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• VUELO + HOTEL

Hotel El Jou Hotel (Berga)

Edades de los niños en la fecha de estancia

Información general del hotel El Jou Hotel

Conoce el el jou hotel.

Viva en primera persona una experiencia inolvidable rodeado de la belleza natural de los paisajes del Pirineo. El Jou es un hotel familiar, con encanto propio y marcada personalidad. Le ofrecemos un lugar apartado del bullicio de la ciudad en el que distraerse del día a día. En el Jou puede solicitar nuestros servicios de masaje y spa privado, o disfrutar de nuestra cocina casera, dispuesta para cualquier tipo de celebración.

Localización del hotel

Alrededor de la finca, hay actividades de aventura y naturaleza tanto en verano, con el embalse de la Baells a 10 minutos, como en invierno, con las pistas de Masella y la Molina a 40 minutos, y si buscan un plan más tranquilo se pueden relajar en nuestros jardines o hacer senderismo en parajes de alta montaña inigualables.

Tipo de habitaciones del El Jou Hotel

El alojamiento dispone de habitaciones para dos personas con camas separadas o cama de matrimonio equipadas con todo lo que pueda necesitar. Posibilidad de añadir camas o de habitaciones con chimenea decoradas en estilo rústico y perfectamente equipadas

Servicios del hotel El Jou Hotel

• Adaptado a personas con movilidad reducida
• Teléfono de línea directa
• TV vía satélite / TV por cable

Things to Do in Berga, Spain - Berga Attractions

Things to do in berga, tours near berga.

Hire of Kayak and Paddle Surf in La llosa del cavall

guided tour and wine tasting

Girona Shooting Session with Gun or Assault Rifle without Gunpowder

Barcelona to Montserrat: Guided Tour & Return Bus Transfers

Modernist Experience at the Món Sant Benet Monastery

Mon St Benet Self Guided Medieval Experience

Catalonia Hot Air Balloon Ride and Breakfast over the Volcanoes of la Garrotxa

Climbing Adventure in Via ferrata of Centelles

Via Ferrata in Barcelona

Baumes Corcades

Top attractions in berga.

Other Top Attractions around Berga

What travelers are saying

• Santuari de la Mare de Deu de Queralt
• Museo Mines de Cercs
• Santuario Nuestra Senora de Queralt
• Riera de Merles
• La Cova del Santuari de la Mare de Deu de Lourdes

Explore Berga

Plan your berga holiday: best of berga.

Essential Berga

Berga Is Great For

Eat & drink.

Vacation rentals in Berga

Find and book unique accommodations on Airbnb

Top-rated vacation rentals in Berga

Guests agree: these stays are highly rated for location, cleanliness, and more.

Home in Argentona, Spain

Charming house, pool and garden.

Sumérgete en el confort y la tranquilidad de esta encantadora residencia con jardín y piscina privados. Diseñada con una decoración exquisita y equipada con todas las comodidades. Ubicada en un paraje natural incomparable, te ofrece la serenidad de la montaña y la frescura del mar. Perfectamente situada, se encuentra a tan solo 24 km de la ciudad de Barcelona y a 30 km de las pintorescas playas y calas de la Costa Brava. Disfruta de la perfecta fusión de lujo y naturaleza en tu escapada ideal.

Mar 21 – 28

Castle in Llaés

10th century medieval Castle

In the Ripollès region, between rivers, valleys and mountains, the ancient Castle of Llaés (10th century) stands splendidly. A unique place, of exceptional beauty, where absolute tranquility reigns in the middle of an exuberant nature. The Castle has been fully renovated for the comfort required by the facilities for rural tourism, with 8 rooms, 5 with a double bed, and 3 with two single beds. It has a living room, dining room, kitchen, 4 bathrooms, garden and terrace.

Feb 26 – Mar 5

Condo in Calldetenes

Castle. Dorotea Chopitea Apartment

Our holiday home is only 1 hour away from Barcelona, 30 minutes from Girona airport and 10 minutes from Vic. You will be able to rest inside our 1890 modernist castle in a cozy ground floor apartment surrounded by a lovely wood, with pool, horses, kitchen garden, hens, tennis table & bikes. We will be delighted to have you staying in your part of the big house and sharing our pool. If we're there, we will love showing you around and recommending places to visit.

Mar 15 – 22

Home in Collbató, Spain

Montserrat Balcony apartment

Bienvenidos al corazón de Montserrat! Disfruta de una estancia inolvidable en nuestro encantador apartamento situado en el núcleo histórico del pueblo de Collbató, con vistas espectaculares a la majestuosa montaña de Montserrat. Perfecto para parejas y aquellos que buscan sumergirse en la belleza natural de la región. Imagina disfrutar de un desayuno al aire libre rodeado de la belleza natural que ofrece este entorno privilegiado.

Feb 27 – Mar 6

Cottage in Ger

Cal Cassi - Mountain Suite

Cal Cassi is a restored mountain house with attention to detail in its design and decoration to provide guests with a unique stay in the Cerdanya Valley. Located in the town of Ger, with exceptional panoramic views, it dominates the entire valley overlooking the ski resorts, the Segre River and the Cadiz macis. You'll feel like a mountain retreat and disconnect! Sustainable home: AUTOPRODUM OUR ENERGY.

Apartment in Berga, Spain

The Second Floor

Apartment with soul, comfortable and pleasant, large and bright. renovated but retaining its essence, seeking the balance of modern and old making "The Second Floor" a unique and cozy space. You'll find all the comforts to make you feel at home. And its excellent location is ideal whether you want to enjoy the city and its surroundings, or if you prefer to take excursions to the rest of the region.

Jul 23 – 30

Centrally located and recently renovated penthouse.

Newly renovated modern penthouse with high quality finishes and high-end appliances. With two spacious terraces with very good views, one on the south side and the other terrace on the north side. This penthouse is a sixth floor. Five minutes walking from the center of the city and very close to all necessary amenities.

Apartment in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra

Refugio Mirador at Casa Rural Camp de Claror

Independent apartment with spectacular views of the valley and mountains, through a glass wall, in a very quiet environment in the middle of the mountain. Large outdoor terrace, 1300 m high. Fireplace in bedroom Door front parking, free high speed WiFi, Smart TV with Netflix, Prime, HBO, etc. RC: 928752 L.

Jan 27 – Feb 3

The Aprt. Montserrat Mountain Natural Park

The Refugio is an exclusive, spacious, bright and welcoming space, fully integrated into the Montserrat Mountain Nature Park, whose ramparts envelop it and provide spectacular views. Quiet place for moments of peace and harmony, from which trails leave to amazing places. Exclusive garden.

Feb 14 – 21

Cottage in Castellnou de Bages

Cosy Rural House, Bages, Barcelona

Cosy rural house in Castellnou de Bages. The country house is located in a quiet urbanization, a perfect space for anyone who wishes to be stress-free and disconnect, visit Barcelona, Sitges, Montserrat, the Pyrenees or wants to do hiking or biking. Discover your home away from home!

Apartment in Sant Pol de Mar, Spain

Sea front apartment in peaceful village

Charming and cozy apartment in the best area of Sant Pol. Central and calm, right in front of the sea and without highways or rail tracks nearby. Ideal to relax and get inspired. At less than 5 minutes away from the train station towards Barcelona and Girona, both 50km away (1h).

Oct 19 – 26

Loft in Balsareny

Charming Loft Apartment

Loft-style apartment decorated with charm. Ideal for couples who want to disconnect from the city. You can visit the mines of Cardona de Sal, Balsareny Castle, walk and enjoy the local cuisine. We are 1h from the ski slopes. Laundry €7 (ironing not included)

Vacation rentals for every style

Get the amount of space that is right for you

Unique stays

Popular amenities for Berga vacation rentals

Other great vacation rentals in berga.

Loft in Berga

Cal Dansa, Cal Mayor de Berga

Nov 27 – Dec 4

Condo in Avià, Spain

Ground floor in Berguedà with garden and fireplace

Jun 15 – 22

Apartment in San Corneli, Spain

Catering apartment among mountains

Jun 25 – Jul 2

Guesthouse in Olvan, Spain

The Viva Cabin in Olvan

Loft in Estamariu, Spain

Apartamento “de película”

FANTASTIC APARTAMENT TURISTIC A BERGA

Apartment in La Pobla de Lillet

Charming flat in the Pyrenees

Cottage in Castell de l'Areny

Casa rural Deixesa, disconnect from stress

Oct 30 – Nov 6

Quick stats about vacation rentals in Berga

Total rentals.

10 properties

Local attractions

Restaurant Terra, Insomnia Corporation, and escape rooms

Popular amenities

Kitchen, Wifi, and Pool

Wifi availability

10 properties include access to wifi

Family-friendly rentals

10 properties are a good fit for families

Total number of reviews

330 reviews

Destinations to explore

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• › Catalonia ›
• › Barcelona Region ›

Dear Guests,

Feel free to contact us about past edition if you wish any further information or if you have any feedback.

You can also visit our corporate website to find out more about our services.

Thank you for your confidence

DONDE EMPIEZA TU VIAJE

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

DATES : 15th – 17th March

TIMES : Friday – Saturday: 10:00 h – 20:00 h Sunday: 10:00 h – 18:00 h

LOCATION : Hall 8 – Montjuïc Venue

Montjuïc Venue, HALL 8 Barcelona 08004, Barcelona

Dates | Timetables

15 – 17 MARCH 2024

FRIDAY 15 & SATURDAY 16 : 10:00h to 20:00h

SUNDAY 17 : 10:00h to 18:00h

Why visiting B-TRAVEL?

Check what you will find in the tourism show:, admission rules for fira de barcelona trade fairs.

Below are the rules for accessing any of the Fira Barcelona venues.

To come to B-Travel you can arrive from:

L3, L1 (“Espanya” station)

TMB lines: D20, D40, H12, H16, V7, 13, 23, 46, 65, 52, 79, 91, 109, 150 i 165

Fira Barcelona venues have taxi ranks set up to facilitate the arrival and departure of visitors. Check official fares, complaints or reports, lost property and adapted or special taxis.

The venue is connected to the main motorways and dual carriageways leading to Barcelona: AP-7, AP-2, A-2, C-16, C-58, C-31, C-32, C-33 .

GPS location 41.374617,2.149351

The “Barcelona-Sants” station connects with a complete regional, national and international rail network.

Links to the Montjuïc venue from Barcelona – Sants station: – Bus: V7 line (parada “Tarragona / Plaça Espanya”). The D40 and 109 lines that go down to Pl. d’Espanya also run along Carrer Tarragona. – Metro: L3 (“Espanya” station) – On foot: 15 minutes along Tarragona street. More information

Ferrocarrils Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC)

Lines: L8, S3, S4, S8, S9, R5, R50, R6 y R60 (“Espanya” station) More information

-10% discount

Unlimited travel on metro and bus

Park in the Arenas with a special rate: 6 hours (maximum) for €5.12

To enjoy this promotion, you must present the ticket or invitation to the room at the Parking Control at the time of payment.

Do you have any doubts?

Get in touch with us!

You can contact us by telephone from 8am to 8pm from Monday to Friday via the Fira Barcelona Customer Service telephone numbers.

+34 93 233 20 00

Or if you prefer you can write to us at:

Visitor services: [email protected]

Exhibitor services: [email protected]

Normes d'admissió als salons de Fira Barcelona

Aquestes Normes d’Admissió són de compliment obligat per a tots els visitants que accedeixin als recintes de FIRA DE BARCELONA.

