Bergamo - View from the upper city on one of the hills of Bergamo
I didn´t know what to pick after London and Scotland, but I thought that was time to write something on my hometown in Italy: Bergamo.
Bergamo is a small city in Lombardy, north of Milan, with more or less 115.000 inhabitants. In my opinion is in a very good position, because not so far away there is the biggest Italian biggest city (Milan, as I said) and many more, there are lakes (Garda, Maggiore, Como, Sarnico for example), and of course the mountains with loads of valleys and nice places to walk and eat well.
Cloudy Day
Bergamo is divided in two parts: the lower city, that is the modern city, and the upper city, the old medieval part. Bergamo was founded by the Celtics, but it became an important town with the Romans, thanks to its strategic position in the middle of the north of Italy. The upper city has 2 main streets that come from the Romans time, but after the town has developed thru the different dominations (Lombard duchies; Venetian Republic, from which the city took the symbol of the lion; Austrian Empire). In 1859 Bergamo entered the Kingdom of Italy, after Garbaldi freed it during the Second Italian War of Independence.
Main old square
The old city is my favorite part, because I like the medieval period, but also because it more silent and greener compared to the modern Bergamo. The upper city lays on a hill and it´s still surrounded by big defensive walls from the 17th century. As tourist you can enjoy many historical houses, the medieval atmosphere, the main old square with a part of the university and behind which there are the three main churches: the cathedral of Bergamo (with frescoes of Tiepolo and the grave of Gaetano Donizzetti, of which you can also visit a museum), Santa Maria Major and Colleoni Chapel. There is also the Rocca, that is the old Castle, from which you can enjoy a fantastic view of the upper city, lower city, the mountains and the valley. There is also another church, San Michele al Pozzo Bianco, built in the 12th century, where people can find paintings from Lorenzo Lotto(if you are interested in Lorenzo Lotto, I think you would like the Cuardis chapel in Trescore Balneario). I suggest to take a long walk along the defensive walls: it´s relaxing and you can enjoy many things that are not visible from a bus. With regard to the food, you can find so many places in the old city where you can enjoy the typical food from Bergamo (I suggest to try a special kind of ravioli called Scapinocc of Parre or the Casoncelli, or the Brasato with polenta) or good Italian food, also a simple pizza!
In Bergamo you can find a good art museum called Accademia Carrara, and a gallery of modern art called GAMEC. There is also a science museum, an historical museum on Bergamo, a Botanical Garden.
But I remember that it´s not so difficult to reach many beautiful places in Lombardy, because Bergamo lies in the centre of the region. I suggest Como, Lake Garda, Milan, Pavia, and I cannot pick where to go in the mountains, because there are so many places! In the evenings there is not so much to do, but you can enjoy a nice dinner and a walk in the centre of the lower city. Or you can drive to one of the lakes or up in the mountains. My city is not so big, but it deserves a visit! 
Lower City and Upper City in the back (not the best weather for the view:P)
Links:
- Bergamo Tourism: some information on Bergamo, the weather, what can you do and see, and some other links.
- Accademia Carrara and GAMEC
- Botanical Garden (site only in Italian)
- Science Museum and Donizzetti´s museum
- For the hotels use Expedia and remember! Ryanair flies directly to Bergamo!
