Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are the best times: mild temperatures, fewer crowds, reasonable hotel prices, and the city at its most photogenic. Summer is hot and humid, and many local restaurants and smaller hotels close in August. Winter brings cold weather and the ski resorts in the valleys get busy, but Bergamo itself is quiet and atmospheric — and the Donizetti Opera Festival in autumn is reason enough to time a visit for October.