In the heart of Citta 'Alta Bergamo

When we arrived we could smell the odor of burnt wood on the first level. I asked the owner/manager if I could open the windows, she said no, it would rain on the floors. I then asked her where the second bed is and she proceeds to open a single chair bed in the living room. This is situated next to the fireplace that stinks, with burnt chars of wood still in it. After trying fruitlessly to sleep, I sprayed the fireplace with perfume. I had to put on the a/c unit and a fan to keep the air moving. I had e-mailed her and she told me not to use the a/c, that it was broken (not true) and we did not need it since it was not hot out. She said that the previous occupants had lit the fireplace and there was nothing she could do. That I could vacuum the fireplace myself. The vacuum would not turn on, because the power went off. I turned on the small washing machine in the morning and the electric kept shutting off. The bathtub does not drain , neither did one of the bathroom sinks. Power

in the kitchen went out including the refrigerator, the outlets in the living room and the lights in the bedroom. We reset it 3 times . We were afraid of fire and I am not a repairman The maintenance on this apartment is severely lacking. Electrical cords are running all over. After this we decided we had to leave, this was a fire and environmental hazard and unsafe. I had to hand wring out all of my wash and pack it wet in my luggage. Unfortunately for us it cost us $300. a night to find a hotel in Milan on such short notice. Bergamo Citta Alta is one of my favorite places and this was a painful decision. We fled the apartment and I e-mailed her to tell her and request a refund which she never responded to. I have never had to do this and incur expensive hotel costs to flee. This apartment is also photo-shopped. The living room is full of furniture and the pull-out bed is again a single chair bed. No stove/cooktop, only a hot plate for cooking. The ceiling height in the bath is for children. The location is way down the hill. The stairs up are wooden and rickety if you are carrying luggage. I have stayed in this city several times and this was the worst location and a dangerous situation. This owner has no problem lying, and not addressing problems. Frequently I have used Home Away and have experienced positive stays. I would not recommend anyone booking a trip here. This is a problematic rental, not a Home Away from Home. A house of horrors.

I was worried that the photos of the apartment were too go to be true but they proved to be just the opposite. It apartment is lovely a little quirky but perfectly appointed with everything you need. The only change I would recommend is to add a coffee table or side tables in the living room so there is somewhere to put your coffee. Other than that it was great and the location, in old town, very close to the funicular was also perfect for us. We did day trips to Monza and Modena (F1 race and Ferrari museum), and Lake Como they were all close as it was easy to get on the autostrada. Our host was amazing all the basics were provided for breakfast and oils vinegar and spices if you wanted to cook dinner ( we love to cook in). All in all a great place we will be back for sure

The pictures actually dont do the property justice it is really special

The apartment is in the heart of the medieval town in a quiet residential area across from a historic church filled with amazing works of art. It is a quick walk beyond the walls to get to the Carrara. The apartment is an ideal spot for getting to know Bergamo. Annachiara, our host, was very responsive. We had a long stay of 12 days and would have liked an oven and freezer. Verderosa on Cesare Battisti near the Carrara sells fabulous ice cream-the Bergamaschi buy it to bring home and we would have liked to to do that too. Nevertheless, we were able to make fantastic meals. Citta Alta has no supermarkets but there are several shops selling high quality food on the main street. Tresoldi panificio has great bread and makes the best polenta and osei pastry ( a Bergamo specialty-yellow marzipan confection) We had a wonderful stay in this quiet and comfortable apartment.