Bergamo in 2 Days: Upper Town and Venetian Walls

Start in the Upper Town’s main square, framed by the Palazzo della Ragione and the white Biblioteca Angelo Mai. The basilica and Colleoni Chapel are just through the passage behind the old town hall.

Step inside for a contrast with the plain stone exterior: tapestries, carved wood and dense Baroque decoration fill the basilica. Pair it with the neighbouring Colleoni Chapel rather than returning to this square later.

The Colleoni Chapel is the small, richly decorated building beside the basilica. Its patterned marble façade is worth studying before going inside to see the tomb of the military commander Bartolomeo Colleoni.

Climb or take the lift up the civic bell tower for a view across Piazza Vecchia and the Upper Town’s roofs. This gives you a useful sense of the city’s layout before the walk around its walls.

Finish the Upper Town circuit along the Venetian walls, with broad views over the lower city. Walk the southern ramparts towards Porta San Giacomo; this is an outdoor stretch, rather than another indoor visit.

Make the Carrara the main visit of the morning. Its Italian paintings reward a proper look, especially if Renaissance art is your reason for coming to Bergamo. Continue to nearby GAMeC if you want a contemporary counterpart.

Follow the neighbourhood’s main street past small shops and the sanctuary. It is a useful change of pace after the galleries, showing an everyday side of Bergamo beyond the Upper Town’s monuments.

Walk this broad promenade through the lower city, with arcades and open squares around it. It works best as part of the route towards the Donizetti Theatre, rather than a separate sightseeing session.

End the lower-city walk at the theatre named after Bergamo’s composer. The exterior is a brief stop; an evening performance turns it into a fuller visit if the programme appeals to you.

Choose the hilltop fortress for another Upper Town viewpoint and a look at Bergamo’s history. It fits naturally into the first day if you prefer a longer outdoor circuit to extra church interiors.

An alternative for opera enthusiasts: this small museum follows Gaetano Donizetti’s life and work. Combine it with the Upper Town, where it makes more geographical sense than adding it to the lower-city art day.

The botanical garden is an uphill detour from the Upper Town for travellers interested in plants and quieter green spaces. Treat it as a seasonal alternative to another museum, not an extra obligation.