I love this place. The apartment is huge and the views are spectacular and Piazza Vechia is only a short walk away. Kerstin and Nino are excellent hosts and offer excellent suggestions for things to see and do in Bergamo. Personally I loved the fact the breakfast is self catered so we could enjoy it any time we wanted and not feel guilty if we weren't ready at the stated times.

We stayed at Casa Gandini in the second week in January. Our flights with Ryanair came to 4p return for both, so the 80 Euro per night fee seemed more than reasonable! The accomodation is actually a beautiful, quirky apartment down a quiet road but only two minutes' walk away from the main "drag", Via Gombito. You have to climb up a dark set of steps but you'll never forget the first time you pass the first balcony - the view over the lower city is truly spectacular. We were welcomed by our brillaint host, Kirsten, and from start to finish she was as hospitable but discreet as could be. The apartment is huge, clean, homely and secure, and the loft double bedroom is chintzy but seriously snug. Breakfast is left in the fridge the night before, so you end up eating it at night if you're not careful!

We didn't make it out till around 11pm on our first night and most restaurants were just closing, so try and get out early if poss. There are a handful of bars/pubs to drink in around Via Gombito till about 2am, nice and friendly. There's an Irish pub called Tucans which is quiet but great. Bar Dell'Angelo is more lively and local, just down a little side street - really friendly staff. Wine is from about 3.50 Euro, vodka/tonics about 6.00. I believe Da Mimmo is the restuarant to go to, but we didn't get round to it which we regret - ended up eating snails in a place that wasn't as down to earth. The jury is still out on the local favourite dish, polenta. During the day, we can recommend Cavour, a pasticeria where we got two large Pino Grigiots and two amazing local cake and creams for 20 Euros total. Hard to know just how good value that is given the current awful exchange rate. Safe to say Bergamo doesn't have tourist traps though.

We got a 3 day travel ticket from one of the airport counters, well worth it, and the airport bus just outside was reliable there and back. The funicular is included on this and it's great! It's worth getting the second one even further up above the old town - amazing views and some great restaurants it seems.

I really urge you to go to Bergamo and I also urge you to stay at this B & B - friendly, comfortable, cheap, easy to find and close to town.

Casa Gandini is a B&B in the old city of Bergamo. It has a self-catering apartment and a room in the basement. We stayed in the basement room. It is in an old house where the owners and some other tenants live. The view from the apartment and yard is absolutely amazing from the high area of the old town. The basement room has so much charm due to the architecture and furnishings. The downsides are that it can be humid if it rains, the hot water needed hours to heat up, and the bed was just average. But, the hostess is wonderful. If you stay in the apartment you cater everything yourself but with the room comes breakfast. We had delicious coffee, local rosa camuna cheese(to die for!), yummy yogurt, bread, jelly, etc. The hostess Kerstin, a Swedish woman married to an Italian, is very interesting and warm. She really makes this a special place to stay. The price is good too. We would go back !!