We just returned from a fabulous weekend break at the La Patirana — family owned guesthouse. Francesca and her family were wonderful hosts, very friendly and helpful and couldn’t do enough for us during our stay.
The house is tucked away in a small town called Zandobbio, which is located just outside of Bergamo (about 15km, so about a 15/20 minute drive from the Airport). From the outside, the high walls conceal a wonderful large historic house and a large private garden. The… interior is full of its original period features. Our bedroom was very comfortable and clean. The bedroom ceiling had an amazing original artwork. There were free tea/coffee facilities and Wi-Fi in the room. Our room also contained a large furnace that had been cleverly converted into an en-suite bathroom. The large garden offers space for relaxing in the sun while the kids can enjoy the outdoor swimming pool. There are also football nets, a ping pong table, a small trampoline and plenty of bicycles to explore the nearby lakes. During our stay we used the bikes to visit the Lake Endine at Monasterolo del Castello (it takes about an hour and a half to cycle each way and is not too difficult). We also visited Monte Isola (drive to Iseo and catch the ferry) and Verona (about an hour by car). There are several other well — known locations that can be easily accessed by car if you have time including Milan, Venice, Lake Como, and of course Bergamo itself. We recommend taking the ‘funiculare’ (small tram) up to the old part of Bergamo (Città Alta) for the wonderful views. If you are an animal lover you will enjoy watching the family of pet goats that reside in the garden (there are some baby ones at the moment) and playing with the (very friendly) resident dogs (we wanted to take Tango the Jack Russell home with us). We definitely recommend La Patinara as a great place to stay if you are looking for a quiet retreat or to use as a base to explore Northern Italy.
The house is tucked away in a small town called Zandobbio, which is located just outside of Bergamo (about 15km, so about a 15/20 minute drive from the Airport). From the outside, the high walls conceal a wonderful large historic house and a large private garden. The… interior is full of its original period features. Our bedroom was very comfortable and clean. The bedroom ceiling had an amazing original artwork. There were free tea/coffee facilities and Wi-Fi in the room. Our room also contained a large furnace that had been cleverly converted into an en-suite bathroom. The large garden offers space for relaxing in the sun while the kids can enjoy the outdoor swimming pool. There are also football nets, a ping pong table, a small trampoline and plenty of bicycles to explore the nearby lakes. During our stay we used the bikes to visit the Lake Endine at Monasterolo del Castello (it takes about an hour and a half to cycle each way and is not too difficult). We also visited Monte Isola (drive to Iseo and catch the ferry) and Verona (about an hour by car). There are several other well — known locations that can be easily accessed by car if you have time including Milan, Venice, Lake Como, and of course Bergamo itself. We recommend taking the ‘funiculare’ (small tram) up to the old part of Bergamo (Città Alta) for the wonderful views. If you are an animal lover you will enjoy watching the family of pet goats that reside in the garden (there are some baby ones at the moment) and playing with the (very friendly) resident dogs (we wanted to take Tango the Jack Russell home with us). We definitely recommend La Patinara as a great place to stay if you are looking for a quiet retreat or to use as a base to explore Northern Italy.