Bergamo, Italy – A Day Trip from Warsaw

Last year I enjoyed quite a lot of day trips abroad. At the time it was still possible to fly from Stockholm Skavsta Airport to Gdansk, a route with two flights each day. It was a joy to be able to fly down in the morning and back home in the evening, something that had not been possible after the route was moved to Stockholm Arlanda Airport. So when visiting Warsaw in spring, I saw the possibility of experiencing this thrill once more. I had found a cheap return flight to Bergamo, in northern Italy. On an early Friday morning, I took my backpack and grabbed a taxi to the Warsaw Chopin Airport. It was time for an adventure in the middle of an adventure.

Wizz Air Flight to Bergamo

Taking a taxi to Warsaw Chopin Airport early in the morning is quite easy. Less traffic means that it is a fast ride from the center and even the airport itself is just waking up for these first morning flights. It is less than two hours from Warsaw to Bergamo. Getting a day pass for public transport upon arrival and taking the bus to the center meant that the clock hadn’t even struck 9 when I was standing in front of the train station in Bergamo. I had almost 12 hours before my flight back to Warsaw and even though it was quite cold in the morning the sun was soon about to warm up the air of the city.

Città Alta

I began my walk and headed towards the funiculares taking visitors up to Città Alta, the old town of Bergamo. The old town is the main tourist center of the city and the narrow streets are lined with restaurants and historical sights. For me, it was an enjoyable walk, but I had set my target a bit further up towards the next funicular leading up to San Vigilio. I had been to Bergamo twice before with Susann. First in 2016, after getting married, and then a return visit in 2018. So my main thought was to see the nice mountainous nature just to the north of Città Alta.

San Vigilio

Getting to San Vigilio means contrasts. From the lively quarters of Città Alta, still visible below the hill, it gets a lot more quiet. There are still a few buildings up here, but there is less disturbance to the peace. There are the remains of the castle Castello Di San Vigilio to explore here, but that takes less than 10 minutes. So once done I set off on a hike along the narrow streets and pathways to the northwest.

A Beautiful Hike at San Vigilio Hill

Initially, my hike took me along the narrow streets and pathways, but I was soon out in the forest along the path of Sentiero dei Vasi. This beautiful, but sometimes muddy, path led along the edges of a ravine with a few dramatic views of the surrounding forest. The best word to describe it is tranquility with barely anyone else around. That barely changed when reaching the larger road Via Castagneta. It took a few hours to get back to the funicular at San Vigilio. Most of the time I didn’t really know where I was, which in itself is a nice feeling sometimes – just walking and seeing where you end up. At least I did know that if I kept the larger hill on my right, I would eventually end up where I started.

Heading Back Down Towards the City Center

Once I did get back to San Vigilio I at once started my descent towards Città Alta. This time on foot instead of using the funicular. The walk did once more take me along the streets of Città Alta and towards the first funicular, the one leading back down towards the more modern city center. One thing is for sure, it is hard not to enjoy the views when walking through the Città Alta. The narrow streets and historical buildings. Well, the whole area has a historical atmosphere to it.

Enjoying the Sunshine in Città Bassa

The upper more historical part of Bergamo is known as Città Alta, while the lower part is known as Città Bassa. It is in Città Bassa that the more modern city center can be found with shopping streets and more administrative buildings. Once I had reached the lower station of the funicular the sun was shining properly and it was a little past lunchtime. I did soon find a place to have a kebab for a late lunch. I then spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sunshine while strolling around along the streets of Città Bassa.

Bergamo is many times really a forgotten gem in northern Italy. It is a city usually overseen when cities such as Milano and Venice are nearby. Bergamo is easy to reach and not too big. I have been to Milano and I must say that I do prefer this smaller city with its different areas along the hillside.

Returning to the Airport

I did have several hours left before my return flight to Warsaw. But my feet were eventually really tired as I headed back to the airport. I had noticed on the map that there was a shopping center right next to the airport and I had decided to spend my evening there. The Oriocenter is just a short walk from the airport terminal. It has a lot of shops and it also has a larger grocery store. It was at a small café or bar connected to the grocery store that I sat down for a small evening meal. They had a tapas-style offer for the evening consisting of a few small treats and a glass of Aperol Spritz. It was nice to just sit down, not have to stress, and being able to enjoy the time before the flight back. Knowing that it is just a short walk back to the airport, it is nice to not have that stress to travel there in time.

The evening eventually progressed and it had gotten dark outside once I left the shopping center. It was just to walk up to the terminal, through security, and wait to board the flight back to Warsaw. I was pleased with my little day trip. I had not had high expectations considering that it was just a few hours, but the feeling of going somewhere is quite addictive. This would not be the last similar trip. That was for sure.