Weekend trip to Bergamo 2023 (Summary)
Arriving Bergamo for the weekend.
This weekend trip to “Milan & Lombardy” was decided to unfold in Bergamo area.
We got to the hotel in Stezzano by taxi due to late arrival by plane. “Art & Hotel” is a relativly big hotel a littlebit outside Bergamo sentrum in the area of Stezzano. The taxi is 25 euro from Bergamo airport to the hotel.
The hotel has good qualities, but it do not get our best review, reading the review before booking is our advice. Or simply book a room here
Review of "Art & Hotel" in Bergamo:
-Some food and straight to bed
Due to hunger we went to Pappa Gallo: That turned out not to be the best. we bought some food there but it had to go to garbage.
It may seem a bit harsh to only give one on the dice. As the first thing you do when you come on a weekend trip to Bergamo. The main reason is that the food that was served did not taste good. Secondly, it appeared that the hygiene was quite poor due to the clearly dirty hands of the person who acted as cook. He could also say that he had a job in transport while he did not work here as a cook. Maybe they should focus more on transport and less on restaurants?
Pizzeria Pappagallo get 1 on dice. We’ll never go back!
It turned out there was a Turkish restaurant open in the center of Stezzano. We went there for a new try, the restaurant is ca. 15 minutes walk from the hotel. They have a selection of pannini, pizza, hamburgers, kebabs with different strengths depending on what you want. The restaurant gets a dice roll of 4 based on the experience We had. We were hungry and was greeted by nice guys that Friday night. They made a nice dish that tasted good, and it seemed to by hygienic. All in all good experience
**Remember my reviews are based on our experience that day. Places to eat get dices, tours, hotels get stars.
First day: Beyond all expectations (!)
Train to Bergamo and Lecco
The train station in Stezzano do not sell train tickets. Stezzano is considered to be such a small place that there is no ticket machine even. I reccomend to find the ticket here. 1 adult from Stezzano, via Bergamo to Lecco is about 5 euro. Buy the ticket and just go over the bridge from the hotel and you find the train station only few minutes walk from Art & Hotel.
From Stezzano to Bergamo about 30 minutes by train.
The train from Bergamo to Lecco is about 40 minutes.
Arriving Lecco
Fast forward to Lecco, The goal was to get on a cable car that takes you to a mountain top in the Como area, where Lecco is located. There is a few but we choose Piani d’Erna. At the train station (X in map) there is a small newspaper shop called Edicola Galli. (1. in picture at this page) Go in there, buy a ticket to buss nr. 5. It is 1,4 Euro each way pr. person.
After you have bought the bus ticket go over the road to the busstopp . (2. in the map)
When the bus nr 5 arriwe hold on to the end of the bus itinerary, it is a awesome ride up very steep hills.
When you get to the end there is a parkinglot, the cablecar, a small bar/coffè shop and a B&B called Parentza Funivia. Unfortunally i did not get the time to do a real full scale review of that B&B. But i got to speak to the owner they told me they only have frew rooms. It seemed to me like a very spesial place to sleep. In the mountains, with a view, fresh air and easy acsess to the tours in the area. Try it out in the link below.
Journy from Lecco to Cable car, and almost to the mountain top.
It was only few euro per person to get on to the cable car that brougt us, almost to the top.
At the top we met people who did the “Via Ferrata Gamma 1”. If you want to do that you have to plan ahead and bring equipment. Here you you can find guided tours for that Via Ferrata to Piani d’Erna.
Reality is better than pictures, you need to experience yourselfe!
The experience of getting to that top, is far better than what we can manage to tell thru the pictues from the tour. You ask; what is the tings to do in Lecco and the area around Como? This tour is a gem i can warmly advice you to visit Piani d’Erna, by the lake of Como.
On the top there is a restaurant Tattori Bar Milani where we had some wonderful food, and we met very nice people. Food gets dice roll of 4. Real “homemade” italian food. Wonderfull!!
Lecco the supprise by Lake Como -Carnevalone-
When we got back down to Lecco, from the cable car, there was a fantastic suprise they have a carneval in town every year and this was at 19.2 – 25.2.23, the eksakt same date we visit the town by Lake Como. Carnevalone is the name of this carneval with traditions all the way back to 1884.
This carneval – event is every year. There are no guided tours or anything, that we have found. Meaning this event you need to investegate and go to 100% on your own. I really reccomend going there. It was FANTASTIC!!
Back to Bergamo
Food cravings in Bergamo
After all the amazing experiences in Lecco that day it was about time to go back to Bergamo. Here we found a table at Cafè del Colleoni. We did not eat a full dinner, only first dish, and a secound dish.
Due to i was out of power on the cellphone i could not take much pictures from the restaurant.
The food i got was truly amazing. Combination of tastes gave very interesting food experence. The waiters were ekstremly bussy, there should been more people at work when the restaurant/bar is packed with people. They get a 5 eyes on the dice due to it is no such thing as 4,5 eyes.
English bar in Bergamo we tried Pub Sant'Orsola
The urge to look for a english bar brought us to Pub Sant’Orsola. This place has grate location, there ar TV schreens showing sports and fotball in different areas of the pub.
They serve some food and quite a as well as a selection of beers and drinks, also soft drinks.
We can recommend this bar if you are a little homesick and come from a place with this type of bars.You can reserve table or just drop in.
Last day in Bergamo, that weekend!
When you get there enjoy Bergamo grasp the moment.
The last day “that weekend”, indicates that this is not the last time in Bergamo. After breakfast at the hotel, we checked out, and took the train to the center of Bergamo to explore the “upper town” of Bergamo.
The last day of the weekend trip is normally always a bit stressful because you constantly have in the back of your mind that you have to catch the plane back home. Therefore, there was only a few goals. It was to experience Piazza Vecchia and the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, and consume the experience of surrounding yourself with a beautiful medieval city.
When going to the upper town Civita in Bergamo.
The uppertown of Bergamo has been a term since the roman empire where ruled there. The “Suburbia” on the flat mainland below evolved later in the 1900 century.
You can use buss nr 1 or 1A to get to the top. If you buy the 1A there is a free ticket included to the Funicolare that you should use.
On the other hand, if you don’t have ticket from that bus, you need to go purchase a ticket to the Funicolare in the yellow buliding before standing in line!! Ticket office are under the italian flag in the picture (right side).
We will go back to Bergamo again!
Weekend trip to Bergamo has been grate and to short, there is a huge need to go back to Bergamo to look more into detaljes and history.
We belive that the if we used a guide in Bergamo it may have been possible to get even more out of this short weekend. But still it was an amazing weekend.
There is some guided tour for Bergamo shown that will help you.
Guided tour in Bergamo – Magic medieval town
Or this one
Private guided tour in Bergamo.
Bus back to Bergamo Airport.
We add the way to get back to the airport of Bergamo for us was by the bus. It is very easy acsess and about 20 minutes ride. You need to purchase the ticket to the bus in a little kiosk just next to the bus station. We leave a picture below (bus is on other side of the road from the trainstation). Remeber to read the Review of Art&Hotel and enjoy your trip to Bergamo.