Horari: Els visitants podran accedir a les instal·lacions de l’esdeveniment durant els dies i les hores d’obertura del mateix.

Disposicions comunes: 2.1. Dins del recinte firal queda prohibit:

• Causar disturbis que alterin l’ordre públic
• Entrar amb bicicletes, monopatins i anàlegs
• Fumar a l’interior dels Palaus
• Accedir al recinte amb banderes i/o pancartes que tinguin caràcter ideològic o polític, així com amb qualsevol altre element que contingui símbols de caràcter racista o xenòfob o que incitin a la violència o atemptin contra la dignitat de les persones.

L’organització de l’esdeveniment podrà retirar aquest tipus de material en qualsevol moment abans de l’accés al recinte o bé a l’interior d’aquest, que es tornarà a la sortida del recinte.

2.2. Els visitants hauran de respectar les zones habilitades com a sortides d’emergència i protecció contra incendis, així com les instruccions del personal de Fira de Barcelona dirigides a garantir la seguretat al recinte.

Find cheap bus tickets from Berga to Barcelona

Easily compare and book your next trip with Busbud

Cheap buses leaving today

One passenger / one way

Bus Berga to Barcelona: Trip Overview

Compare bus companies.

According to 17 reviews, ALSA received a 4.4-star rating for this journey. Travelers were especially satisfied with the staff and the timeliness, but some complained about the ticket access. ALSA ticket prices on this trip start at $23.00

Berga to Barcelona Buses

Busbud helps you find a bus from Berga to Barcelona. Get the best fare and schedule, book a round trip ticket or find buses with WiFi and electrical outlets.

We make it our job to connect you with the most dependable bus companies that cover bus service from Berga to Barcelona.

From cheap bus tickets to more luxurious buses traveling from Berga to Barcelona, we offer a wide range of bus services to best suit your needs depending on how much your budget is.

Information on this bus route

Where are the popular bus stations and stops in berga and barcelona.

Passeig de la Pau, 4, 08600 Berga, Barcelona, Spain

Carrer d'Alí Bei, 80, 08013 Barcelona, Spain

Carrer de Viriat, 10, 08014 Barcelona, Spain

Avinguda Diagonal, 686, 08028 Barcelona, Spain

Carrer de Numància, 165, 08029 Barcelona, Spain

Carrer d'Ausiàs Marc, 105, 08013 Barcelona, Spain

Frequently asked questions for your trip Berga - Barcelona

How can i travel from berga to barcelona without a car.

The bus is the best choice to get to Barcelona without a car. Traveling by bus offers a budget-friendly, secure, and easy way to go between the two cities. You also have the option of using carpooling services.

How long does it take to get to Barcelona from Berga by bus?

The travel time from Berga to Barcelona is about 1h 50m, although the minimum time it takes to get there is 1h 29m with the fastest bus. This is the time it takes to travel the 52 miles (84 km) that separate the two cities.

What is the travel distance from Berga to Barcelona?

About 52 miles (84 km) separate Berga and Barcelona.

What is the number of daily buses traveling from Berga to Barcelona?

You can choose from 23 travel times and travel with ALSA. The number of buses running from Berga to Barcelona may change based on the day of the week. Simplify your trip from Berga to Barcelona by checking the schedules and selecting the bus that fits your travel style and budget on Busbud.

What are the departure times for the first and last bus traveling from Berga to Barcelona?

The bus service has you covered with departures starting at 5:30 AM and ending at 7:30 PM.

What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from Berga to Barcelona?

The majority of buses traveling from Berga to Barcelona start their journey at Estación de Autobuses de Berga and wind up at Nord. These are the main pick-up and drop-off locations on this route, but you could find others that could be a better fit for your travel plans.

What is the most cost-effective way to go from Berga to Barcelona?

Go for the bus if you want the most economical way to travel this route. The lowest price for the bus on this route is $23.

How much are the bus tickets from Berga to Barcelona?

The average price of a one-way ticket from Berga to Barcelona is $23. Over the last 30 days, the prices ranged between $23 and $23, so make sure to compare them to get the best option.

Is it possible to take a day trip from Berga to Barcelona?

Yes, it's possible to take a day trip from Berga to Barcelona! The total time it takes to make a round-trip between Berga and Barcelona is about 2h 58m. So you'll have enough time to visit Barcelona before returning to Berga in the evening.

What are the best sights and things to do in Barcelona?

Once in Barcelona, you can start exploring the city and discover its surroundings. The top sights and things to do are Casa Vicens, Casa Mila, Poble Espanyol Architectural Museum, Parc de L'Espanya Industrial and Street Art Tours.

About Bus Travel

Bus travel tips.

Make friends with the driver. They usually know a lot about your destination and may even recommend which side of the bus to sit on to get the best views on the road between Berga and Barcelona!

From miles long of beauteous natural landscapes to impressive man-crafted sights, you're bound to be in for a visual treat on your bus trip from Berga to Barcelona.

Taking the bus creates the smallest carbon footprint compared to other modes of transport. Not to mention that buses will allow you to discover scenic gems from Berga to Barcelona that are otherwise impossible to come by with a plane.

Tune out to the fine sounds of your best music playlist on your bus trip from Berga to Barcelona while indulging in miles on end of beautiful scenic views.

Did you know?

Did you know there are on average 4,400 intercity bus departures every day in the US only? This number has been growing for 9 years in a row, yay!

One of the longest bus route in the world goes all the way from Ontario to Alberta in Canada (with the same bus). This trip is 3,435 km or 2,135 miles long and the price is a bit under $100.

Did you know some bus companies in Germany offer to their passenger low-costs snacks and regional beer based on their destination? Prosit!

Will you be returning to Berga by bus?

Top traveled bus routes.

Why choose Busbud?

The best way to book bus and train tickets.

Busbud helps you easily search, compare and book intercity bus tickets on a worldwide scale with our comprehensive list of bus routes and schedules. With Busbud, wherever you go, you have a worldwide bus station within reach and available in your own language and currency. Busbud partners with safe and reliable bus companies throughout the world such as Greyhound, Eurolines, ALSA, OUIBUS (BlaBlaBus), National Express and many others so you can buy tickets without a worry.

Popular Buses Connecting Berga

Buses leaving from berga.

• Bus from Berga to Barcelona
• Bus Berga - Manresa
• Berga - Vic
• Bus from Berga to Gironella
• Bus Berga - Tarragona
• Berga - Cambrils
• Bus from Berga to Puig-reig
• Bus Berga - Puigcerdà
• Berga - Guardiola de Berguedà
• Bus from Berga to La Seu d'Urgell
• Bus Berga - Sallent
• Berga - Gósol
• Bus from Berga to Cal Rosal
• Bus Berga - Navàs
• Berga - Sant Llorenç de Morunys

Buses Going to Berga

• Bus from Barcelona to Berga
• Bus Manresa - Berga
• Vic - Berga
• Bus from Gironella to Berga
• Bus Puig-reig - Berga
• Lille - Berga
• Bus from Cal Rosal to Berga
• Bus Puigcerdà - Berga
• Cambrils - Berga
• Bus from La Seu d'Urgell to Berga
• Bus Guardiola de Berguedà - Berga
• Gósol - Berga
• Bus from Sallent to Berga
• Bus Borredà - Berga
• Bagà - Berga

Popular Buses Connecting Barcelona

Buses leaving from barcelona.

• Bus from Barcelona to Cádiz
• Bus Barcelona - Almería
• Barcelona - Outlet
• Bus from Barcelona to Seville
• Bus Barcelona - Tours
• Barcelona - Alicante
• Bus from Barcelona to Andorra
• Bus Barcelona - Sant Feliu de Guíxols
• Barcelona - Cadaqués
• Bus from Barcelona to Platja d'Aro
• Bus Barcelona - Salou
• Barcelona - Calella
• Bus from Barcelona to Girona
• Bus Barcelona - Tarragona
• Barcelona - Begur

Buses Going to Barcelona

• Bus from Cañete to Barcelona
• Bus Málaga - Barcelona
• Boldú - Barcelona
• Bus from Cádiz to Barcelona
• Bus Siegen - Barcelona
• Naples - Barcelona
• Bus from Tossa de Mar to Barcelona
• Bus Salou - Barcelona
• Calella - Barcelona
• Bus from Sant Feliu de Guíxols to Barcelona
• Bus Girona - Barcelona
• Manresa - Barcelona
• Bus Platja d'Aro - Barcelona
• Tarragona - Barcelona

Popular routes in this country

• Bus from Madrid to Barcelona
• Bus Madrid - Valencia
• Bilbao - San Sebastian
• Bus from Marbella to Málaga
• Bus Barcelona - Lloret de Mar
• Barcelona - Valencia
• Bus from Madrid to Toledo
• Bus Valencia - Madrid
• Madrid - Málaga
• Bus from Madrid to Salamanca
• Bus Málaga - Nerja
• Málaga - Ronda
• Bus from Málaga to Madrid
• Bus Madrid - Seville
• Cádiz - Seville

Popular airport transfers

• Berga to Barcelona Airport

Popular international trips

• Bus from Mexico to Veracruz
• Bus Veracruz - Mexico
• Xalapa - Mexico
• Bus from Mexico to Xalapa
• Bus Veracruz - Xalapa

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The Lost Soldiers of Stalag IX-B

By Roger Cohen

• Feb. 27, 2005

Methodical by nature, disciplined in what he eats, William J. Shapiro is a measured man. He keeps his affairs ordered, his body trim. His airy house, built upon retirement from a career as an obstetrician, is set beside a Florida golf course, and every now and again a ball comes through a screen. But there are few other disturbances. He and his wife, Betty, live in one of the gated communities that fan out across the flatness of Florida. The streets are quiet and secure. In the garages, electric golf carts flank sports utility vehicles with global positioning systems.

The old strive to stay active. At dawn and at dusk, when the heat is not overwhelming, pale figures may be seen trundling in their golf carts through the streets bordered by lawns of prickly Bermuda grass and hibiscus trees. The journey to this air-conditioned existence beneath the palms and beside the fairways has been long: from the tenements of New York to these plush bungalows, from chicken soup to seared salmon with arugula, from the struggle to make it to the difficulty of spending it. Here, at last, beneath a cloudless sky, all is in order.

But for the last few years, Shapiro, 79, has been having nightmares. By now, they are predictable enough. He is running, trapped, having orders barked at him. When he awakens, his wife asks him, "Are the Nazis still chasing you?" They try to laugh about it. A long time has passed, after all. But for much of that time, the memory was repressed. Dr. Shapiro did not want to think about the experiences of Private Shapiro of the 28th Infantry Division. He did not want to tell the story, because to tell it, he would have to relive it.

He was an American G.I. who was captured by the Germans and had a bad break, but that was not a big deal, or so he told himself, and so he told his children when they asked, which they stopped doing after a while because they knew the questions would be met with evasion or silence. To get on with life meant to move forward. That was what he did at war's end. It was possible to push a season in hell so far back it seemed not to have existed. It was possible to forget the name of a soldier found dead beside you one morning. But then a car door slams and it sounds like a rifle shot and one knee is already on the ground, legs moving by instinct. Insects flattened on a windshield summon images of huddled bodies, each with a bullet through the head, scattered on a road to nowhere in 1945. His skull throbs. The bitter season's harvest is perennial. It returns now and Shapiro tries, but fails, to stifle a sob.

