Piazza Vecchia and the Venetian walls
Bergamo is two cities in one: the modern Città Bassa on the plain and, on the hill above, the Città Alta, the medieval upper town, enclosed by the mighty Venetian walls, about six kilometres long, built in the sixteenth century when Bergamo was the westernmost outpost of the Republic of Venice. Since 2017 the walls have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You can reach the upper town by the old funicular from the lower town. Its heart is Piazza Vecchia, which Le Corbusier called "the most beautiful square in Europe", with the Palazzo della Ragione, the Campanone tower, which still rings 100 strokes at 10 pm, the time the city gates once closed, and the Contarini fountain. Behind it lies Piazza del Duomo, with the cathedral, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Cappella Colleoni. The main street, the Corsa, lined with shops and pastry shops, runs between the gates; at the top a second funicular climbs to San Vigilio, with its castle and views.
Tip: try the polenta e osei, a sweet shaped like polenta with marzipan birds, and casoncelli, stuffed pasta with butter and sage.
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