SAN PELLEGRINO, Italy: A Relaxing Day Trip From Bergamo For Families With Autistic Kids
- Feb 18
- 6 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
This famous Lombardy hilltop town offers a fun, sensory-friendly day trip for families with autistic kids. Â
Set high in the Italian mountains, the spa resort of San Pellegrino is famous for its bubbly water and flavoured drinks but has lots more to offer families too!
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Why did we visit San Pellegrino with our autistic children?
San Pellegrino is a charming hilltop town in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy, around an hour's drive from Bergamo. Made famous by its green bottles of sparkling water and flavoured drinks like Limonata and Aranciata, the approach road to the town passes the the factory where its eponymous drinks are still made today. It was surprisingly difficult to find any useful information about the town in advance of our visit, but I just had the urge to see it so we had to accept that for once we didnt really know what to expect. However we really enjoyed our afternoon here and had more fun than we were expecting!
Read on to discover why we'd recommend San Pellegrino as a great day trip for families with autistic kids and they boys favourite sensory activities.
What did we enjoy most about our visit to San Pellegrino?
Despite it being a Bank Holiday in August, San Pellegrino was surprisingly quiet. There were no crowds of people, and the whole town was cloaked in an aura of calm serenity.
The valley was surrounded by stunning mountain scenery and there was plenty of open space along the sparkling river with its stunningly beautiful crystal clear turquoise waters.
We have noticed that taking the boys out to spend time in nature helps to reset them emotionally, as well building stronger bonds between them as brothers. It was definitely good to get out into the fresh air (despite the searing heat) and explore this little town.
Outrageous Pizza
Using Google Maps we drove to what looked like the most central carpark, although it wasn't that well signposted. It was basically to the right of what used to be the town's main train station. Built in 1902 when San Pellegrino was establishing itself as a spa destination, it was designed in the Art Nouveau style and resplendent with painted ceilings and floral motifs. It eventually closed in 1966 and fell into disrepair. However in 2023 (following 2 years of extensive work to return it to its former glory) the station was transformed into a restaurant called Stazione Terme. And it was here, where the tourists used to wait for a train under its covered veranda that we found ourselves seated for one of the most memorable lunches of our holiday.
I had an exquisite beetroot risotto and the boys went for pizza. The pizza's were absolutely enormous, and my husband had ordered one that came with a big pile of round oven crisps on it - our eldest son couldn't believe what he was seeing - chips on pizza! We also gave the boys their first taste of san pellegrino aranciata (fizzy orange) and their reactions were priceless (lets say they were not fans of bubbly drinks!). I on the other hand thoroughly enjoyed our large green bottle of San Pellegrino. As I relaxed under the restaurant's shaded awning, handing out bread sticks and catching occasional glimpses of the stunning valley scenery I realised I'd finally found that piece of La Dolce Vita I'd been hoping for.
A stunning town centre fountain:Â Â
In front of the now restored Stazione Terme restaurant is a spectacular fountain that cascades down the gentle hillside into a second pond of water. After managing to sit still through lunch the boys were desperate to get down to the fountain, where they promptly took off their shoes and socks and dangled their feet over the edge. In the heat of the day this looked like a very sensible idea, so it wasn't long before I was joining them! The water was brilliantly cold, and just what we needed to perk us up after a huge carb fest. It was great fun and very relaxing splashing in the fountain - we only drew a halt to it when our youngest decided it was time to go for a swim - unfortunately that was not allowed!
The Funicular Ride:Â Â
Across the river and a short walk along the promenade to the end of the town is the San Pellegrino funicular. As you may have guessed from our other posts we are a family that like getting to the top of things - cable cars, funiculars, tower staircases - we don't mind, we'll do it! As soon as we saw the little cabin in the distance trundling up the mountain side we knew where we would be heading after lunch!
Like the restaurant, the funicular was built during the Belle Epoque era, and after a decline in numbers following the world wars it fell slowly into disuse. It was only reopened to the public in July 2024. To get to the top costs either 6 euros return or 4 euros one way. Unfortunately it took us ages to work out how to buy the tickets from the online vending machine. There was no attendant around to ask and it was totally unclear what we were meant to do. The longer this went on the more stressed and dysregulated the boys were getting, particularly when they saw one cabin arrive, and then leave without us on it! Eventually another Italian family turned up, and it took them nearly 5 minutes of pressing buttons to sort it out before they were able to show us what to do!
The ride up was fun, with some great views. On our journey to the top we met a very friendly Frenchman, now in his late 70's, who told us great stories including the time he visited San Pellegrino as a boy, and rode on the original funicular. Back then, he recalled, safety was more relaxed and you could lean directly out of the sides. He even pointed out the old carriage which is now displayed like a museum artefact on the side of the hill - Â our eldest was gripped and hanging on his every word! At the top you can go on lots of different walks, or visit the Dream Caves - the Grotte del Sogno - which are small vertical tectonic caves that feature limestone formations, stalactites and stalagmites. It costs around 5 euro for a 30 minute guided tour, unfortunately we hadn't realised you need to reserve a slot ahead of time with the company Road 470.
In the end it didn't really matter, the boys were really tired from the heat and were happy just to flop about in the shade and throw water from the free flowing spring at each other. However I did go for a short walk up hill, and was rewarded with some lovely views of surrounding mountains and the valley below.
La Gelataria di Mangini Marco:Â Â
One of my favourite things about Italy is its ice-cream and this gelataria got it spot on; you really cant beat a tub of cold creamy gelato on a boiling hot day! It was reasonably priced and the staff were very patient while we all took forever to choose our flavour combinations. They even let our eldest try a couple of flavours to help him decide, which was kind. Make sure to visit!
Riverside and Mountain Walks:Â Â
San Pellegrino is situated on the river Brembo, which flows through the Brembana Valley. The river divides the town, and offers a scenic landscape that incorporates the Orobian Pre-Alps. It also provides plenty of paths for walking and cycling, some of which can be accessed from the top of the funicular.
If it hadn't been so hot (and the boys so tired) we would definitely have enjoyed a walk. As it was we contented ourselves with crossing the bridge and strolling along the shaded riverbank and resting on the benches! There are plenty of cycling paths, including the now defunct railway; after years of neglect the tracks were pulled up and a cycle path laid.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON VISITING SAN PELLEGRINO WITH AUTISTIC CHILDREN
On paper San Pellegrino is, perhaps, an unusual destination for a family day trip from Bergamo. The thermae spa is adults only and with prices on the steep side it adds to the air of exclusivity that hovers over the town. There are also few obvious tourist-like activities such as boat trips, museums or themed attractions (funicular aside). However the lack of crowds is what made it so appealing for us. Even in the middle of August San Pellegrino was low-key and low stimulating. However it delivered big in terms of scenery and opportunities for outdoor time, not to mention the fantastic pizza and some delicious ice-cream. I was pretty much in heaven.
If you are looking for relaxed gentle day out but still want to go somewhere quintessentially Italian, than San Pellegrino is a good bet. We hope we've inspired your family to explore this town and have a much fun as we did on this quirky, slightly different engaging day trip.