"There were fights, arguments over food, we were screaming at one another, reduced to animals," he says, struggling for composure. "The Nazis made us slaves. You had no pride, couldn't even feel for another person. You could not be moral. The buddy system, all that broke down. . . . "

Shapiro sees the G.I.'s, 350 of them, selected by the Germans for extermination because they were Jews, or looked like Jews, or were deemed "troublemakers" or were just grabbed at random because the Nazis needed slave labor late in a lost war, and European Jews were already dead by the millions and those not yet slaughtered were too weak to work; he sees the Americans, in a place they could not comprehend, an ephemeral little hell for which they had no preparation or instruction, a Nazi concentration camp at Berga, in the east of Germany, too small to appear on most World War II maps; sees the bedraggled men, privates in their late teens or early 20's, fighting over crumbs, chewing pieces of wood or charcoal to try to stanch diarrhea, eating snow, coughing blood from throats lacerated by rock shards in the mines where they labored, slipping away in the night without a word. People who die of hunger and thirst die in silence. Either you strangle that memory or it strangles you. The shame of survival is sometimes too much to bear.

The atmosphere is suddenly more brittle in this high-ceilinged Florida room. The ceiling fans still turn. The sprinklers on the golf course still glint in the sunlight. The air-conditioners still hum. But Germany is now present, and the doctor's eyes are filled with tears.

Many Germans clamor for closure on the Holocaust, a final accounting, a resolution, as the 60th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe, in May, approaches. If they do not say, "Enough," they think it. Guilt cannot be inherited, like some family heirloom, even if consciousness of the guilt of their forebears cannot be erased. They bite their lips to stop that word -- "enough" -- coming out; they know that if they raise their chins even an inch, someone will push them down again.

But is it not reasonable to demand this Schlu 3/4strich, this closure, now that the Nazi perpetrators are already dead or will be soon? It is reasonable. But memory is not linear and reason has little purchase on it. The crimes of the Nazis have taken a tortuous course through the psyches of survivors. As Primo Levi observed, "The injury cannot be healed: it extends through time." In this moment, such injury inhabits this Florida bungalow. Mordecai Hauer is seated at the polished wooden dining table in his modest house in Queens, N.Y. On his arm is an Auschwitz tattoo -- A9092. His father, who did not come back, was A9091. His little brother, Emerich, also murdered, was A9094. His mother, Camilla, never got a number. She went straight to the gas when they arrived at Auschwitz from Hungary in the early summer of 1944, although for years Hauer refused to accept her death. He looks at me with his big frank pale eyes, as if to say: that is the way life was, once, a long way from this placid outer New York borough.

At 79, a retired teacher, Hauer is the same age as Shapiro. His obsession has been less with what the Nazis did to him than with the fate of his mother. For decades, the thought gnawed at him that he had no photograph, not a single image, of Camilla. So some years after the cold war ended, he placed an advertisement in a local paper of Goncz, Hungary -- his birthplace -- offering $200 to anyone with a photograph of her and returned to the little town for the first time in more than 50 years. He did not go into his house. What would he say? He had learned to let go. It is important to let go sometimes. Memories can be useless. But they can also devour you. He did not find a photograph of his mother. Nobody had one.

"She vanished without trace," Hauer says. And what, I ask him, of Berga, a concentration camp that did its own disappearing act after the war? What of the camp where Hauer ended up after surviving Auschwitz and encountered, to his amazement, hundreds of G.I.'s in February 1945, Americans lost in the labyrinth of the Holocaust?

"Shabby and small," he says. "It seemed makeshift. Not as permanent as Auschwitz-Birkenau, or even the green transfer blocks at Buchenwald where I had also been, but the same sort of barracks as at the other camps. There were tunnels being mined there in the hill. The drilling work ripped out our insides, but fortunately I was not in the tunnels often; I worked smashing rock."

It was a week after his arrival at Berga that Hauer saw a group of about 50 men in green uniforms being marched across the White Elster River, accompanied by guards. Half of them were assigned to work inside the tunnels, and two came to work in Tunnel 7, where Hauer was. He soon overheard them speaking in a language he had not heard before, but assumed to be English.

"Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" he asked -- Do you speak German?

"No Deutsch," said one soldier. Hauer noticed the whiteness of the man's teeth.

"You England?"

"No, America."

Hauer was astonished. America! To him, it was a faraway country, the land of cowboys and Niagara Falls. It had captured his imagination as a child. Yet here in a concentration camp beside a provincial German town were Americans working as slaves for the Nazis.

During the brief lunch break, Hauer sat with the Americans. He noticed that their jackets had zippers rather than buttons; he also noted their leather boots. Some of the European Jewish prisoners had to make do with wrapping their feet in rags. When one of the American prisoners unzipped his jacket, Hauer glimpsed a small, gold Star of David on a chain.

"Du Ivri?" he asked, using a Hebrew word for a Jew.

"Ivri?"

Hauer tried again. "Du Yid?"

"Yid! Ich Yid!" the American exclaimed, pointing to the star. "Du Yid?"

Hauer indicated that he was. He gestured to the concentration camp prisoners around him to convey the idea that most of them were also Jews. At this, he noted an expression of dismay on the American's face.

The Americans initially appeared in better shape than the other prisoners. They had overcoats and field jackets; their skin was healthier. But with the passing of the days, the Americans spoke less, they dragged their feet, they looked increasingly sick and they sometimes collapsed. What fire does not destroy, it hardens. Hauer and the other European Jews at Berga, more than 1,000 of them, had been toughened by other camps. But the Americans were not yet familiar with the inexorable arithmetic of Nazi Vernichtung durch Arbeit -- destruction through work. When day after day the outlay of energy exceeds that consumed, the body wastes away. Survival comes down to calories -- calories and, in some measure, the mysteries of the mind. Berga conformed to no pattern. The Nazi concentration camps in Europe were for Europeans, not Americans, for European Jews, not American Jews. The leap of imagination required to accept the camp's existence and the systematic killing there was large. In many ways, over many years and for many reasons, that leap was never made. Berga was liberated by Americans, but its memory was held captive.

Of the 350 young G.I.'s sent there, at least 73, or 21 percent, died in the space of 10 weeks, the highest rate of attrition among American prisoners of war in Europe. Yet on Oct. 24, 1945, five months after the Nazi surrender, Maj. Gen. Edward F. Witsell wrote to a relative of one of the dead, "With respect to your desire to ascertain the location of Berga Elster, it has been learned that there was no German prisoner-of-war camp by that name."

This sort of denial set a pattern of obfuscation and concealment that was to last for decades. There were several causes. One was the bewilderment of the G.I.'s, few of them students of the Geneva Conventions. Traumatized young men, they were anxious to get on with life; they had no leadership experience and no idea to what extent Berga was an anomaly. Because nobody in the government or the military encouraged these returning privates to talk about their experiences, they brought down a screen on the horror.

Some soldiers were actively discouraged from dwelling on the past. Norman Fellman of the 70th Infantry Division, who, like Shapiro, was selected as a Jew to go to Berga, was made to sign a "Security Certificate for Ex-Prisoners of War" on April 24, 1945, almost immediately after his liberation. This stated in its first clause: "Some activities of American prisoners of war within German prison camps must remain secret not only for the duration of the war against the present enemies of the United States, but in peacetime as well." The justification given for the requirement was the need to protect the interests of American prisoners still in Japanese camps. But for Fellman, the oath meant, in effect, that his country did not want him to talk about the nightmare of Berga.

That soon seemed logical enough, in that West Germany became a pivotal ally in the cold war and political priorities shifted. "Keeping us quiet was expedient given the desire not to embarrass the German government," Fellman told me. "It was the same reason avowed Nazis who were skilled scientists were brought over here: we needed them. So somewhere in the American government, they decided to deny our existence."

It was not only the West German government that risked embarrassment if the murder of Americans at Berga became known. The American government might also have had a difficult time. Questions would have been asked -- about intelligence failures and the failure to try to rescue the men sooner. Tough scrutiny might have been directed at the process of Nazi selection of captured Jewish G.I.'s for transport to Berga and how some American military personnel turned a blind eye to the process or even abetted it. "Berga just got tucked away," recalled Joseph Littell of the 106th Infantry Division, a Christian survivor of the camp. "It was shuffled down to the lowest part of the stack, in part because it would have cast an aspersion on some part of the government."

The failure to recognize the camp did not reflect a lack of official inquiry. Berga, which was later absorbed into Soviet-dominated East Germany, was thoroughly investigated in May and June 1945 by an American war-crimes team on the scene. But the resulting documents were long classified. A War Crimes Office investigation into "the discrimination against and segregation of American prisoners of war of Jewish faith at Stalag IX-B," the camp where the P.O.W.'s were held before transport to Berga, was shelved. A War Department Report on Stalag IX-B of Nov. 1, 1945, noted that "on Feb. 8, 1945, 350 of the physically fit prisoners were sent to a work detachment in the Leipzig district" but failed to note the overlap between segregated American Jews and this "work detachment," which was in fact sent to Berga, more than 40 miles from Leipzig. The two Nazis chiefly responsible for the war crimes at Berga were identified, captured and tried in an American court in Dachau in 1946 but were free men within nine years.

Only gradually has this shameful story come to light, beginning with a Florida newspaper interview in 1983 of a Berga survivor, Bernard Melnick. Since then, the declassification of documents, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the slow easing of repressed trauma among survivors and an intensified focus on the Holocaust have made a full accounting possible at last. A detail of Hitler's war, a pawn in the cold war, Berga amounts to a small stain on America's conscience. For it was young Americans who gave their lives at the camp and on the winding roads south of it, youths drawn, by a vile Nazi selection process, into a world they could not comprehend, a horror they could not fathom, a system of annihilation that lay beyond the realm of their training, their knowledge or their brittle, and forever darkened, imaginations. Shapiro, along with the other 349 G.I.'s selected for slave labor, arrived at Berga on Feb. 13, 1945. He was 19. Like most of the rest of the group, he was captured at the Battle of the Bulge, Hitler's last gamble on the western front, one that resulted in the death, injury or capture of 81,000 American soldiers before the Nazi thrust was repulsed. On the first day of the battle, Dec. 16, 1944, Shapiro was knocked unconscious by an artillery shell.

He woke up, vision blurred, at the first-aid station in Clervaux, Luxembourg. No bones were broken. Shapiro lay there watching fellow medics carrying wounded men on litters. It seemed quiet outside. But by evening, German machine-gun fire was audible. Shapiro heard somebody say they were surrounded and must surrender.

"I was groggy," he recalled, "but I also heard someone say, 'If you're a Jewish G.I., throw your dog tags away because there are SS troops here.' "

Shapiro, obeying without thinking, threw his dog tags marked with the "H" for Hebrew into a potbellied stove in the middle of the room. He had never paid much attention to the dog tags. They were worn in the same spirit as Catholics wore a "C" and Protestants a "P." Religions were equally respected; appropriate ministrations to the dead or injured were important. Even now he did not associate destroying them with a sense that being Jewish put him at risk of death in Hitler's Europe.

