Bergamo 2026: Sundays Shut 10-24, Euro 5 Diesel Still In
ZTL Citta Alta e Colli + Lombardy regional emission limits · Italy · Active since 2020
Source: official source · Verified: 2026-09-19
Citta Alta and Colli close 10:00-24:00 on Sundays and holidays. Lombardy bars diesel up to Euro 4 on weekdays 07:30-19:30; the Euro 5 diesel ban moved from 1 October 2026 to 1 October 2027.
The trap in Bergamo is the calendar, not the car. A Euro 6 petrol hire car is legal all week and still illegal on the Citta Alta ramp at 11:00 on a Sunday, because that gate reads permits rather than emissions.
Locally the zone is called ZTL Citta Alta e Colli + Lombardy regional emission limits Bergamo (Italy) — that is the wording on the boundary signs, on the official portal and on any penalty notice, so it is the phrase to search for once you are there.
Next
- Check your own car against Bergamo — enter your fuel and Euro class, get a yes or no in one step.
- Lecco has a zone too — the nearest one to Bergamo, and the rules are not identical.
- If a fine arrives after you get home — who pays on a hire car, and what is actually enforceable across borders.
Practical answers for Bergamo
- When is the Bergamo zone active?
- ZTL Citta Alta e Colli: Sundays and public holidays 10:00-24:00 continuously since 21 June 2026; Thursday, Friday and Saturday 21:00-01:00 while summer time is in force. Lombardy regional emission limits: Mon-Fri 07:30-19:30, all year, excluding mid-week public holidays.
- How much does it cost to drive into Bergamo?
- N/A · No sticker required - camera enforced Get it wrong and the penalty is EUR 75-450 under Lombardy regional law 24/2006 art. 27 for the Fascia 1 emission rule; EUR 83-332 under Codice della Strada art. 7(14) for entering the ZTL without a permit.
- Do I need to register or buy anything first?
- No sticker required - camera enforced
- Who is exempt in Bergamo?
- Electric vehicles, Residents with permit, Disabled badge holders, Emergency vehicles and Public transport. Exemptions are usually not automatic — most require registering your number plate in advance.
Bergamo ZTL Citta Alta e Colli + Lombardy regional emission limits Map
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Bergamo stops you two different ways and they answer different questions. The hilltop ZTL Città Alta e Colli is a permit gate: since 21 June 2026 it runs continuously from 10:00 to 24:00 on Sundays and public holidays, and 21:00–01:00 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday while summer time is in force. Separately, Lombardy’s regional air-quality limits apply across the whole comune on weekdays 07:30–19:30, barring Euro 0 and Euro 1 of every fuel plus Euro 2, Euro 3 and Euro 4 diesel — so a diesel needs Euro 5. The Euro 5 diesel ban that was due on 1 October 2026 has been put back to 1 October 2027.
Your case: Whether Bergamo stops you depends on the day you arrive and the car you arrive in — the Emission Zone Checker reads your fuel type and Euro class against this zone and the other 595 across Europe.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Two overlapping rules | Città Alta e Colli ZTL (permit) + Lombardy emission limits (Euro class) |
| ZTL hours | Sundays and public holidays 10:00–24:00; Thu–Sat 21:00–01:00 in summer time |
| ZTL basis | Permit and registered plate — no Euro requirement |
| Regional limit hours | Mon–Fri 07:30–19:30, all year, excluding mid-week public holidays |
| Diesel minimum | Euro 5 (the Euro 5 diesel step is deferred to 1 October 2027) |
| Petrol, LPG and methane minimum | Euro 2 |
| Regional sanction | EUR 75–450 (art. 27, Lombardy regional law 24/2006) |
| ZTL sanction | EUR 83–332 (art. 7(14) Codice della Strada); no comune figure published |
| Sticker | None — plate-based on both counts |
Can your car enter Bergamo?
Enter your vehicle's fuel + Euro class → instant verdict for Bergamo (ZTL). Fine if wrong: EUR 75-450 under Lombardy regional law 24/2006 art. 27 for the Fascia 1 emission rule; EUR 83-332 under Codice della Strada art. 7(14) for entering the ZTL without a permit.
