We have always been known for our productivity, our industrious nature. Now we have amazed you with our cultural proposals, with the abundance of our traditions… But what you might not expect is to visit a green Capital, a city where greenery has a remarkable space of its own.
Discover our parks and experience the nature-related activities offered by our area, follow our itineraries and get lost on the paths, in the woodlands and valleys of Bergamo Brescia.

Visiting Brescia Castle does not only mean immersing yourself in the history of one of Italy’s most imposing and best-preserved fortresses.

It might be something you wouldn’t immediately think of, but “Italy’s Hawk”, the Brescia Castle, also offers interesting nature itineraries. Already in its interior you can enjoy greenery in an atmosphere of days gone by. Just outside, you can instead follow the itineraries that unravel in the shade of the Cidneo Hill woodlands.

And now you see it, that promontory in front of you?
That is Mount Maddalena, “the mountain of the Brescians”, a wealth of biodiversity that offers trails for all tastes… or better, for all legs, from the gentlest and most scenic to the most gruelling climbs.

Colline Park is Brescia’s lung with its 4000 hectares of greenery crossed by paths of all levels, interspersed with several areas equipped to make your stops special. If you prefer a less demanding walk, Ducos Park is the right place for you. A short distance from the city centre, you can relax amidst meadows, ponds and little bridges; here, there is no shortage of games for children, refreshments and other facilities. And also, in the heart of the city, inside the Acqua Park, you will find the Ambienteparco.

A scientific and research centre that also deals with the diffusing and advocacy of nature and sustainability issues through many activities aimed especially at children and young people.

The Cave Park, a few kilometres from the centre, is also worthy of a visit. Emblematic of nature reclaiming its spaces, it is the result of a project to give greenery back to the city. With its 960 hectares, the park is now one of Europe’s largest. Crossed by more than 15 km of cycle paths, it is the perfect place for physical activity surrounded by a peaceful natural setting (speaking of which, the application Parco delle Cave BS is a guide to its trails and interesting sights).

Once a site of excavation, the park is dotted with bodies of water: Canneto Lake, Bose Lake and Gerolotto Lake are small paradises in which to relax, enjoy water sports or go birdwatching, admiring the many species of birds that choose the park as their home each year.

Bergamo is special when it comes to greenery. Not everyone knows this, but the city has an unusual feature: it is enclosed within a protected park.

This is the Colli Park, almost 5000 hectares of greenery that unite the capital and other municipalities in the province in a green embrace. The park is already inserted into the heart of Città Alta, Upper Bergamo, and then stretches along gentle valleys such as Astino.

Perhaps it is because of the peaceful atmosphere that this small valley instils that a monastery of the Vallombrosian order was built here in 1107. Even today, this is a corner of paradise where time seems to stand still, although the monastery now enjoys new life as a location for numerous events and initiatives.

In the months when the weather is milder, you should not miss a special opportunity in the Astino complex: that of participating in an educational walk amongst the more than thousand plant varieties. We are speaking of the Valley of Biodiversity, a temporary section of the city’s Botanical Garden that aims to engage visitors on the subject of biodiversity and agrobiodiversity.

Valmarina is also a small valley within the Park area. Here, amidst gently terraced hills, a former Benedictine monastery is home to the park authority. All around, along the paths and dirt roads to be discovered on foot or by bicycle, you can find numerous signs describing the local fauna and flora, or you can shop at a farmers’ market. As you move around inside the Park, if you are searching for truly special scenery, we suggest that you look for the various stone stairways that wind through it. These are ancient routes that historically connected the lower town to the one on the hill.

Climbing or descending these ancient steps today is to open a window on history, to walk amongst terraced vegetable gardens and dry stone walls and come across unexpected places and monuments from one moment to the next, from the Sant’Agostino Gate and Gaetano Donizetti’s birthplace to San Vigilio Castle, to name but a few.