His father, Jacob, had fled persecution and hardship in Europe, coming to the United States in 1903, from the Minsk area in what is now Belarus. But the years in the Bronx since then had been devoted above all to assimilation. The past had a name -- Europe -- and the Shapiros wanted to put it behind them. Like most American Jews, Shapiro had little awareness of the mass murder of European Jews when he was drafted in 1943, despite the fact that in the previous year about 2.7 million Jews had been killed by the Nazis.

Now he walked out of the aid station with his hands above his head. The Germans searched him. They took a gold ring he had been given by his brother for his bar mitzvah. Shapiro was left with an International Red Cross card that now, without dog tags, was his only means of identification.

The next morning, he joined a column of American captives trudging into Germany. After three days, they reached the railhead at Gerolstein. Dogs barked as he was piled into a boxcar, his head still pounding. Shapiro listened to other men moan from injury. Pressed against one another like milk cartons in a refrigerator, the G.I.'s shouted at one another as they maneuvered for the best positions. They used the straw in the boxcars for toilet paper until it ran out, and then they used letters from home, smearing excrement on the words of their loved ones. It was an introduction to the extremes to which they would be driven by the urge to survive.

The Germans provided part of a loaf of bread one day, a little water another. Thirst is worse than hunger, more insistent. Some men tried to drink their own urine, but found they could not.

On Christmas Eve, Allied bombing aimed at preventing German troops from reaching the front seemed to lift the boxcars off the ground and then drop them with a crash, yanking stomachs in and out. In the lulls, Shapiro heard Germans singing Christmas carols.

At last, on Dec. 26, the doors of the cattle cars were opened to reveal the spa town of Bad Orb, about 35 miles east of Frankfurt, a place far enough from the front lines to be intact, a cozy German collection of cobblestone streets and gabled homes: thoroughly gemütlich. The Americans fell in the snow and put fistfuls in their mouths.

Just outside town in the hills was a camp called Stalag IX-B, a collection of one-story barracks surrounded by barbed wire. It was a prisoner-of-war camp but, for 350 of the American prisoners, it was also preparation for the slave camp of Berga, farther east. Accounts differ of how Jews were concentrated and segregated at Stalag IX-B for transport to Berga. In sworn testimony given to the War Crimes Office at Fort Dix, N.J., on Sept. 7, 1945, Arthur J. Homer, a private in the 28th Infantry Division, said he and other prisoners were given a form to fill out in early January 1945 that included "a questionnaire on religious faith."

Homer, who was not among the 350 prisoners sent to Berga, went on to say that the ranking American officer in the camp at the time suggested that there would be "no harm done if we answered the questionnaire as directed." Homer continued: "Soon after these questionnaires had been answered and collected by the German camp authorities, prisoners of war who had stated they were of the Jewish faith were segregated in barracks No. 32 in the American compound."

A short time thereafter, Johann Carl Friedrich Kasten of the 106th Infantry Division, the chief "man of confidence" or elected leader of the American prisoners below officer rank, was told to advise any Jewish prisoner who had not indicated his faith on the questionnaire to report to Barracks 32 on threat of punishment, Homer testified. Kasten, a proud German American from Milwaukee, refused -- and was sent to Berga.

This, however, is only one of several accounts of how the Germans identified Jewish prisoners. The prisoners had no calendars, they were often sick and they tried to suppress their memories after the war, so it is not surprising that their recollections do not always coincide. What is not disputed by anyone is that the segregation took place.

Shapiro, for example, recalls no written questionnaire before he was put in what became known as the Jewish barracks. Kasten and Littell remember a muster in late January of hundreds of prisoners on a parade ground. A German commandant stepped up on a platform and said: "Alle Juden, ein Schritt vorw* rts" -- All Jews, one step forward. When nobody moved, Kasten was beaten by Nazi officers, who then picked men they thought looked like Jews.

Gerald Daub of the 100th Infantry Division told me that about two weeks after his arrival at Stalag IX-B in early January, he was informed by his barracks leader that the Germans wanted to separate the Jews from other prisoners, but that these efforts should be resisted. At a roll call the next morning, none of the Jews identified themselves. Daub's leader, clearly under pressure from the Germans, then instructed the Jews in his barracks that they would have to turn themselves in. "I was very uncomfortable with that," Daub recalled. "The next morning we did step forward."

But some Jews avoided the roundup. Edwin Cornell, of the 28th Division, who had buried his Hebrew Bible in the dirt of Germany before being pushed into the boxcars, said that about two weeks after arrival at the camp, an order was delivered that all Jews were to report to a certain barracks.

"My first thought was Who in hell, why in hell, how in hell do they have to do this to me or any other Jew?" Cornell told Charles Guggenheim in an interview for the documentary "Berga: Soldiers of Another War." "We are American soldiers. We are fighting for our country. It's entirely against the Geneva Conventions."

Cornell had a buddy, Fred Roys, in whom he confided that he did not know how to respond. Roys told Cornell he would be a fool to give himself up; he offered to take his dog tags and hide them. Cornell was persuaded, but had the impression that "the majority" of Jewish G.I.'s complied.

Unlike Cornell, Peter P. Iosso, a Christian, was sent to Berga. His view is that the Germans "made an effort to get every Jewish American soldier on the work detail" and then took others either picked at random or identified as troublemakers. Iosso places himself in the last category. He had confronted an American prisoner profiting from acting as a middleman for G.I.'s seeking to barter watches for cigarettes. The prisoner, Iosso says, "may have said to the Germans, look, this Iosso, he's a troublemaker."

No record has been found of any German order to send a group of Americans to Berga. But it is known that by August 1944, an ambitious program with the code name Schwalbe ("swallow") for the construction of underground synthetic-fuel factories was in place, with the Berga site set as the highest priority. It is also known that the SS had "full authority" to seek workers for this program in German prison camps.

The first European prisoners destined for slave labor arrived in Berga on Nov. 12, 1944, but they were mainly Jewish survivors of Auschwitz and other camps; their state was pitiful. The SS commander of Berga, Lt. Willy Hack, sent many back to Buchenwald. Workers in better condition were required. So it was natural enough for the Nazis to try to gather American Jews from the overcrowded Stalag IX-B, even as they went on bringing European Jews like Hauer to Berga.

On June 15, 1946, Arthur A. Boucher, a prisoner who worked in the American personnel office at Stalag IX-B, wrote: "We received the travel orders for the 350 men, and the Germans insisted that all men of the Jewish faith be placed on the orders. We could do nothing but comply." In the end, roughly a fifth of those sent to Berga were Jews. At the time, Jews accounted for approximately 3 percent of the American armed forces.

On Feb. 8,1945, far weaker than when he arrived just a few weeks earlier at Stalag IX-B, Shapiro and the other 349 Americans marched back down the road to Bad Orb, and were forced into freezing boxcars -- the second time in six weeks they were treated like cattle.

For five days they trundled eastward, as countless doomed loads before them had. "Some of the people were from families of European Jewish immigrants," Ernest Kinoy, a Jewish G.I. from the 106th Division, said. "And this was taking them back to what they got out from. And so it had to be alarming in that sense." Shapiro was among those who feared the worst.

the hangings took place in the Appellplatz, or gathering place, of the Berga concentration camp. Shapiro could never get used to them. The bodies of European Jews, emaciated in their striped uniforms, were left suspended from a robust crossbeam as warnings to other inmates. Shapiro would cast a furtive glance at the gallows, anxious not to draw the attention of the SS troopers. He was at a loss. He had plunged into some netherworld where hangings were public and terrified young men with yellow triangles on their sleeves were made to stand at attention before being beaten with batons, but he could not say what this hell was, how it had been constituted, why it existed or why he, a private from New York sent to Europe to fight the Nazis, had become, without knowing it, a soldier of another war, that of Hitler against the Jews.

As a medic, one of nine in the group of American prisoners, Shapiro was selected on arrival in Berga for the food detail. He had to wake before daybreak and steer a large hay wagon loaded with 50-gallon containers down the hill from a cluster of four American barracks to the adjacent concentration camp. It was here, as he waited for the food to be doled out, that Shapiro would see the hanging men, limbs stiff from some combination of rigor mortis and cold.

Shapiro did not ask questions. He collected the food. The vessels were filled with what the European concentration camp prisoners consumed: a vile liquid masquerading as coffee, turnip-based soup devoid of real sustenance and loaves of dark bread that had to be split among four to five men. The road back up the hill with the loaded wagon was agonizing, but Shapiro soon realized his hardships were mild compared with those of the Americans sent to mine tunnels in the hills.

One of those Americans was Sanford M. Lubinsky of the 28th Infantry Division. Back home in Ohio, Lubinsky worked briefly in a steel mill -- dangerous work, high up on the light steam lines, with dust clouds spewing from the coal-fired ovens. But he had never known anything like the hell of the tunnel where he started work on Feb. 15, 1945. The Germans and the bedraggled workers slaving for them were 150 feet into the bluff. Lubinsky -- at 5-foot-8, the smallest man in his infantry unit -- was made to work a heavy drill.

He had to bore straight, so the dynamite charges could be inserted, and after the blast the dust was so thick that he could scarcely see the man next to him. No fan or ventilation system dispelled the black fog. If he slackened in his work, the guards were relentless: a shovel swatted across his backside, a kick in the kidneys, a beating with the handle of a whip.

Captured at the Battle of the Bulge and selected as a Jew at Stalag IX-B, Lubinsky now had to fight the feeling of being reduced to nothing, because that was tantamount to surrender, but his body had its own rules and it did not take long for him to begin to feel his strength ebbing with the inevitability of a tide.

The strength of Edward Gorinac, from Port Huron, Mich., a private in the 110th Infantry Regiment, did not sustain him. By March 22, just over a month after arrival at Berga, he was dead. Until March 19, Gorinac, who was not Jewish, kept a diary that was recovered by a fellow American prisoner and later sent to his family.

Feb. 16, 1945: We were called at 4:30 a.m. Started to work digging out a tunnel. We had to shovel stone. The dust is bad.

Feb. 21: This place is worse than Bad Orb. They treat us as slaves. We are even on slave rations like Jews and political prisoners. And to think how we treat their prisoners.

As he grew weaker Gorinac remained observant. On March 1, he spoke of "daily beatings." By March 13, 1945, Gorinac scarcely had the strength to write.

March 13: Fred from Lansing died today. I was moved to Barracks No. 2. The infection is getting worse.

March 16: I have an awful sore throat. Tried to stay from work but was driven out.

March 19: Still in Barracks 6. Throat is sore as hell. Another man was brought in this morning. He died hour later. Making it four.

That is the last entry. Shapiro watched the dying up close. When he was not on the food detail, he worked in an improvised dispensary. It was, however, a dispensary with virtually no medicine because the Germans refused to provide any. He watched teeth get loose from lack of nourishment. He watched fecal matter accumulate in underwear. He watched as diarrhea, dysentery and diphtheria spread.

Decisions on medical attention, as on all matters relating to the Americans, were made principally by Sgt. Erwin Metz of the Landeschutz, or National Guard, Battalion 621, headquartered in Bad Sulza, about 35 miles northwest of Berga.

From testimony provided soon after the war and from the recollections of several survivors, it seems that Metz, then 52, was a man of vindictive cruelty. He was educated only to sixth-grade level and began his career as a bank official. But his professional life had been anything but smooth. In 1927, he was convicted of embezzlement. This was followed by further convictions, for fraud in 1933, the year Hitler came to power, and again for fraud in 1936. In all, Metz had served close to two years in prison.

