Why Bergamo? Invariably we’re asked by Italians where we’re from. Answering that we’re from here, from Bergamo, and explaining that we now live here, we now anticipate the next question: “Perché Bergamo?” “Why Bergamo?”

With a population of approximately 120,000, it’s not too big, but not so small that everybody knows everybody else’s business. It’s large enough that we continue to discover new places, have a large variety of restaurants and shops, and continue to be surprised with new sights. There’s not an over-abundance of tourists (except for Città Alta) and we rarely hear English and even more rarely “American.”

Located in the north of Italy, Bergamo is well connected to the rest of Europe and points further away. It has its own airport — Milan Bergamo Airport/Orio al Serio — that is one of three main commercial airports in the Milan area. Orio al Serio is a Ryanair hub with inexpensive flights throughout Europe. It’s a 45” train ride to Milan and all that a big, international city has to offer. Milan’s main international airport, Malpensa, is an easy entry point for friends and family visiting from the United States.

Bergamo is on the Trenord train line which operates regional trains mostly in the northern Lombardy region. It’s an easy 45” train trip on Trenord into Milan where one can pick up the high speed trains traveling between Milan and points north, south and west. Traveling east it’s a straight shot through Brescia and Verona to Venice. The trains are relatively inexpensive and comfortable with no concerns about locating car parking at your destination.

CITY SERVICES FUNCTION EFFICIENTLY

From cleanliness to public transportation to bureaucratic efficiency (relatively speaking, of course, in Italy), things work pretty much the way one would expect them to. Trash is collected regularly and doesn’t pile up on the street. The buses are on time and easy to use with the possibility to pay contactless with a credit card onboard. With a basic understanding of Italian, it’s not too difficult to schedule appointments through an online portal with the key bureaucratic players to obtain residency, an identity card, a health card, etc. Having heard horror stories before moving here, we were pleasantly surprised at how smoothly we accomplished our transition.

PROXIMITY TO MOUNTAINS & LAKES

Bergamo is an easy day trip away from the northern lakes — especially the well-known Lake Como and Lake Maggiore and the lesser known and smaller Lake Iseo just north of Brescia. Lake Garda is a bit further to the east, but still an easy trip. Especially on Lake Como, the ferry system is well organized and it’s possible to buy a day pass allowing unlimited rides between the lakeside towns.

If hiking is your thing, the mountains around Bergamo do not disappoint. While not reaching the heights of the Dolomites or the Alps (not far though), the Bergamasche Prealps offer a wide range of trails from easy, family and kid friendly to challenging and requiring a degree of technical climbing/hiking skill. There are walks within the Comune itself and the passageways from the lower city to the upper city through the walls are especially beautiful with lovely views of the city.

BEAUTY & HISTORY

Bergamo never fails to disappoint when it comes to beauty. Whether it’s the old, especially Città Alta, or the more modern, there is much that pleases the eye. A medieval city, one can find cobblestone streets, old buildings and palaces. But the history of Bergamo dates even further back to 49 BC, when it was established as a Roman city. Through the years it has been ruled by the Milanese, the Venetians, the French and the Austrians. Each has left its mark.

These are but several of the many reasons we chose to relocate to Bergamo — a few answers to the question “perché Bergamo?” We continue to discover new things to like, confirming for us that we made the right choice. When relatives from the United States come to visit we see Bergamo afresh through their eyes and are grateful for our lives here. It keeps us fresh, always learning something new (especially the language)!