3 Best Sights in Lombardy and the Lakes, Italy

Bergamo is home to an art collection that's surprisingly rewarding given its size and remote location. Many of the Venetian masters are represented—Mantegna, Bellini, Carpaccio (circa 1460–1525/26), Tiepolo (1727–1804), Francesco Guardi (1712–93), and Canaletto (1697–1768), as well as Botticelli (1445–1510).

The massive 13th-century Torre Civica (Civic Tower), known as the Campanone, offers a great view of the two cities. Climb the stairs or take an elevator to the top of the tower, where the bells ring every half hour and then 100 times each night at 10 to commemorate the closure of the city gates during Venetian rule.

Bergamo's Duomo and Battistero are the most substantial buildings in Piazza Duomo. But the most impressive structure is the Cappella Colleoni, which boasts a kaleidoscope of marble decoration and golden accents.