Champions League away days: Bergamo, Italy
Monday, February 23, 2026
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Located in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy, Bergamo’s blend of old and new lends it an irresistible charm.
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Surrounded by beautiful greenery, dressed with Venetian walls and boasting a diverse and delicious cuisine, Bergamo has plenty to offer.
As Atalanta prepare to host Borussia Dortmund in their UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off decider, we give the away days treatment to the northern Italian city.
The old: Città Alta
Accessible via a scenic walk or funicular railway, the perimeter of Bergamo’s Città Alta (translation: upper town) is set by the stunning Venetian Walls, built in 1561 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.
There is plenty to see inside too, from panoramic views atop the 52-metre high Campanone tower to the stunning baroque interior of The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
The new: Città Bassa
The more modern lower town is nonetheless rich in terms of culture and history. Visitors to the Sentierone and Via XX Settembre can take in beautiful centuries-old streets all while enjoying an array of trendy shopping and entertainment choices.
Not far removed is the Teatro Donizetti, a magnificent auditorium which takes the name of Bergamasque composer Gaetano Donizetti. The city’s artistic heritage is also celebrated at the Accademia Carrara museum, which houses masterpieces of the Lombard and Venetian tradition by Lorenzo Lotto, Giovan Battista Moroni, Evaristo Baschenis and Fra Galgario.
The eats: Polenta Taragna, Casoncelli, Stracciatella
Bergamo is also known to delight the taste buds, with a delicious and wide-ranging cuisine. Savoury highlights include Casoncelli – a pasta filled with meat, amaretti, parmesan, sultanas and parsley and topped with butter, bacon and sage – and Polenta Taragna, a composition of maize and buckwheat flour flavoured by melted butter and cheese.
For the sweet tooth, look no further than Stracciatella ice cream, a milk-based gelato studded with dark chocolate that was invented by Enrico Panattoni at the Marianna Patisserie in Colle Aperto, Bergamo, in 1961.