BERGAMO OR BUST

Concealed between sophisticated Milan and glamorous Lake Como, beautiful Bergamo is Lombardy's hidden gem, discovers ANNA HART.

- ANNA HART

The concierge is concerned. "Bergamo?" she asks quizzically, as we check out of Lake Como's gloriously technicoloured Grand Hotel Tremezzo. "Ah, for Bergamo Airport!"

"No, we're going to Bergamo for Bergamo," I say cheerfully. This is not the first time we've had to defend our Lombardy itinerary, which saw us take in the grandeur of Milan and Lake Como, before heading to the medieval mountain town. In fact, bafflement about Bergamo had become a recurring theme. One garrulous taxi driver was stunned into silence when we told him our plans. "Bergamo?" he eventually replied. "I don't understand."

I'm baffled by the bafflement. When GT's editor suggested we meet in Milan and do some digging into an unsung Italian food destination, I felt I'd struck gold with Bergamo. Less than an hour away from both Milan and Lake Como, Bergamo appears the ideal addition to a classic Lombardy itinerary, offering alpine gastronomy and medieval architecture, perfectly complementing and contrasting with Lake Como's old-school glamour and fast-paced Milan's sophistication.