Bergamo is one of the loveliest surprises in northern Italy, and its fame has grown enormously in recent years: in 2023 it was Italian Capital of Culture together with Brescia, and 2025 was a record year for tourism, with a boom in B&Bs and holiday homes. The city has two faces: the Città Alta, a medieval and Renaissance jewel enclosed by mighty walls, and the Città Bassa, modern, elegant and lively. A few kilometres away, Orio al Serio airport — with almost 17 million passengers in 2025, Italy’s third-busiest — makes it a very convenient gateway to the whole north.
Bergamo is also Garibaldi’s “City of the Thousand” and the birthplace of composer Gaetano Donizetti, celebrated every autumn with a great opera festival. Its cuisine, between casoncelli, polenta and cheeses such as Taleggio and Strachitunt, is another excellent reason to stop. It’s a human-scale city, perfect for a weekend, but also a strategic base for exploring Lombardy thanks to the trains to Milan and its closeness to the lakes.
The right area to stay depends on the type of trip: a weekend of art and romance, a practical, well-connected base, or a convenient night before a flight. Here are the three best areas, each with its own atmosphere and recommended hotels.
Città Alta: the historic heart within the Venetian walls
The Città Alta is Bergamo’s jewel: a compact, pedestrian old town enclosed by the Venetian walls, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the scenic Piazza Vecchia, the Campanone bell tower, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Colleoni Chapel. You reach it on foot, by car (with some restrictions) or by the historic funicular, and in the evening, when the day-trippers leave, only the magic of the lamp-lit lanes remains.
Sleeping up here is the most romantic and atmospheric experience, ideal for couples and history lovers. In return, spaces are compact, getting up and down takes a little planning, and prices are higher. But waking up within the walls, with a view over the plain, is worth every effort.
A walk along the Venetian walls, perhaps at sunset, offers one of the finest views in Lombardy, sweeping from the plain to the Prealps. In the evening the Città Alta transforms: the traditional trattorias serve casoncelli and polenta, and the lanes empty of day visitors. It’s the moment when those staying up here enjoy the greatest privilege — having the old town almost to themselves.
Foresteria di Palazzo Radici
A B&B in the historic heart of upper Bergamo, on Via Porta Dipinta, with soundproofed rooms and garden views. Sleeping inside the walls, a step from Piazza Vecchia, means experiencing the Città Alta in the early morning and evening, when the coaches leave and only the magic of the lanes remains.
B&B Dimora Delle Donnole
A charming B&B on Via Castagneta, among the quietest lanes of the Città Alta, with well-kept spaces and an intimate atmosphere. It’s the ideal address for those seeking the silence and poetry of the historic town, a few steps from the monuments but away from the bustle of the main streets.
My Home For You – Città Alta
A holiday home on Via San Vigilio, on the edge of the Città Alta, with the independence of your own space and panoramic glimpses. The apartment formula is perfect for families and longer stays, to experience the old town at your own pace and enjoy the view over the city from above.
Città Bassa and the centre: convenience and elegance
The Città Bassa is Bergamo’s modern, lively centre: elegant avenues, the Sentierone promenade, the Donizetti Theatre, the shopping streets and the great museums such as the Accademia Carrara, one of Italy’s most important art galleries, and the GAMeC of contemporary art. It’s the most practical area, well connected to the Città Alta by the funicular and to the airport by public transport, with a wider choice of accommodation at more affordable prices.
It’s the ideal base for those who want to move around easily, combine art and shopping and conveniently reach both the old town and the station. Perfect for a cultural weekend or for those using Bergamo as a base to explore Lombardy.
The heart of the Città Bassa is the Sentierone, an elegant arcaded avenue flanked by the Donizetti Theatre, which in autumn hosts the famous opera festival devoted to the composer. Around it unfold the shopping streets, historic cafés and museums, while the station, a few steps away, makes this area very handy for arriving by train and for day trips. It’s the most modern, lived-in Bergamo, perfectly complementing the magic of the Città Alta.
B&B Casa Davide
A welcoming B&B in the lower town, a few steps from the Accademia Carrara and the funicular to the upper town. Good location, comfortable rooms and excellent value: a practical choice for those arriving at Orio who want to take in Bergamo at their own pace.
Donizetti Residence
An aparthotel in the heart of the lower town, with apartments featuring a kitchenette and an excellent central location. The residence formula is ideal for families and longer stays, a step from the Sentierone and handy for the funicular and the station.
La Casa di Mia
A well-kept holiday home along Via Sant’Alessandro, the street linking the lower town to the historic quarter, handy on foot to both the centre and the climb to the Città Alta. Ideal for those who want the independence of an apartment in a strategic spot, among shops and atmospheric corners.
