Bergamo: A New Discovery

 You know, after decades traveling all over Italy, I sometimes trick myself into thinking that there's nothing left to discover.

I mean, of course I've done "The Big 3" several times over (Rome, Florence and Venice). I've hit all the charming Tuscan hill towns, braved the chaos of Puglia and Campania, and explored my beloved Piemonte to death.

So I was pleasantly surprised this summer to discover a new hidden gem: Bergamo.

Isn't that pretty? 

You probably look at that picture and think...how could you have missed this place? But it's off the radar.

It's only coming on the radar lately because there is an airport in Bergamo that is starting to be used more by the low-cost airlines on their routes. And that's actually how I discovered it!

I had to deliver my son and his girlfriend to the airport in Bergamo for their flight to Morocco. My boyfriend and I dropped them off, and since it was still early, we thought we'd head into the city and do some exploring.

And wow--was I impressed! I had zero expectations, and thought: ok, we can walk around the town for 10 minutes, grab an aperol spritz and be on our way back to Torino. But immediately I was struck by the beautiful medieval architecture--and by the peace. Since Bergamo isn't a well-known town, there were very few tourists around, and we sort of had the place to ourselves.

But it wasn't just beautiful structures. Bergamo actually was a thriving town, full of cute galleries and shops and lots of charming restaurants with plenty of outdoor seating in quaint piazzas.

And we even got our spritz in the end!!

Located just 45 minutes to the northeast of Milan, and easily reachable by train, I highly recommend Bergamo as a stop for anyone enjoying a vacation in the north of Italy!