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Town:
Bergamo
(north
central)
Bergamo
is a "high and low" kind of town. The city itself is
divided into Bergamo Bassa (lower) and Bergamo Alta (upper).
Bergamo was founded on a hill by a first very old settlement in
the protohistoric age. The oldest part of the town, enclosed
within walls, lies up on the hill while the modern centre has
developed on the plain. Centrally situated (50 km northeast of Milan) in the Lombardia
Region, Bergamo is a gateway to the Alps, as well as Italy's
great Po Valley.
Relatively
modern, Basso is connected by a funicular railway to spectacular
and historic Bergamo Alta, perched 400 meters above the plain,
and considered to be one of Italy's loveliest hill towns.
Local
particularities include a complex dialect (now spoken mainly by older natives of
town), and the Bergamask Sheep-dog breed. Bergamo
is the birthplace of Pope John XXIII - a.k.a. Papa Giovanni,
1881-1963 and great Classical music composer Gaetano Donizetti.
Affiliated
hotels: 
Hotel
Donizetti*
A
few steps from the economic and commercial hearth of Bergamo
city lies Donizetti Hotel, a wonderful starting point to reach the
main cultural attractions (museums, theatres, the Upper Town)
and entertainment places (restaurants, pubs, night clubs, etc.).
Donizetti
hotel offers 32 rooms (Standard rooms and Executive rooms)
including two suites furnished to the very highest standards.
All room are fully air-conditioned, with private bathroom, TV
satellite, pay-per-view, minibar and direct-dial telephone,
radio, ISDN lines, fax and PC modem points.
*other
affiliated hotels available in this area.
Places
to visit and things to do:
Bergamo
Alta is the main attraction for tourists (some monuments date
back to the Middle Ages), and well-heeled Milan
folk who'd escape that bustling city on weekends. Local museums
and architectural delights are complemented by events like
Bergamo's International Jazz Festival, and the Mercantico
- an
antique market held every third Sunday of the month. Antique
Cittą Alta (uptown) on the hill with places and museums to be
discovered at every corner. Accademia Carrara art museum and
GAMC for modern art downtown. Various skiing places, lakes and
valleys at easy reach by car.
Regional
food: Variety
of cold cuts with croutons, Season filled Ravioli with butter
and bacon, Selection
of grilled meat with Polenta Taragna (different cheeses melted
in polenta), Tench fish in the oven and Grilled trevisan salad with
mild cheese.
Local
wines: Some
of the best
wines from Lombardia
are Valcalepio, Pinot nero and
Moscato di Scanzo Location: Motorway
Milan-Venice. Dalmine exit.
Distance km: Milan 40, Garda lake 60, Verona 80, Venice 220
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