected on a high hill, Bergamo perfectly matches its name, which means “city on the hill” (berg-heim). Today it is divided into two parts with the beautiful upper town of Città Alta, with cobbled narrow streets and gorgeous exquisite buildings, and below it lays the Lower Town (Città Bassa) with modern financial and administrative buildings, both of them creating a wonderful mix of old preserved buildings and modern glamorous architecture. The two parts of the city are separated by powerful walls built by the Republic of Venice in the second half of the 16th century to protect the city.

The city is easily reached as Orio al Serio International Airport is only 3.7 km southeast of Bergamo, and there is a direct bus No. 1, which connects the airport with the Central Station and the Upper Town. Low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Wizzair have daily flights between Sofia and Bergamo. If you have more time, you can spend it at the airport, as there, within walking distance is Oriocenter – one of the largest malls in Italy.

There are also numerous malls, markets and shops in the lower part of Bergamo, where the opera house and other interesting museums are located. In 2023, Bergamo together with Brescia were chosen as the cultural capitals of Italy, and particularly interesting is the intergalactic portal TheGate2023, which projects in real time from one cultural capital to the other, allowing people to greet each other, creating something like virtual teleportation. TheGate2023 is made of multiple mirrors and screens connected by high technology.

TheGate2023 is located opposite the monument of Vittorio Emanuele in Bergamo. There is his monument also in Rome, centrally located on Piazza Venezia. It turned out that this was the last king of Sardinia and the first king of united Italy, also known as the Father of the country.

Next to them is the beautiful building of the Banca Populare di Bergamo, with a beautiful clock tower and on Monday morning from there began a rich street market, stretching to the picturesque Baroque  church of Santi Bartolomeo e Stefano. The church was erected between 1613-1642, and inside there are unique huge canvases of the famous Lorenzo Lotto.

Walking in the direction of the upper town, we passed through many beautiful buildings, including that of the post office. For going up, we preferred the funicular, but you can also use public transport, as bus No 1 will save you the climb, and payment is easy by touching the credit cards to the terminals in the bus. The funicular itself dates back to 120 years ago and connects the center of the lower town with the upper one.

Particularly impressive and beautiful are the Venetian walls, which are over 6 km long and are a wonderful place to walk. They reveal an exquisite panoramic view of the city, and here are the most romantic sunsets.

Our walk in the Upper Town began by passing under the clock tower Torre della Campanelle and getting on the medieval Piazza della Cittadella square. Here, however, instead of the medieval garrison, a Photovoltaic pyramid resembling the one in front of the Louvre stands out, the Italian one is located in front of the Natural History Museum.

A narrow cobblestone street led us to Piazza Vecchia – the heart of the city, where one of the oldest libraries in Italy is located with a 52-meter tower that is worth visiting and climbing, either on foot or by elevator, revealing an incredible view of the whole city of Bergamo. On Piazza Vecchia the court building is located, decorated with a statue of the Venetian lion.

Next to them is the Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo), which is relatively small compared to the large Cathedral  of Santa Maria Maggiore. The cathedral is exquisitely painted, especially impressive is its ceiling. The square also houses Cappella Colleoni, a chapel built in 1476 that houses the tomb of political leader Bartolomeo Colleoni. Here rises proudly the Palazzo della Ragione, which houses paintings by famous Venetian artists as early as the 15th and 16th centuries. Undoubtedly, Bergamo owes its artistic charm to the Venetians who ruled the city between the 15th and 18th centuries.

Today Bergamo is famous for its medieval heart and modern soul, it is one of the most visited cities in the Lombardy region. The city is also known as the place where the ice cream strachella originated, patented here in 1962 by Enrico Panattoni. Without a doubt, here you can try some of the best ice creams in the world. Be sure to try the Italian pizza,  which also has its traditions here, especially our favorite is the Il Fornaio oven, which you can not miss during your visit to the Upper Town, as its has a rich display on the window that always attracts many visitors, and at its entrance there are almost always queues that are quickly served.

Bergamo is a real paradise for tourists with its many historic buildings almost untouched by World War II, museums and other cultural sites, establishments with appetizing Italian cuisine, and picturesque shops with unique local souvenirs. The city is deservedly chosen as the cultural capital of Italy for 2023 along with Brescia. The two cities were hit hardest during the pandemic.  And today they are a symbol of entrepreneurial achievement, hard work and social solidarity. And for us they remain a wonderful place for walks, photos and shopping.

If you are traveling with children in Bergamo, we recommend that you visit the nearby Parco Faunistico Le Cornelle Zoo, which opened in 1981. It can easily be reached by bus 8, which you can take from the central station by getting off at the 23rd Valbrembo stop, or even more conveniently by taxi for about 30 euros. The zoo is located on the Eastern bank of the Brembo river and includes 126,000 sq.m, of green areas that are at the disposal of the animals and of anyone who wants to know them.  The low fences allow visitors to come as close as possible to animals from all over the world, and the numerous playgrounds, carousels and tourist train contribute to the fun and unforgettable stay of children there.

Another good children’s attraction near to Bergamo is the amusement  park Leolandia, which originated in 1971 under the name Minitalia, after which it grew in size and number of attractions, and since 2008 renamed into Leolandia. The center of the park is still occupied with miniatures from all over Italy, and around them there are various attractions and home to many favorite children’s characters such as PJ Masks. Masha and the Bear, Bluey, Bing, Thomas the train, etc., and here come other favorites characters like the Ladybug and the Cat Noir, who generously take pictures with the visitors and make performances. Two days were not enough for my children to get enough of games and magic in this park, and our stay inspired us for a new family fairy tale, which we are happy to share below. Just to note that, the park is more suitable for younger children, unlike nearby Gardaland, which we recommend for older children and adults.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT BERGAMO:

Location: Bergamo is located in northern Italy, at the foot of the Alps, about 40 km northeast of Milan and 30 km from Switzerland.