The Sunday rule, in the comune’s own words
The change that catches visitors dates from a press release of 19 June 2026, in which the Comune di Bergamo states that “Da domenica 21 giugno la ZTL Città Alta e Colli sarà attiva in modo continuativo la domenica e nelle giornate festive dalle ore 10 alle ore 24” — and that the two free-access windows people had learned to drive through, 12:00–14:00 and 19:00–24:00, were eliminated. ATB, the municipal transport operator, published the same change on 16 June and adds that Thursday, Friday and Saturday are unchanged at 21:00–01:00, and only while summer time is running.
Nothing in either notice mentions emission classes. The Città Alta gate decides on authorisation: residents, permit holders, and plates a hotel or a Colli resident has had registered in advance.
The Euro rule comes from the region, not the city
Bergamo is a Fascia 1 comune under Regione Lombardia’s permanent air-quality measures, which run “dal lunedì al venerdì, escluse quelle festive infrasettimanali, dalle ore 7.30 alle ore 19.30, dal 1° gennaio al 31 dicembre”. Inside that window the region bars Euro 0 and Euro 1 vehicles of every fuel, Euro 3 diesel and — in Fascia 1 — Euro 4 diesel. Since 1 October 2024 a particulate filter no longer buys a Euro 4 diesel an exemption.
Euro 5 diesel was supposed to be next. Regional decision 4843 of 28 July 2025 would have barred Euro 5 diesel cars from 1 October 2026 in the comuni above 100,000 inhabitants — Milan, Brescia, Monza and Bergamo. That date fell away at the last moment: after decree-law 167 of 28 September 2026, the region adopted decision 6846 the same day, and its page now says the limits “non entrano in vigore dal 1° ottobre 2026” for Euro 5 diesel and are deferred to 1 October 2027, while everything up to Euro 4 diesel stays in force. Drivers of older cars that are already barred can still enrol in the region’s MoVe-In scheme, which swaps the time-band ban for an annual mileage allowance.
What it costs
Two different sanctions sit behind the two rules. Breaching the regional emission limits carries EUR 75 to EUR 450 under article 27 of Lombardy regional law 24/2006. Entering the ZTL without authorisation is an article 7(14) Codice della Strada offence at EUR 83–332; neither the comune nor ATB publishes a Bergamo-specific figure, so the flat EUR 163 this page used to quote has been withdrawn.
Don’t make these mistakes
Assuming the ZTL is an emission zone. It isn’t. A brand-new electric car with no permit is turned away from Città Alta exactly like a Euro 2 diesel.
Assuming the emission rule stops at the old town. It doesn’t. Lombardy’s limits apply across the built-up area of the comune, not just the centre.
Not telling your hotel. If you are staying inside the ZTL, reception can register your plate — but only in advance. After the camera has read it, it is usually too late.
Following GPS up the hill. Navigation apps route towards the old town without regard for the gate. One pass during the Sunday block is enough.
Getting around without driving
The funicular from Viale Vittorio Emanuele is the obvious way into Città Alta, and it runs past the point where the ZTL makes driving pointless anyway.
On Sundays and holidays between 21 June and 13 September the comune and ATB run free non-stop shuttles to Largo Colle Aperto from three free car parks — Celadina, via Carducci and the stadium area.
Bike rentals are everywhere in Bergamo. Faster than driving in the centre, and you don’t have to think about gates, permits or parking.
For the full picture on driving in Italy, see our Italy driving guide. Tyre requirements are covered in Italy tyre laws.
Driving in Bergamo — Quick Reference
In Bergamo and across Italy, speed limits are strictly enforced by camera and police patrol.
| Road Type | Speed Limit |
|---|---|
| Urban areas | 50 km/h |
| Rural roads | 90 km/h |
| Motorways | 130 km/h |
Speeding fines in Italy start at EUR 42-173 for minor violations (1-10 km/h over) and increase steeply. Going 30+ km/h over the limit can result in EUR 532-2,127 + licence suspension 1-3 months.
