Overview

As the Swiss capital, Bern comes with many interesting sights. It has some of the grandest buildings in the country, including the large Swiss Houses of Parliament and the massive Bern Cathedral. Other major sights are the Zytglogge Clock Tower, with its elaborate display, the many city fountains dotted about, and several world class museums and galleries.

Bear Pits (Bärengraben)

Bern was so-named after ‘bear' as a bear was said to be the first animal to be caught here by the founder of the city, Duke Berchtold von Zähringen. The actual pit is across the river along Nydeggbrucke Bridge, accessible via bus number 12 from the railway station. You will see five bears here at any one time.

Clock Tower (Zytglogge)

Bern's Clock Tower is an unusual, all-encompassing clock that also shows what day it is along with the location of the planets. It is one of the city's moist intriguing attractions that appeals to all ages. It puts on a show hourly, whereby a mechanical puppet emerges to mark the hour. You can tour the tower by guide and see the show from behind the scenes.

Paul Klee Centre (Zentrum Paul Klee)

Paul Klee was a local painter famous throughout Switzerland for his cubism and surrealism works. There is a significant percentage of this works here on a rotating exhibition (in their thousands), along with an auditorium and children's theatre. The building itself is impressive, with its modern, wave-shaped design.

Federal Palace of Switzerland (Bundeshaus)

Located on Bundesplatz 3, the Swiss Houses of Parliament dominate this fine square. The parliament buildings were built in the 19th century and you can tour them via guided tour for free when Parliament is not in session, or sit at the spectators ranks when it is in session. Renowned architect Hans Auer designed the building to a cost of over seven million Swiss francs; a hefty price tag in its day.

Einsteinhaus

Einstein and physics enthusiasts will really enjoy a tour of the Einsteinhaus in Kramgasse. This small flat was where Einstein stayed with his wife while he was working as a patent office clerk. His room overlooks the square and clock tower and it was here that he penned the theories for the general and special relativities. You can see his writing desk along with pictures and documents of his life's work.

Bern Cathedral

Bern Cathedral is Switzerland's largest church and was begun in the 15th century. It is Gothic by design and features stunning stained glass windows and carved choir stalls. The Last Judgement over the main entrance features over 200 small statues depicting scenes from the Last Judgement. Views of Bern and the surroundings from the tower are spectacular.

Bern Fountains

Bern is loaded with fountains, many of which are elaborately designed. The best place to see them is in the Krammegasse, of which the Zahringen Fountain comes with the Bern bear and dates to 1535. The Samson Fountain, or ‘Child-eater Fountain', depicts a man eating children in an effort to keep the kids of the city well behaved. The Moses and Musketeer fountains are among the many others worth seeing.

Overview

There are loads of things to do in and around Bern, with some of the best skiing in the country in nearby Interlaken, along with a host of other winter sports. Cycling is another popular pastime here, as is walking and hiking up to the Gurten overlooking the town. Swimming on the Aare River is a big hit in the summertime and there is much opportunity to play tennis and badminton year round.

Skiing

While Bern is not a natural base for ardent skiers, you can take advantage of many nearby ski resorts when staying here. The Bernese Oberland encompasses many top ski destinations, including Interlaken, Muerren, Grindelwald, and Gstaad. Interlaken is a particularly fine ski destination, having miles of slopes and state-of-the-art facilities along with a desirable mountain town. You can also enjoy snowboarding, cross-country skiing and ice-skating at many of these resorts.

Cycling

The Swiss are big into riding and the capital has miles of dedicated biking paths, along with a profusion of parks and the banks of the Aare River to go cycling. Thankfully, Bern is nice and small and easy to get about on two wheels, while for the adventure type, there are some cracking mountain trails near to town. Bike rental kiosks are all over town.

Bern Grand Prix

The Bern Grand Prix is a running event as opposed to anything to do with Formula 1 motor racing. It features many thousands of runners along a 10-mile route, which goes through the Old Town (Altstadt) via the Bundeshaus and the river. The whole day is a fun event, with street performers and brass bands along with food and things to do for the kids. There are two other races for kids and for those less able, including the one-mile long Children's Run and the three and a half-mile long Altstadt Run.

Swimming

The Aare River goes through Bern and is the focus for swimmers on hot summer's days. The most popular stretches of the river to swim and float down are from Kornhausbridge to the public Lorraine pool and the stretch between Eichholz and Marzili public pool. The Englische Anlagen to the Lorraine, near the Old Town, is also a good bet and if you are a competent swimmer, you could give the Bremgartenschlaufe a go. Entry to Bern public pools is free.

Hiking in the Gurten

The Gurten is one of the best free summer Bern attractions that isn't overly frequented by city tourists. It is a sizeable hill within the confines of the city and is ideal for walkers, featuring as it does miles of paths and fine views over the city and the Bernese Alps. There is also a wooden lookout tower here, along with a children's playground, a restaurant, and barbecue facilities.

Other sports

You can play indoor tennis, squash, badminton, or go bowling in many modern indoor facilities in Bern. In addition, Bern has an ice-hockey team, the SCB, who play regularly at the state-of-the-art SC Bern stadium, where there is regularly high attendance. SC Bern is at the Guisanplatz. There are also many fine golf courses in the region, while nearby Lake Wohlen is good for rowing.