It is in the nature of the kind of social upheaval engineered by Hitler and often of war itself to thrust the mediocre to positions of authority, where they can play out every previously frustrated fantasy. Metz's bearing was military, his manner cutting. He supervised about two dozen guards and reported to Capt. Ludwig Merz, 57, of the same National Guard battalion. But ultimate control of the camp system lay with the SS, in the person of Lieutenant Hack, who was under intense pressure to complete the facility at Berga by Oct. 1, 1945. Prisoners were driven relentlessly to this end.

David Young of the 28th Infantry Division, who was beaten with a shovel by a German guard on Feb. 20, 1945, died at Berga in March. Stanley Cohen of the 422nd Infantry witnessed his death. "I called the Kommandoführer in and told him Young was sick," Cohen testified on June 1, 1945. He continued: "This Unteroffizier Metz took a bucket of cold water and splashed it over Young."

Ten minutes later, Young was reported dead by Tony Acevedo, a medic from the 70th Infantry Division. Acevedo kept a diary, a slim volume started in March 1945, that amounts to a chilling chronicle of American deaths at Berga. In all, two dozen G.I.'s died there, almost one every two days, before the advancing U.S. and Soviet armies forced the Nazis to abandon the camp on April 5, 1945, and pushed the G.I.'s onto a death march southward.

Otto Rittermann, a German guard, was asked by American investigators on June 4, 1945, why the G.I.'s died.

"They were sick," he said, "because of the poor food and lack of air in the tunnels and effects of the blasting in the tunnels and the extremely heavy work."

Rittermann was also asked how often Metz beat the American prisoners. "Practically every day," he said. For Mordecai Hauer, after all he had been through in other camps, Berga amounted to hell in a lower key. To be in a town, even as a prisoner behind barbed wire, was reassuring after Auschwitz and Buchenwald. He could see passenger trains going through Berga a couple of times a day. The food was terrible, but perhaps a little better than at Auschwitz. When local women occasionally slipped turnips, potatoes or apples to the prisoners, the guards sometimes turned a blind eye.

So it was that Hauer, a 19-year-old Hungarian Jew from Goncz, and young American G.I.'s from New Jersey and Wisconsin found themselves in the same little outpost of the Holocaust in the dying weeks of Hitler's war and saw and felt different things because of what they had seen before. To the Americans, the concentration camp was a place of unspeakable horror peopled by eerie shadows of human beings whose reduction to the state of emaciated somnambulists was a terrifying mystery, a puzzle only gradually unraveled as their own treatment at the hands of the Nazis opened their eyes to the extent of German barbarism. To Hauer -- who knew the Nazi roundup of the Jews in Goncz, the selections of Josef Mengele, the wholesale dispatches of Jews to the gas chamber, hourlong nocturnal marches to a mine where he labored, the death of his father, mother and brother, the mass burning of prisoners, a death march from Auschwitz to Buchenwald and its accompanying executions and finally near-death by freezing in a room-size refrigerator where he was held as a punishment at Buchenwald -- to this young European, the Berga concentration camp was something better than he had known. In these divergent visions, perhaps, lurked something deeper that presaged the years ahead. On the one hand, there was American ignorance, but also the naïveté of a country with a belief in itself and its power to do good, a nation with enough innocence still to be appalled by horror; on the other, European knowledge, a knowledge carried in the skin and so terrible as to be indelible, an awareness of a kind of collective suicide, a consciousness of having plumbed such depths that faith seems implausible, ambition misguided, power treacherous and healing elusive. The river was high, swollen with the melted snow of early spring. On north-facing slopes patches of ice lingered, but the grip of winter was broken. It was April 5, 1945. The Americans embarked on a march to an unknown destination, guarded by aging Germans under the command of Metz and his superior, Merz, who had received the order to move all the Americans southward.

They were being herded away from the Allied advance, but there was no more serious purpose to their movement than there had been to the tunneling that decimated their ranks. The tunnels went nowhere, and now there was nowhere to go; the Allied noose had closed. Driven by Germans obedient to the last, the Americans were wandering without reason in a Europe in ruins.

The men were soon strung out over several hundred yards. Some had swollen feet; they couldn't get boots on. The weakest lay prone on a wagon, first pulled by a horse, later pushed by the men. After walking all day, they reached Greiz, about 10 miles south of Berga, and were lodged in a school. They were provided with straw on which to lie down and they squabbled over how much straw each got. That night, in silence, four of them died: Louis Young, Vincent Lonergan, Charles Wilson and Robert Claffy.

Shapiro pushed the wagon of the dying. Excrement, he noted, turned green as the Americans were driven to eat grass. On the second day, they trudged southwest toward Mühltroff, about 12 miles, and stopped for a night. The Germans hauled out the corpses in the morning: Ernest Strada, Frank Fladzinski, Joseph Rhlagar, Chester Vincent.

Onward the Americans moved, due south now, toward the village of Dobareuth, a dozen miles away. Israel Cohen collapsed and was loaded onto the cart. Others were tossed on top of him. "He must have died from suffocation because his face was a picture of agony," Norman Martin testified after the war.

Cohen's body was brought to the little village of Gefell on the morning of April 8, 1945, along with the corpses of John Gaines and Clarence Jahr. The G.I.'s were buried haphazardly, without coffins, without grave markers, piled one on the other in their soiled underclothing, some with dog tags, some without, withered limbs intertwined, with no more substance to their corpses than those Hauer saw at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

By April 18, when they were in the village of Seidlersreuth, many G.I.'s had a greenish look; they muttered indecipherably. Dozens were already dead. Shapiro had become an automaton. He lay gazing into space. Three more soldiers died: Leo Best, Milton Rothman and Joseph Greene.

Around the same time, as they passed through the small town of Schonficht, Metz told the guards he wanted to try to locate several G.I.'s who had escaped. He took off on a bicycle and was not seen again. During a two-week march, he had presided over the death of almost 50 American soldiers, adding to the two dozen dead at the Berga camp. Metz was stubborn and sadistic, an ordinary man for whom tyranny was opportunity. Applied in the blind service of the Führer, his commonplace traits became those of a murderer.

With Metz gone, discipline frayed, and by April 23, there were only 169 Americans left in the main group of prisoners. The single march had become several. Shapiro and Daub were still with the largest contingent. As Daub struggled to save the 49th and last prisoner to die on the march -- Jack Bornkind from Detroit -- the sounds of battle abruptly drew nearer.

Shapiro still sees the scene: he staggers out of the barn where he and his fellow soldiers are held. He notices the big white star on a Sherman tank. It is very bright -- too bright. The glare seems vicious, and people are running back and forth, screaming and waving. Who are these skeletal figures in American uniforms? Somebody fires a shell in the direction of the barn and everyone hits the ground. Shapiro gets to his feet, tottering, and a jeep pulls up. From it comes an American voice: "Climb in, soldier."

Three words, a new universe. The sun is warm. Bleary-eyed, Shapiro looks to the sky. Where am I? His liberator hands him a chocolate bar, a ration. It is familiar to him, but strange, an object from another world. He can't get the wrapping off. Helplessly, he fumbles with the chocolate until at last one of the Americans on the jeep opens it for him.

He is starving but can scarcely eat. He is free but can scarcely smile. He is a young man but scarcely more than a lost child. Who are you? Where have you been? The shoulder patch on his jacket tells the members of the 11th Armored Division who freed him that Shapiro comes from the 28th Infantry Division. But he seems unrecognizable, to them, to himself. Erwin Metz, the tormentor of the Americans, was at his home near Berga when American War Crimes Investigating Team 6822, headed by Maj. Fulton C. Vowell, arrested him on June 19, 1945. Vowell interrogated him that day. Dozens of G.I.'s died on the march, Metz conceded. Asked why, he said they were weak.

"Were you in Greiz?" Vowell asked, according to a transcript.

"Yes."

"Isn't there a hospital at Greiz?"

"Yes, there is."

"Why didn't you take them to the hospital?"

"Because I did not have an order."

"You knew they were dying, didn't you?"

"No."

"They did die, didn't they?"

"Do you have to have an order to put a dying man in hospital?"

When the trial of Metz and Merz opened on Sept. 3, 1946, in Dachau, they both pursued the same line: they were mere pawns with no choice but to obey orders. None of the Berga survivors were present at the trial to rebuff them -- an astonishing aberration.

Metz made his last appeal to the court on the afternoon of Oct. 15, 1946. He declared: "In my manner of leading the detail, I followed a saying by Beethoven: 'Brother is working for Brother. When he can help, he does it gladly.' "

The court adjourned for two hours before pronouncing the death sentence for both men. Despite the shortcomings of the prosecution's case, it appeared that Metz and Merz would receive the severest punishment. But higher American authorities were to decide otherwise.

Kenneth Royall, the secretary of the Army appointed in 1947, argued that the rapid reindustrialization of West Germany, now on the front line of the conflict with the Soviet Union, should be a priority and that denazification should not stand in its way. Increasingly, American policy conformed.

It was against this backdrop that the appeals of Metz and Merz went through the review process. In early 1948, Gen. Lucius D. Clay, the United States military governor in Germany, commuted Metz's sentence to life imprisonment and Merz's to five years. Merz walked free in 1951. Metz remained in prison until 1954, when he was released on parole. In the end, he served a nine-year sentence, roughly a year for every eight Americans killed.

One man, SS Lt. Willy Hack, was conspicuously absent from the Dachau trial. The commander of the Berga camp eluded the Allies. But he was spotted in the East German town Zwickau in 1947, and hanged by the Communist authorities on July 26, 1952, in Dresden.

Hack died for his crimes in the Soviet sector, but Metz and Merz were spared by America. This was no more than the logical end to a saga of evasion. History is written by the victors. But the minds of the victors quickly turn to the new worlds they have inherited through force of arms. It is these worlds they want to shape, these struggles they want to engage. With their minds so focused, the past easily becomes just another weapon to manipulate in the cause. Shapiro's own cold war, his flight from himself and from truth, went on until 1997. That year, at a reunion of prisoners of war from Stalag IX-B, Acevedo showed him the Red Cross armband Acevedo wore in combat. It is a sepia-colored piece of cloth with a red cross at its center. During their time at Berga, Acevedo had asked his fellow medics to sign the armband. There, in the top left corner, was Shapiro's signature, along with his New York address. The sight of his name provoked uncontrolled sobbing.

He had been there. It was as simple as that. Been in the places where his nightmares took him. These were not dreams. They were his past. That past had taken him into the midst of Hitler's assault on European Jews. Another 349 Americans, of all faiths, had been there with him. Shapiro was a Holocaust survivor. For decades, that fact proved impossible to contemplate in a country that would scarcely avow the existence of Berga. The armband became his talisman. It gave him a new power. To live unaware is to accept half a life.

In different ways, through different epiphanies, many of the Berga survivors came in their 70's to a new acceptance of the storm that took them in their youth. Changes in the world helped them. Germany was unified and eager to expiate the last of its guilt, so as to live at last as a normal country, at peace at the center of the European continent.

On April 23, 2002, Shapiro received a letter from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. It began: "We are pleased to inform you that you are approved for payment under the Claims Conference Program for Former Slave and Forced Laborers." Almost a half-century after Metz walked free, Germany admitted that Shapiro and others like him were American slaves of the Reich.

Hauer has been receiving money from the German government for many years, compensation for the murder of many of his relatives.