The parking situation in Bergamo rewards preparation. Street parking, garages, and P+R all have their place.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| City centre rate | EUR 1.50-3/hour (blue lines) |
| Park & Ride | P+R at rail and shuttle terminals |
Tip: White lines = free; blue lines = paid; yellow lines = reserved; beware ZTL gates
Here are the traffic patterns and hazards specific to driving in Bergamo.
- Rush hours: 7:30-9:30 and 17:30-19:30
- Watch out for: ZTL restricted zones, scooters, cobblestones
- One-way streets: Historic centres often have complex one-way systems with camera enforcement
Traffic in Italy drives on the right side of the road.
Save these numbers before you start driving in Bergamo.
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| General emergency | 112 |
| Police | 113 |
| Ambulance | 118 |
| Fire | 115 |
When driving in Italy, your vehicle must carry: Warning Triangle, Reflective Vest, First Aid Kit (recommended), Fire Extinguisher (recommended), Spare Bulbs (recommended).
Recent changes to this page
- Euro 5 diesel cars can still enter on weekdays. Regione Lombardia postponed their ban from 1 October 2026 to 1 October 2027 (regional decision 6846 of 28 September 2026, after decree-law 167/2026); limits up to Euro 4 diesel are unchanged.
- Hours and thresholds rebuilt from official sources. The comune's press release of 19 June 2026 puts the Citta Alta e Colli ZTL on 10:00-24:00 continuously on Sundays and public holidays from 21 June, deleting the old 12-14 and 19-24 free-access windows; ATB's notice keeps Thu-Sat at 21:00-01:00 during summer time. Euro minimums corrected to Lombardy's regional limits (diesel Euro 5, petrol Euro 2, with Euro 5 diesel cars barred from 1 October 2026 at the time), and the unsourced EUR 163 fine replaced by the two sanctions that actually apply. Re-verified on 19 September 2026 against Regione Lombardia's permanent-measures page and its FAQ of 28 July 2025, which put the Euro 5/V diesel car ban at 1 October 2026 in the urban areas of Milan, Brescia, Monza and Bergamo, weekdays 07:30-19:30 all year, with M2/N1/N2 following on 1 October 2027 and the rest on 1 October 2028; the sanction is EUR 75-450 under article 27 of regional law 24/2006.
- Aligned the Euro thresholds to TyreMap zone data — diesel Euro 4 and petrol Euro 1, not the Euro 5 / Euro 3 pair still shown in the key facts, the FAQ and the entry list — and rewrote the opening around the ZTL question this page is found for.
- Title, description and introduction rewritten from this page's own data (no shared template wording).
- Confirmed None required remains mandatory; 2026 ruleset unchanged.
- Updated enforcement procedure notes after seasonal review cycle.
Part of the TyreMap Emission-Zone Dataset — 596 verified European emission zones, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
No sticker exists. The Citta Alta ZTL reads plates against a permit list, and Lombardy's emission limits are checked against the vehicle register — neither uses a windscreen badge.
Under Lombardy's permanent limits, Euro 0 and Euro 1 of any fuel and Euro 2, Euro 3 and Euro 4 diesel are barred on weekdays 07:30-19:30. A Euro 5 diesel is still allowed: the region moved its Euro 5 step to 1 October 2027.
Since 21 June 2026 the Citta Alta e Colli ZTL runs continuously on Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 24:00. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday it runs 21:00-01:00 while summer time is in force.
Breaching Lombardy's emission limits carries EUR 75 to EUR 450 under article 27 of regional law 24/2006. Entering the ZTL without authorisation falls under article 7(14) of the Codice della Strada, EUR 83-332; the comune publishes no figure of its own.
Electric cars fall outside Lombardy's emission limits entirely, but they are not automatically allowed into the Citta Alta ZTL — that gate runs on permits and registered plates, not on what the car emits.
The same amounts apply to visitors. For rental cars, the agency charges the card on file plus an admin fee, usually EUR 20-50. For your own car a notice can still reach your home address through commercial address-tracing. What does not exist is automatic EU enforcement — Directive 2015/413 covers only eight road-safety offences, and emission-zone violations are not among them.
Ask them. Any hotel inside a ZTL deals with guest registrations daily. If reception seems puzzled by the question, they are almost certainly outside it.