Did you know that Bergamo is the only city enclosed within a park?
The Park of the Hills, which stretches over 4,700 hectares, brings together the capital and other neighboring municipalities in a large necklace dotted with a wide variety of vegetation, animals and landscape, the historic core of the upper city, natural oases, all the way to the beautiful valley that is home to the former Astino monastery.
You can stroll for hours losing yourself in the wonders of the Park: reach the Castle of San Vigilio, the highest point in Bergamo, from which you will enjoy a wide and spectacular view of the surrounding area; walk along the little stairs; visit the house where Donizetti was born or the Church of Santa Grata Inter Vites… There are really so many possibilities that the Park of the Hills offers you!
The valley at the center of which stands the Monastery of Astino, an imposing monumental complex dating back to the Middle Ages that has recently come back to life with events and cultural initiatives, is cultivated organically, respecting the original crops found in the Bergamo area.
In addition to Astino, there is another former Benedictine monastery in the Park of the Hills, that of Valmarina.
Housed in the small valley of the same name, which is cultivated with terraces, it dates back to at least the 12th century AD and is now the headquarters of the institution.