Recently, I decided I wanted to see Hauer and Shapiro together, the Hungarian Jew from Goncz, the American Jew from the Bronx. Perhaps they brushed past each other at Berga 60 years ago.

We gather at Hauer's winter home in Aventura, Fla. The apartment overlooks a golf course and, in the distance, behind the high-rises, lies the ocean. It is a restful view. Both men have had quadruple bypasses in recent years and take drugs for hypertension. Hauer often has a faraway look, as if he is gazing at the world from a lofty perch. "In the last year," he says, "I have grown 10 years older. I am thinking a lot about my parents, whether I might see them again."

Shapiro is very much of this world. He talks intensely, points a finger at Hauer from time to time, tries to draw closer to him. They have no recollection of seeing each other at Berga. There is an odd tension between the two men, one I didn't expect. It seems rooted in a kind of competition over who is more of a victim, one that becomes apparent when Shapiro speaks of the ersatz coffee at Berga for the third time and Hauer shoots back, "You seem to regard that coffee as the ne plus ultra of suffering." He points out that Shapiro came home to his family while he did not.

This is too much for Shapiro. "You had a terrible time," he says, his finger jabbing. "I am not denying that. I am not saying that everyone has to have the same kind of terrible time. This is not about one-upmanship. We both suffered and did not want to remember that."

Hauer looks out toward the ocean, past Shapiro. His pale blue eyes are distant. Dying begins with a falling away, on the inside, and you step far outside yourself to perceive that you have become very small. He knew that feeling, several times, during the war. "Man," he says suddenly, "is a strange animal. I look around me and I think: This, too, shall pass."

Roger Cohen writes the Globalist column for The International Herald Tribune. His book "Soldiers and Slaves," from which this article is adapted, will be published by Alfred A. Knopf in April.

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A Guide to the Best Things to do in Bergamo, Italy

By: Author Sophie Nadeau

Posted on Last updated: 19th August 2023

Categories Italy

Last Updated on 19th August 2023 by Sophie Nadeau

Bergamo is the hidden gem of Lombardy, an Italian destination often missed or forgotten in favour of its more famous neighbour, the design capital and fashion city of Milan. But if you do choose to head to Bergamo, then make sure to wander its cobbled lanes and soak up its historic atmosphere. After all, you certainly won’t be disappointed! Here’s a quick travel guide to this beautiful Italian city and the best things to do in Bergamo .

How to visit Bergamo

Is bergamo worth visiting, how long do you need in bergamo, #1 visit the tempietto di santa croce, #2 admire the old bishop’s palace, #3 dine in il circolino, #4 visit the duomo di bergamo (bergamo’s cathedral), #5 admire the cappella colleoni (colleoni chapel), #6 visit the museo donizettiano, #7 enjoy coffee in the piazza vecchia, #8 take the funicular up to the citta alta, #9 take the funicular up to the rocca di san vigilio, #10 enter the basilica of/di santa maria maggiore, #11 explore the museo di scienze naturali, #12 torre civica (climb to the top of the bell tower), #13 venetian walls, #14 castello di san vigilio (castle of saint vigilio), #15 walk through the bergamo city gate, #16 soak up some history wandering the cobbled lanes, #17 take a day trip to milan, #18 be amazed by the accademia carrara, #19 enjoy the city with a guided tour or cooking class, #20 sample local food, #21 take one of the best day trips from bergamo, luxury accommodation in bergamo, mid-range accommodation in bergamo, how to visit bergamo as a day trip from milan, what is bergamo known for, how many days do you need in bergamo, enjoyed reading about the best things to do in bergamo pin it now, read it again later:.

Thanks to its position just a fifteen-minute bus ride away from an international airport, it couldn’t be easier to visit Bergamo on your next European adventure.

After all, one of the biggest travel mistakes that travellers make when heading to Northern Italy is missing out on this underrated gem of a city. And once in Bergamo, the city couldn’t be easier to explore by either funicular or on your own two feet.

Set over several levels as a result of its position in the foothills of the Italian mountains, the romantic and mysterious city is the perfect destination for a weekend getaway.

Though we loved our stay in the chic and historic Angolo del Poeta , those looking for a luxurious experience will soon fall in love with the Relais San Lorenzo .

If you’re wondering whether or not to add Bergamo to your Italy travel itinerary, then the answer should be a resounding ‘yes’. Medieval architecture, local cuisine, and an authentic Italian town a little off the beaten path, Bergamo is a stunning destination in Northern Italy.

Characterised by its Venetian Walls, cobbled lanes, and welcoming ambience, there are plenty of reasons to visit Bergamo. Of all the reasons to visit Bergamo, make it the fact that you’ll be visiting a place which many miss.

With regular budget flights touching down in Bergamo’s airport on a daily basis, many assume that Bergamo is the kind of place you fly into, and then leave directly.

However, this is most certainly not the case and avoiding this Italian town would be your first mistake! Instead, ensure to dedicate at least a night or two to discover the best attractions Bergamo has to offer.

After all, it’s not every day of your Northern Italian trip that you’ll discover a city that’s relatively underrated in comparison with its nearby neighbours, such as Milan and Lake Como, yet remains a destination which retains all the charm of a unique holiday experience.

While you could simply stop off in Bergamo, we advise a longer stay to really allow yourself to get a feel for the place. Looking for one of the best-kept secrets of Italy ?

The stunning city is perfect for a weekend break- or perhaps a longer stint- for those looking to go a little off the tourist track and discover something new.

After all, the city has plenty of accommodation options to suit every budget, including this luxurious place to stay and this historic B&B we stayed at for an absolute steal!

Otherwise, you should know that visiting Bergamo couldn’t be easier thanks to a wealth of affordable train links to the rest of Italy and beyond.

Bergamo is even served by its own international airport offering flights to the UK, France, the Netherlands, and plenty of other European destinations.

The time to get from the airport to the city centre is just under half an hour by bus and costs just a few euros each way, making the city easily accessible even on the shortest of vacations.

20+ Best Things to do in Bergamo

Lying in the shadows of the Basilica di Santa Maria, this stunning and incredibly ancient 11th-century chapel is hidden in plain sight, to the extent that most simply pass it by, never even realising that it exists (even the locals who live in Bergamo!) .

Easily one of the best-kept secrets and hidden gems of Bergamo, the stone structure leans to one side and is truly a glimpse of Bergamo history. The octagonally shaped Tempietto di Santa Croce is small and filled with murals dating all the way back to the middle ages.

Though the interior of the ecclesiastical building is often closed to the public and only open at select times throughout the year, it can still be enjoyed from the outside!

The ‘broletto’ is located next to the Basilica di Santa Maria and was built on the site of the old Roman forum. Open to the public and free to visit, the Old Bishop’s Palace is covered in ancient murals and old paintings and is often empty.

This means that you’ll most likely be able to admire this masterpiece free from the distraction of others. Wander around its dark depths and emerge on the other side to enjoy the delights of the Piazza Vecchia.

Tell me: have you ever dined in a former prison? Well, neither had I until I headed to Bergamo. Stroll down a small pedestrianised path away from the old town centre and you’ll end up in front of a vintage wooden door.

This is the beginning of your ultimate dining experience at Il Circolino . Outside, the sound of music drifts into the alleyway and the smell of fresh pizza lingers in the air.

Head inside for some authentic Italian cuisine and plenty of local wine! We particularly loved the fragrant risotto, well-priced wine list, and mouthwatering desserts.

Bergamo was once home to two cathedrals, though only one survives to this day. You’ll find the sole surviving cathedral in the very centre of the old city (elevated town), just next to Piazza Vecchia.

Part of the Roman Catholic church, this ecclesiastical building is often overlooked by its more sumptuous counterpart, that of the basilica Santa Maria. The cathedral is free to visit and is open on a daily basis between 7 AM and 7 PM.

Dedicated to Saint Alexander of Bergamo (whose remains are now housed in an urn on the cathedral’s grand altar) , it’s the seat of the city’s current bishop and was constructed in the 15th-century.

Wander inside, and you’ll see intricate decor, beautiful frescoes, and the tiara of Pope John XXIII, who is now known as Saint John XXIII.

Ornately designed and even more intricate to its interior, the chapel of Colleoni is a breathtaking mausoleum dedicated to Mark, Bartholomew, and John the Baptist.

Built in the 15th-century, this church is one of the best examples of Renaissance architecture you could hope to find anywhere in Northern Italy, let alone in Bergamo! Please note that as much of the collection is in private hands, photography is not allowed inside the chapel.

However, this should definitely not put you off visiting as the Cappella is a true feast for the eyes… After all, this number of beautiful carvings and oeuvres d’art are best experienced without the distraction of modern technology.

Housed in the 12th century former Palace (what cultural space isn’t when it comes to Italy?) , a museum was established in 1906 to celebrate the life, works and collections of Donizetti, the iconic Italian composer.

Enter inside to explore the exhibitions, admire the interior of an old palace and be amazed by the sheer volume of frescoes, paintings and courtyards located within the museum’s walls.

Like many smaller Italian towns and cities, the prices of Bergamo are much less than those of major cities such as Rome and Milan. As a result, it’s often possible to enjoy coffees and other beverages at reasonable prices, even in the centre of town, right on the main square.

Granted, the prices are obviously more expensive than in other parts of town. But then again, there’s nothing quite like admiring the old town square while enjoying your first espresso of the day.

Birds, the buzz of tourist chatter, and all! For more information about coffee in Italy, here’s how to order coffee in Italy just like an Italian!

Bergamo is a city divided into two parts; largely owing to its status as a hillside town- in all senses of the word. The newer part of the city is the Città Bassa (lower city), which as its name would suggest, sits in a lower position on a fairly flat plateau. This area is a financial hub and is complete with plenty of open piazzas and wide boulevards.

There is not one but two funiculars to take when you head to Bergamo. This is as the city is roughly divided into two main parts, with a further sub-division once you reach High Bergamo (known in Italian as the Città Alta) .

Built in the Alpine foothills, hills are obviously abundant! Known as Bergorum during the Roman era, the Città Alta dates back thousands of years.

The oldest part of the city is divided into two further parts; the touristic centre (where you’ll find the Duomo and all the restaurants), as well as the Rocca di Bergamo area, site of an ancient fortress and now home to some breathtaking terraces and restaurants.

While in the Città Alta, make sure to enjoy a traditional Italian coffee while people-watching in the main town square, Piazza Vecchia.

Below, the newer part of the city (though also dating back at least five centuries) is known as Città Bassa (lower city). In other words, Bergamo is full of steep climbs and if you want to save time (and a fair bit of energy), you’ll want to utilise the funiculars to travel around!

For the very best view in Bergamo, you simply must take the higher funicular up the side of the mountain and straight to the very top of the city where Bergamo’s stunning position in the Alpine foothills really comes into its own. Wander around the ancient walls of the Castello di San Vigilio and take in the panoramic views.

With breathtaking views of the city and beyond at the top, the funicular (or ‘mini sky train’) up to the very edge of the city is well worth the nominal fee. This view is such that it’s well worth bringing some photography equipment along to capture the moment; so don’t forget your camera!

For the very best photos of Bergamo, take the funicolare San Vigilio just before sunset to capture the Citta Alta and Citta Bassa in golden light. Some of the other best views of the lower city can be found along the Venetian walls (where you may even spot a vineyard or two if you’re lucky).

