Bergamo Città Alta
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Bergamo Città Alta
The hilltop city
Sixteenth-century UNESCO-listed walls and a funicular up from the lower town.
Bergamo's Città Alta is the old town on the hill, enclosed by sixteenth-century Venetian walls — more than six kilometres of bastions, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017 with the Venetian Republic's other defence works. Inside are Piazza Vecchia, the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Colleoni Chapel; below, linked by the 1887 funicular, lies the lower town with the Accademia Carrara. Orio al Serio airport is about twenty minutes away: the ideal visit when you have a few hours before or after a flight.
Bergamo Città Alta
What to see
- The Venetian Walls, a UNESCO site you can walk along.
- Piazza Vecchia, the Colleoni Chapel and Santa Maria Maggiore.
- The funicular between the lower town and the Città Alta, running since 1887.
Bergamo Città Alta
Practical tips
- The Città Alta is a limited-traffic zone: the car leaves you at the gates or the funicular, unless your hotel holds a permit.
- With an evening flight from Orio, a half day with the hourly service and your luggage in the car is the easiest plan.
Bergamo Città Alta