Dining and shopping

There is everything from fast food joints up to the very best Swiss eateries in delectable settings in Bern. The local cuisine is fun to try out but is generally expensive for what you get in the touristy areas. Head for an inn in the city's environs for the best quality versus price. Bern shopping is also decent and consists of elaborate arcades selling fine locally made products, as well as several excellent markets.

Be sure to shop around when looking for a place to eat in central Bern. The best areas to find the finest restaurants in Bern are in the city centre along the Bärenplatz, Gerberngasse, Lorrainestrasse, Münstergasse, and Kornhausplatz. For cheaper dining head for bierstübli beer taverns or weinstübli wine bars, where they serve good quality food at reasonable prices.

Bern cuisine is typically Swiss, consisting of German and Italian influences. Local Bern specialities include sliced veal, known as Berner geschnetzeltes, along with other meat and potato dishes like bernerplatte, which also comes with beef tongue with sauerkraut. Also be sure to check out rasterrtopf, which is another delicious veal dish.

Cheese fondue is another typical local speciality, which is renowned in Switzerland and traditionally features emmental and gruyere cheese with white wine and bread. Chocolates are, of course, also a big sweet eat in Bern and there are chocolate shops and cafés all over town.

Bern has good shopping for its size and comes with a good collection of arcades, department stores and markets. Lacework, beer, and chocolates are all popular locally produced items. One of the best streets to pick up these products is on Rathausgasse and associated streets. There are handicraft stores galore around here as well as boutiques with luxury goods.

In addition, Bern has a load of smart arcades, with the best of them around Aarbergergasse, Gerechtigkeitsgasse, Münstergasse, and the Kramgasse. You will find unending quality souvenirs in the shops at these arcades, along with locally produced Toblerone style chocolate. Marktgasse and Spitalgasse in the Old Town also have a great range of shops, including the Globus and Loeb department stores on Spitalgasse.

Bern also puts on some excellent markets, with the Bärenplatz hosting the largest of them daily in the summer, and on a Tuesday and Saturday at other times of the year. You will find all types of items here, as well as at the Waisenhausplatz general market on Tuesdays and Sundays. Bern Cathedral also has a large market outside on Saturdays.

Berne's best restaurants cover a range of cuisines, with the focus firmly on German, Italian and regional tastes. Many eateries are located in the city's most desirable hotels, which feature unbeatable settings and quality service. Bern also has a huge supply of top-end cafés where some excellent breads and coffees can be sampled.

Overview

Transportation options in the Swiss capital are excellent, with a nice little international airport that receives flights from across Europe, an influx of high-speed rail services from neighbouring countries, as well as international bus access. Getting about the city is made easy by an excellent bus and tram network.

Airports

Bern Belp International Airport is close to the city centre and receives flights from the likes of London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin, Paris, and Vienna with many major airlines and low-cost carriers. FlyBe and Darwin Airlines are two of the budget carriers serving the airport while Lufthansa operates flights from Munich and Berlin.

Berne Belp, although small, has all the facilities you would need at an airport, with ATMs, banks, currency exchange booths, and shops. In among the standard newsagent shops is a decent duty-free store, while cafés and restaurants are also onsite. Business folk will find adequate office facilities at Bern Belp International Airport.

Transfer options from Bern Belp Airport to the Swiss capital include buses, shuttles, and taxis. Taxis are, of course, the most convenient transfer option. They are metered but quite expensive as in any European capital city. The airport bus runs hourly and terminates at the main railway station in town, from where services run on to Zurich, Geneva and elsewhere in the country. There is also a public bus to nearby Belp, from where trains run to Bern. Those who plan on hiring cars at the airport have a straightforward six-mile drive north to the city.

Public transportation

Other than flying, getting to Bern is best done by rail. Bern is on the European high-speed rail network and receives services from the three big fast rail networks - France's TGV, Germany's ICE, and Italy's Cisalpino. Trains come in from Paris, Munich and Milan, as well as from within Switzerland throughout the day from Lausanne, Basel, and Geneva. The main train station in Bern is just west of the city centre and Old Town.

There is also the choice of going by bus and services come in from all over Europe with Eurolines. Buses come in from Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Portugal, and Spain, as well as from several other countries. The local yellow Swiss postal buses also serve Bern from all over Switzerland and you may find yourself on one of these if emerging from the mountains somewhere.

Bern's public transport system is a combination of trams and buses known as the Stadtische Verkehrsbetriebe, or SVB, which covers the city well on interchangeable tickets. Short-ride tickets cover six stops, while standard tickets last for up to 45 minutes and allow you to go as far as you want in one direction on given lines. Trams run about every 10 minutes over three lines.

The buses in Bern are linked to the tram network and go where trams do not. You will find bus stops near the tram stops and can take advantage of the same ticketing system. You can hail taxis on the street or perhaps visit a taxi rank at the railway station or on the Casinoplatz. Taxis are only really necessary for getting to and from the airport, however, as Bern is small enough to get about on foot.