Sit and stay a while, or enjoy a bite to eat in one of the many restaurants and cafés located on the edge of the rocks. The view is best seen in the morning or at sunset when golden hour lights up the scene and an orange glow pours over the stunning city.

Bergamo is a city of churches, and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is sandwiched between the Cappella Colleoni and Bergamo’s cathedral. Constructed from the 12th-century onwards, the church is said to have been built by men who prayed to the Virgin Mary when a plague broke out in 1100.

The men prayed that they would be kept safe from sickness, and if this were the case, then they would build a church in Mary’s honour. The men ended up surviving and true to their word, they built an enormous church in thanks for their health.

Filled with frescoes, stuccos, tapestries and wooden marquetry, this is one of the most intricately designed churches in the region and is well worth a visit, if only to stand in awe at all of the beautiful artwork on display.

Opened to the public in 1918, the Natural History Museum of Bergamo is filled with all things science related and is the perfect Bergamo activity for if you have kids in tow (or simply if it’s a rainy day). Filled with fossils, old animals and vintage scientific equipment, head here if you’re not so keen on traditional musuems, but want to still experience a little culture.

Overlooking the entire Piazza Vecchia and in the heart of the city’s old town, one of the best things to do in Bergamo is to climb to the very top of the bell tower.

Stroll up the historical steps and be rewarded by a breathtaking view over the city and beyond. Towering at 52 metres high, the Torre Civica is the Citta Alta’s tallest tower and was built during the 12th-century.

Bergamo was once (and technically still is) heavily fortified, and a testament to this are the Venetian walls which are now designated as a UNESCO world heritage site.

The complete loop stretches over 6 km in length and walking along the high walls by foot is one of the very best introductions to the city you could hope to find.

Construction of the Venetian Walls first commenced in the 16th century under the Republic of Venice, for whom the walls are named. Today, the Renaissance era walls are some of the best preserved of their time still standing in the world today.

At the very top of Bergamo, where the mountain touches the clouds and you can see for miles upon miles, there are the remnants of an ancient castle dating back centuries.

The Castle of Saint Vigilio dates back to a time when Bergamo was constantly at war with other city-states. Dating all the way back to the 6th century AD, the Castello is filled with fortified walls, casemates, stunning vistas, and views onto the villages beyond Bergamo.

The Venetian walls which characterise Bergamo are punctured with ornate gates every once in a while, in order that foot and road traffic may pass between the Città Alta and the Città Bassa.

Head between the two districts of Bergamo by foot, and no doubt you’ll wander through at least one or two of these ancient structures. Pictured below is the San Giacomo Gate, the old entrance to the city for those travelling to Bergamo from Milan.

Of all the best things to do in Bergamo, wandering through the cobbled lanes, and soaking up the history tops the list. This Lombardy city is a place to be savoured, its atmosphere to be absorbed, and you should go where your feet take you.

After all, the best way to reveal Bergamo’s hidden gems is simply to allow the city to reveal itself to you. For a closer look at the city’s rich history, consider booking a private upper town walking tour with a guide like this one .

Bergamo has all the charm and none of the big-city prices of Milan, making it a great place to base yourself while exploring this Northern Italian region. However, if you do want to visit the Lombardy capital for yourself, then Milan is only a short train ride away, making it one of the best day trips from Bergamo.

In order to visit Milan from Bergamo, you can take the train or bus. While the bus is slightly cheaper, the train will take you right into the city centre!

Once there, you can see the Duomo di Milano, an ossuary chapel, plenty of museums and the design hub of Northern Italy for yourself. Wondering what to do in Milan? Here’s how to spend one day in Milan .

Of all the  reasons to visit Lombardy , the artwork held in many of its towns and cities is definitely near the top of the list. And one of the oldest collections of all is that held in the Academia Carrara.

The collection exists thanks to the generosity of 18th-century count, Giacomo Carrara, who donated his extensive collections to the city following his death in 1796. From then on, his properties were managed by various parties before the 1950s when the Commune of Bergamo took over.

Today, the collections can be visited for a small fee and comprise of over 1800 paintings dating from the 15th to 19th centuries. Artists represented within the works include Botticelli, Bellini, and Raphael.

For those looking to enjoy the city on a more local level, there is perhaps no better way to experience the culture of a place than by taking a class or exploring the destination on foot.

This private guided tour will show you all of the important Bergamo attractions such as the cathedral, the little cobbled lanes and more. Otherwise, for a taste of the best Italian food that Bergamo has to offer, book this Cooking Class with a Local Chef in Bergamo .

Pasta, pizza, and all the gelato : steps away from the touristic area of the city there’s plenty of local produce to be found in the form of patisseries and local wines.

Local Lombardy cuisine mirrors much of the rest of Northern Italy, lacking in tomatoes and focusing more on butter and meat-based dishes. The most famous local dish is the  risotto alla milanese, a rice dish flavoured with saffron.

If you’re looking to enjoy the best of Northern Italy a little off the beaten path, then there are plenty of day trips from Bergamo that are well worth the time.

Other than Milan (which is the easiest of day trips from the Medieval city) , you can rent a car and head out into the vineyards, or visit one of Northern Italy’s other major cities or towns via train;

Venice day trip from Bergamo: Long touted as one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, Venice is a must-see when travelling through the boot-shaped country. This full day tour from Bergamo includes highlights such as a boat ride on the Venice Lagoon, a guided walking tour of the city, and the chance to stroll through real life history. Verona and Sirmione day trip from Bergamo: Ah, Verona, the Italian City of Love, not to mention the place where Shakespeare’s fated lovers, Romeo and Juliet, hail from. This Bergamo excursion includes a visit to a summer retreat from the days of the Roman Empire at Sirmione, and the chance to explore Verona in depth.

Where to stay in Bergamo

If you’re looking to make the most of this Lombardy gem of a city, then I highly recommend dedicating a couple of days to explore Bergamo, rather than just staying for a single day. Unlike nearby Milan, staying in Bergamo can be quite affordable and there are plenty of options on offer:

Relais San Lorenzo,  Piazza Lorenzo Mascheroni, 9, 24129 Bergamo BG, Italy

If you’re looking for a place that’s a little more luxurious during your stay in Bergamo then the Relais San Lorenzo (which is only open during the shoulder and peak seasons of the year) is incredibly well rated. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Lombardy hills, this 5-star hotel offers all of the facilities you could wish for from a luxury hotel.

Check prices and accommodation here.

UpTown Bed and Breakfast, Piazzetta Luigi Angelini, 15, 24129 Bergamo BG, Italy

If you want to truly experience the best of Bergamo, then I recommend staying in the heart of the Citta Alta. For our second night in the city, we opted to stay in the UpTown B&B where the room was clean and comfortable.

The room also came with a complimentary breakfast, of which there were several options to choose from. Deliciously cooked, we ended up having an amazing chat with the owner of the B&B! 

Check accommodation prices here.

Angolo del Poeta, Via Borgo Palazzo, 39, 24125 Bergamo BG, Italy

If you love your accommodation with a slice of history, then I highly recommend staying in the Angolo del Poeta. Situated in the lower part of Bergamo and easy to reach from the train station, the ancient walls of this place were first built over 500 years ago. Today, the B&B offers a wonderful place to stay for a reasonable cost.

Nearby Milano is just under an hour away from the train and transportation between the two cities runs on an incredibly regular basis. As such, even if you don’t have much time in Northern Italy, set aside just half a day for this easy day trip from Milan and you certainly won’t regret your choice!

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) about Bergamo, Italy

Due to its wealth of historical buildings, numerous museums, and ancient architecture, Bergamo is most famous for its medieval atmosphere and culturally rich Italian experiences. The city is also well-known for being situated on a mountain, with a distinct upper and lower city.

If you’re looking for an off the beaten path hidden gem of an Italian destination, then you should totally consider a visit to Bergamo. Authentic food experiences, little-known architectural buildings, and plenty of museums await you should you choose to spend some time in Bergamo.

If you’re looking for even more inspiration about the boot-shaped country, then be sure to check out our best travel  quotes about Italy . And if you need to know more information before heading to the South of Europe, check out our  top Italy travel tips.

Bergamo is not a huge city, but you would be well served by staying overnight so as to enjoy the beauty of the Italian city without as many tourists around. You should consider staying an entire weekend in Bergamo, with extra days added if you wish to do day trips to the surrounding area.

Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, travel, pizza, and history. A Francophile at heart, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming something sweet. She splits her time between Paris and London and travels as much as she can! Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.

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Saturday 19th of February 2022

Ended up spending a weekend in Bergamo last month as we missed a connecting flight. What a beautiful place it is. I will definitely be returning to explore more of the city when I get the chance. Recommend it 100%

Saturday 19th of March 2022

@Ann Cooper, Hi Ann can you recommend where to stay? We have two nights this week but I have unfollowed injured my foot so walking is somewhat hampered but decided to still go. Any advice for two full day accommodation?

Tuesday 1st of January 2019

Perfect! I’m visiting Bergamo next week and will definitely use your post as a guide :)

Thursday 27th of September 2018

Nice post! I appreciated the fact that you included places like tempietto di Santa Croce, which is relatively unknown (or, at least, unnoticed) also by many residents.

Living in a village in the neighborhoods of Bergamo, I still add a couple of tips; for example, Astino Abbey is in my opinion definetly worth a visit, especially for people who likes to walk in the nature: atcually, it can be reached with a very nice walk from Città Alta in about 1 hour, during which you basically go in the middle of Borgo Canale (a small neighborhood on the hill just below San Vigilio) and then from there you pass through some very nice spots in the middle of nature until you reach the Abbey.

Another very nice place to visit if you stay in Bergamo for a few days (maybe not for just a weekend but for more days) is the Iseo Lake, which is about 30 km from the town, or also Endine Lake.

If instead you are more the kind of person who lovers arts, you could build a route around some of the Romanic Churches of the province of Bergamo: Rotonda di San Tomé (located in Almenno San Bartolomeo, about 10 km from Bergamo) is one of the most famous, but, if you are more athletic, there is also the possibility to hire a bike and go from Trescore Balneario to Zandobbio and then to Spinone (which is on the Endine Lake) and visit the churches of San Vincenzo (Trescore Balneario), San Giorgio (Zandobbio) and San Pietro in Vincoli (Spinone): obviously they can be visited also by car, but they are connected with a very nice cycle path of about 37/38 km, totally immersed into the nature.

61 Best Cities, Towns and Places to See in Italy - Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast

Monday 26th of March 2018

[…] writes: Often forgotten in lieu of its more famous counterpart, the fashion capital Milan, Bergamo is a beautiful gem of the Lombardy region. Surrounded by mountains, the city is distinctly split […]

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11 Best Things to do in Bergamo, Italy

At the foothills of the snowcapped Italian Alps lies one of the most stunning medieval cities of the country, known as Bergamo. Often overlooked by its stylish neighbors Milan and Lake Como , it’s a truly underrated destination full of lovely sights and delicious food. The city spreads over several levels as it sits between the mountains and makes the perfect location for a weekend getaway. Travel off the beaten path, and roam Bergamo’s cobblestone streets as you try out different cafes and soak up the city’s historic atmosphere. Here are all the best things to do in Bergamo, Italy .

Things to do in Bergamo City

Bergamo is a beautiful city in the mountainous Lombardy region of northern Italy . Though it’s close to many Italian Alpine ski resorts and the renowned city of Milan, Bergamo is often used as a jumping-off point rather than a destination. However, there is a lot to discover in the versatile neighborhoods of this unsung city, from impressive historic stories to delicious cuisine.

