Bergamo or Zagreb?

Neither city has a coast, but Bergamo's lake swimming is a proper day out. The lidos and grassy shores of Lake Iseo around Sarnico and Lovere, and the Lecco arm of Lake Como, come with mountain scenery, and the water reaches about 23°C in July.

Zagreb only has its city lakes, Jarun and Bundek, which are pebbly spots for cooling off after sightseeing. The Adriatic is about two hours away, so sea and sand mean a separate stay.

Both cities serve hearty inland food rather than seafood, and neither offers much range beyond its own cuisine. In Bergamo the draw is Lombard mountain cooking: casoncelli in butter and sage, polenta, and valley cheeses such as Taleggio and Strachitunt, with Franciacorta sparkling wine from next door and a serious fine-dining tier.

Zagreb's food is more Central European, with štrukli, turkey with mlinci and Zagorje sausages. Its real pleasures are the morning stalls at Dolac market and the long coffee ritual on Lower Town terraces.

Bergamo has the stronger sights. The Città Alta is an almost complete walled hilltop town inside its UNESCO-listed Venetian ramparts. Piazza Vecchia, Santa Maria Maggiore and the marble front of the Cappella Colleoni are all within a few steps of each other. Down the hill, the Accademia Carrara holds Raphael, Bellini and Mantegna.

Zagreb's Upper Town, with St Mark's tiled roof and the Stone Gate, is charming but smaller in scale. Its museums, from the Strossmayer old masters to the Museum of Naive Art, are good rather than famous. The arcaded Mirogoj cemetery is its most memorable sight.

Zagreb is the livelier place after dark. Tkalčićeva is lined with terraces that fill on warm nights, and smaller cocktail and craft beer bars hide in Lower Town courtyards. In summer the crowd moves out to the clubs by the lake at Jarun, and students keep alternative venues going all year.

Bergamo's evenings are a long aperitivo, then wine bars around Borgo Santa Caterina or drinks on the walls of the upper town. Most nights end around midnight, and anyone wanting clubs goes to Milan.

Bergamo has the bigger landscapes. Paths through the Colli di Bergamo park climb straight from the old town. Further north, Val Brembana and Val Seriana lead into the Orobie Alps, with rifugi and high lakes, and the two big lakes add sailing and lakeside cycling. You need a car for most of the mountains.

Zagreb's nature is greener and gentler. Medvednica's beech woods are a tram and bus ride away, and Maksimir park and the Sava embankments are good for running. Plitvice's waterfalls make a long day trip, but there is no high mountain country nearby.

Bergamo is the far better base. Milan's Duomo and the Last Supper are under an hour away by train. Lake Como and Lake Iseo, with its car-free island Monte Isola, are even closer. Brescia, Cremona, Verona and the factory village of Crespi d'Adda can all be done without a car.

From Zagreb, the best outings are the castles and baroque churches of Zagorje, such as Trakošćan and Marija Bistrica, plus Varaždin's moated castle and little Samobor. Ljubljana is a long day away. These are pleasant, but none is a headline destination, and several are much easier with a car.

Both are calm, safe cities that suit a few relaxed days with children. Bergamo has the bigger outings: the Leolandia theme park and the Le Cornelle wildlife park are both close by, and the funicular rides are a treat. Its steep upper-town cobbles are hard work with a buggy, though.

Zagreb is easier to get around with small children, thanks to its flat Lower Town and trams that take pushchairs. Its zoo in Maksimir and the Tesla technical museum, with old trams and a mock mine, fill a day, but there is no theme park.

Once you arrive, you can get round either city without a car, but the two work in different ways. In Bergamo the old town sits on its hill above the modern one, so the funicular becomes part of every day, and a second line carries on up to San Vigilio. Its real strength is its links further out: direct trains to Milan, Brescia and Lecco, a light-rail line up Val Seriana, and Orio al Serio airport right on the city's edge.

Zagreb works best within the city itself. The main square, Dolac market and the Lower Town galleries are a short, level walk apart, and blue trams run all over the city. Its funicular, one of the shortest anywhere, only saves the last climb to the Upper Town, where the cobbles turn steep, though the trams slow to a crawl at rush hour.

Neither city is worth the trip for shopping, and both have little luxury. Bergamo's best buys are edible: cheeses, salumi and Valcalepio wine from the delicatessens on the upper town's main lane. Milan is close for serious fashion.

Zagreb has more distinctive souvenirs. You can buy red licitar honey hearts, lace and neckties, a nod to the cravat's Croatian origin, along with truffle products from Dolac and finds at the Britanski trg flea market.

Zagreb is noticeably the cheaper stay. It is one of the more affordable capitals in the EU, and central apartments, tram fares, museum entry and simple market or bakery food are all easy on the budget. Smart restaurants and cocktails cost about what they would in Western Europe, though.

Bergamo is comfortable rather than cheap. Lower-town hotels and trattorias are fair, but rooms and meals inside the Città Alta cost more, and summer weekends book up.

Zagreb has the fuller programme. Opera, ballet and drama run at the Croatian National Theatre, the Zagreb Philharmonic plays at the Lisinski hall, and in summer there are open-air concerts in Upper Town courtyards. Much of the spoken theatre is in Croatian.

Bergamo's stage life centres on its native composer. The Teatro Donizetti holds a season, and its autumn festival of his operas draws devoted fans. Bergamo Jazz comes in spring, and an evening at La Scala in Milan is easy to arrange.

Bergamo is better for a spa escape. San Pellegrino Terme, about forty minutes up Val Brembana, is a Belle Époque resort with a grand historic thermal spa, and Trescore Balneario's sulphur springs have been used since Roman times.

Zagreb's thermal resorts in Zagorje, such as Tuheljske and Stubičke Toplice, are about as close but are simpler places where locals go for a weekend soak. Both cities offer a slow pace on quiet old-town lanes in the early morning.