Near Orio al Serio airport
Orio al Serio airport (Il Caravaggio) is one of Italy’s main low-cost hubs and a Ryanair base, just 5 kilometres from the centre of Bergamo and also very well connected to Milan. Those with an early-morning flight or a late-night landing find it very convenient to sleep nearby, between Orio al Serio and neighbouring Grassobbio, in properties designed for travellers, often with a shuttle and parking.
It’s the practical choice for those using Bergamo as the departure or arrival point of a trip, without giving up the chance to pop into the Città Alta during a layover. A smart solution too for those flying low-cost who want to spend less while staying close to the gates.
It should be said, though, that the area around the airport is residential and lacks the charm of the old town: it makes sense to choose it mainly for timing reasons. Those with more time can happily sleep in the Città Bassa or Alta and reach the airport by bus in a few minutes, enjoying a more beautiful Bergamo. In any case, it’s always a good idea to check the shuttle and its times with the property, especially for night flights.
FlyBGY
A property designed for those flying from Orio, very close to the airport, with practical rooms and a management used to flight schedules. The long line of satisfied guests confirms it as a reliable, worry-free base for a night before or after departure.
La Casa Del Viaggiatore
In Grassobbio, a step from the airport, a simple, welcoming address designed precisely for travellers. Convenient, quiet and good value, it’s the right choice for resting near the airport and setting off stress-free, with the centre of Bergamo a few minutes away.
This guide is part of our tour of the region: discover all the areas in Where to stay in Lombardy. Bergamo is half an hour by train from Milan and close to Lake Como.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions we are asked most often about where to stay in Bergamo.
What is the best area to stay in Bergamo?
It depends on the type of trip. For a romantic, atmospheric stay, the Città Alta, within the Venetian walls, is priceless, though pricier and more compact. For convenience, museums and transport, the Città Bassa is the most practical and affordable choice. Those with a flight from Orio al Serio find it handy to sleep near the airport. For a first tourist weekend we recommend the Città Alta or the centre of the Città Bassa, both well connected.
Upper town or lower town?
The Città Alta is the most atmospheric: you sleep inside the historic quarter, among lanes and monuments, and it’s perfect for a romantic escape, but it has compact spaces, some car restrictions and higher prices. The Città Bassa is more convenient and lively, with a wider choice of accommodation, the museums, shopping and excellent links both by funicular to the upper town and to the airport. For atmosphere choose the upper town, for practicality the lower.
Where to stay in Bergamo near Orio al Serio airport?
For an early flight or a late-night landing it’s best to sleep between Orio al Serio and neighbouring Grassobbio, where there are properties designed for travellers, often with a shuttle and parking. The airport is just 5 kilometres from the centre of Bergamo and well connected, so you can also choose a base in the Città Bassa and reach the airport in a few minutes by public transport. Sleeping near the airport is the most practical solution for awkward low-cost flights.
How do you get around Bergamo without a car?
Very well: the Città Bassa and the Città Alta are linked by a historic funicular, and a second funicular climbs to San Vigilio, the highest viewpoint. Orio al Serio airport is reachable in a few minutes by bus, and the train station connects Bergamo to Milan in about half an hour. The old town is pedestrian, so a car isn’t needed in the city: it’s best to choose accommodation near the funicular or the station.
How many days do you need to visit Bergamo?
For the Città Alta — Piazza Vecchia, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Colleoni Chapel, a walk along the walls — a full day is enough. With a second day you add the Accademia Carrara, the Città Bassa and perhaps the San Vigilio funicular or a stroll on the hills. Bergamo is also an excellent base for exploring Lombardy: half an hour by train reaches Milan, and a little more Lake Como or Lake Iseo.
Is Bergamo good for a weekend flying from Orio?
Perfectly: it’s one of the ideal destinations for a low-cost city break, precisely thanks to the closeness of the airport to the centre. You can land at Orio, reach Bergamo in a few minutes, visit the Città Alta and the Città Bassa over a weekend and set off again stress-free. Many also use it as a base for a wider tour of Lombardy, with Milan, Lake Como and Lake Iseo all reachable on a day trip. For a very early return flight, the last night near the airport is best.
What is there to see in Bergamo?
In the Città Alta: Piazza Vecchia, considered one of Italy’s most beautiful, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Colleoni Chapel, the Campanone and the Venetian walls, a UNESCO site, to walk for the panorama. In the Città Bassa: the Accademia Carrara, the Sentierone, the Donizetti Theatre and the GAMeC. Don’t miss the San Vigilio funicular and, at the table, casoncelli, polenta and local cheeses, from Taleggio to Strachitunt.
