Val Brembana stretches north from Bergamo into the Orobie Alps, following the Brembo river through a succession of small towns, gorges, and high pastures. In winter the valley offers affordable skiing at Foppolo and cross-country trails around Piazzatorre. In summer the same slopes become hiking country, with paths climbing to mountain lakes and rifugi above the treeline.
The valley is also a place to eat well. Branzi and Formai de Mut are local Alpine cheeses worth seeking out, and the polenta taragna served in village trattorias is rich, buttery, and built for cold weather. Halfway up the valley, San Pellegrino Terme carries a faded Belle Époque grandeur and gives its name to the famous mineral water bottled here.
The valley holds a few quiet surprises too — the car-free medieval hamlet of Cornello dei Tasso, the supposed birthplace of Harlequin at Oneta, and the Passo di San Marco climbing out of the head of the valley toward the Valtellina.
From Bergamo the valley is an easy drive or bus ride: the road follows the river the whole way, with the mountains closing in as you climb. Give it a full day if you can, or a half day if you only want a taste of the lower valley.