1. Piazza Vecchia

Located at the very center of the old historic district of Bergamo lies the city’s main square Piazza Vecchia. This grand area is surrounded by some of Bergamo’s best architectural highlights, each from a different time in history. Have your camera ready while you make your way through the little alleys that lead to the square.

Alongside the impressive buildings, you’ll also find a few little terraces where you can admire the medieval environment. Enjoy a nice specialty coffee as you soak up the sun and listen to music playing in the background.  

Here are all your hotel options in Bergamo.

2. Basilica of St. Mary Major

Known as a city of churches, Bergamo is dotted with many intricately built architectural treasures. Santa Maria Maggiore, sandwiched between the Cappella Colleoni and Bergamo’s cathedral, is the most impressive church in the city. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the beautifully detailed building was constructed in the 12th century as a thank-you for protection during Europe’s plague outbreak.

The story goes that the town promised to build a church in Mary’s honor if they were kept from sickness. Staying true to their word, Bergamo’s people constructed the grand building as a thank-you for their health.

The exterior of the Basilica is incredible, though it’s really the inside that’s memorable, leaving you in awe of all the beautiful artwork on display. From rich frescoes and stuccos to beautiful tapestries and many wooden details, the Santa Maria church is one of the best things to do in Bergamo.

3. Colleoni Chapel

As if attached to the Santa Maria Maggiore stands the ornately designed chapel of Colleoni. This beautiful mausoleum was built a few centuries later than the church and is one of the best examples of Renaissance architecture in the city. 

With red and white marble embellished on the front, the exterior makes for a stunning picture. Take a moment to admire the details of the building before looking at the artwork inside the chapel. Note that much of the collection is private here, so you can’t take any photos, though the chapel is free to enter. 

4. Campanone

The eye-catcher of Piazza Vecchia is most definitely the Civic Tower, also known as Campanone. This 56-meter-high tower stands proud at the center of Bergamo. From up top, it offers some of the most incredible panoramic views of the city and its surroundings.

Scale the 230 steps, or opt for the more comfortable option of the elevator to reach the top. Here, you’ll find the largest bell in the whole Lombardy region. The bell tower, though centuries old, still rings every night at 10 PM to pay homage to its ancient function as a reminder to close the city gates along the Venetian walls.

Read: 11 Best things to do in Venice

5. Rocca Museum, Bergamo

Via the funicular of the Upper city, make your way up to the complex of Rocca, one of the locals’ favorite places on the Sant’Eufemia hill. This short walk is rewarded with an incredible 360-degree view of the old district, the surrounding countryside, and the Alps. You can even spot Milan’s skyline in the distance on a clear day! 

The ancient fortress construction takes you back in time as you walk along the patrol walkway and discover the rescue doors. Inside there’s a museum that introduces you to the city’s transformation over time. 

Opening times and Entrance fees: The Rocca museum is open Friday – Sunday from 10 AM till 6 PM, and entrance costs between 3 – 5 EUR (3,20 – 5,35 USD).

6. Tempietto di Santa Croce

Hidden in plain sight, tucked between the much larger buildings of the upper city, lies one of Bergamo’s hidden gems: a stunning Romanesque chapel. This small stone structure is often overlooked because of its grand neighbors but gives a beautiful glimpse into the city’s history.

Though it’s not always open, the inside of the tiny Tempietto di Santa Croce has some beautiful frescoes. Many of the paintings date back to the middle ages and depict scenes of Jesus’ life. Wander through the alleyways of Bergamo’s Città Alta as you search for this lovely little chapel. Once you find it, make sure to snap some pictures of the quirky building!

7. Streets of Bergamo Città Alta (Old Town)

As Bergamo lies nestled in the foothills of the Italian Alps, it’s no wonder that there are so many rolling hills across the area. Bergamo’s Città Alta sits perched on top of a hill and dates back thousands of years. This part of the city overlooks the rest and is easily accessible through a funicular railway. 

It’s divided into two parts, the first being the tourist center full of medieval buildings and delicious restaurants. The second is the Rocca di Bergamo area, where you’ll find the ancient fortress and many beautiful terraces.

Many influences from the different rulers over time make wandering through the cobblestone streets of the Old Town one of the best things to do in Bergamo, Italy . Marvel at the stout Venetian walls or look over the city and its surroundings from the central medieval tower. 

Tip: As the city reveals itself to you while you walk around, make sure to stop at some of the cool little boutiques and local restaurants in the area. From quality clothing and accessories for reasonable prices to furniture, food, and wine – the city has many unique Italian shops.

If you’re looking to dive a bit deeper into the city’s rich history or into the culinary highlights of the town, you can also book a tour with a knowledgeable local guide. 

8. Walk Bergamo’s Venetian walls

Stretching roughly 5,5 kilometers around Bergamo, and heavily fortifying the ancient city, are the impressive Venetian walls. Labeled a UNESCO World Heritage Site , you can walk along the high walls, which makes the perfect introduction to some of Bergamo’s history.  

Constructed during the Renaissance era, the walls are some of the best preserved of this time period in the world. Originally built to protect the city from any advancing enemies, the walls never went under siege. Because of this, people of today can marvel at its beauty.

Walk along the historic defense walls, taking in the stunning views of Bergamo’s surroundings. Or, join in with the locals, who love to come here in the late afternoon to watch the sunset over the city.

Bergamo City Gate

The Venetian walls are accessed through a couple of gates meant for road and foot traffic to travel between the upper and lower part of the city. These gates are beautifully designed, highlighting the historic feeling of the city as you pass through the entrance. Travel between the two districts on foot, and you’ll surely come past one of these impressive ancient structures.

9. Visit Lake Como

If Bergamo is your base for traveling the Lombardy region of northern Italy, then a day trip to the stunning Lake Como is a must-do! This upscale resort area, set against some of the world’s most romantic and picturesque sceneries, makes for a popular location on any Italy itinerary . 

The lake, resembling an upside-down Y, is created by melting glaciers that joined the previous Adda river. This occurrence led to the two southern branches of the lake, which are home to the famous locations Como, Lecco, and Bellagio .

All about: Things to do at Lake Como, Italy .

Spend your day hopping around the various enchanting towns, soaking up the sun on the small beaches, or joining a boat tour out on the water. 

Getting from Bergamo to Como: is about a 1-hour drive by car. Alternatively, you can travel by train to Milan and continue the journey to Como by bus. If you plan on seeing more along the lake but don’t have your own transportation, make sure to plan ahead. Or, join in on an organized day trip from Milan. 

10. Bergamo City Cathedral

Just next to Piazza Vecchia and the other highlights of Bergamo’s old town stands the Bergamo Cathedral. The city originally had two, but only this one survived. The building is often overlooked by the more luxurious Santa Maria Basilica that stands next to it, though both are part of the Roman Catholic church.

Take a moment to discover the inside of the cathedral, full of incredible frescoes, intricate decor, and the tiara of Saint John XXIII (Pope). The building is free to visit and is open daily from 7 AM – 7 PM.

11. Watch the sunset from Belvedere S.Vigilio viewpoint

After a long day of sightseeing, take the higher funicular straight up to San Vigilio, the very top of the city, where Bergamo’s beautiful position in the Alpine foothills really shows. From here, you can look out over both districts and the many miles of nature surrounding the city. During sunset, all slowly covers in a bright orange glow – a truly magical experience. 

Roam around the ancient walls of the Castello di San Vigilio as you capture some of the views. Or, stay a while and enjoy a bite in one of the many restaurants on the edge of the rocks.

Also read: The best things to do in Pisa, Italy

Best Cafes and Restaurants in Bergamo

No matter where you find yourself in Bergamo, there are plenty of amazing restaurants to choose from. In Città Alta, you’ll find more traditional restaurants serving fresh pasta and pizza. Local specialties include risotto alla Milanese , made with saffron, and casoncelli , a stuffed pasta dish with an incredible butter sauce. Top that off with some delicious local wine – yum!

Though Northern Italian cuisine heavily focuses on butter and meat-based dishes, a few places also serve alternative options. Some of our favorite restaurants and cafes in Bergamo were:

• Il Fornaio (delicious takeaway pizza!)
• Pizzeria Assaje Bergamo (great pizza)
• Mimi • La Casa dei Sapori (lovely dinner spot)
• Al Donizetti (nice cakes & drinks on a beautiful location)
• La Piadella (perfect takeaway lunch)
• Da Mimmo Bistrot (good food in the middel of the old center)
• Bugan Coffee Lab (great coffee)

Where to Stay

Though you could easily see Bergamo’s highlights in a day, we recommend spending two nights in town to get the best taste of the city. Bergamo gets a few waves of visitors throughout the day in the summer months, who typically leave again around noon. This allows you to really soak up the local atmosphere of the beautiful medieval region.

Hotels in Bergamo 😴

There are plenty of accommodation options for every budget, from luxurious BnBs in the upper town to cheaper hostels in the newer part of the city.  Search all hostels in Bergamo here .

How many days in Bergamo

We recommend spending 2-3 days in Bergamo. This will give you enough time to visit the historic Città Alta with its cobbled streets, the beautiful Piazza Vecchia, and the stunning Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. You could also add in an extra day for a trip to Milan.

How to Visit Bergamo, Italy

The easiest way to get to Bergamo City is to fly into Milan Bergamo International Airport, which lies only 5 kilometers from the city and has connections with over 100 destinations in Europe . 

Rent a car from Milan Bergamo Airport and drive a short 12 minutes into the city. We recommend this option if you plan to explore other parts of Italy after your visit to Bergamo.

We recommend to rent a car in Italy through Sunny Cars with free cancellation and insurance included. Book your rental car here .

Once you arrive at the airport, it takes about 15 minutes by bus to get to the city center. Bus 1 and 1A take you to the upper part of town, and you can opt for a tourist transport ticket that allows unlimited travel during your stay.

Book your bus tickets here

Alternatively, if you’re starting your Italy itinerary somewhere else, you can travel to Bergamo by train. During the day, there are frequent train connections between Bergamo and Milan or Brescia.

Check the time schedules here and book your train tickets

Getting around

Once you get to Bergamo, you can easily explore the city on foot or by using the iconic funicular. This railway system is a fast and easy way to get from one sight to another as it moves between the different parts of Bergamo. From the Città Bassa, you can reach the upper town, and from there, travel up further to San Vigilio Hill. 

Not only is the funicular in Bergamo a convenient way to explore the ancient city, but it’s also immensely entertaining! As you slowly move up the hill, you’ll see stunning panoramic views over both city areas. The 100-year-old ‘sky train’ journey only takes a few minutes, ascending about 85 meters. There’s a ticket machine right next to the entrance where you can buy your tickets in cash (not by card, unfortunately). A single ticket costs about 1,30 EUR (return 2,60 EUR).

Best Time to Visit Bergamo 

Bergamo is a great destination to visit all year round! The shoulder seasons (spring/fall) are great as the days remain sunny, and the temperatures are perfect for sightseeing.

Bergamo, however, remains a hidden gem in Italy , making the summers a great time to visit too. During the day, it’ll be slightly busier because of people visiting on day trips. However, it’ll quickly quiet down in the late afternoons, allowing you to have the streets to yourself together with the local Italians.

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