Bern
« In an ideal world, I’d spend every weekend at my home in Switzerland » -Vanessa Mae
Having retained most of its historic features, the Swiss capital attracts many people each year. The Old Town of Bern, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has much to offer to its visitors. You can take a journey through the town’s medieval history with its 16th century fountains, its sandstone facades, narrow streets and historic towers and monuments. The city also contains a handful of museums like the History museum, the Art museum and Swiss Alpine museum, offering a wide range of exhibitions for the tastes of each visitor. With many botanical gardens and parks located along the river of Aare, the city also allows you to enjoy the nature side it has to offer. You can also take a break and enjoy the city’s markets, restaurants and bars in the Old Town to relish traditional Swiss cuisine.
Activities
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Bear Pit, Bern
Bears have been part of Bern’s culture since 1191, so it’s no surprise that they are the city’s symbol.
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Bernisches Historisches Museum / Einstein Museum, Bern
Only a short walk from the Museum of Communication, at first, this exhibit may seem quite random, but it is a little known fact that Einstein was in Bern when he developed his theory of relativity.
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Botanical Garden, Bern
This park on the river Aare, next to the Lorraine Bridge, opened in 1859 for educational purposes and is now a recognised place of national significance covering over 20000m2 with more than 5500 types of plants from all over the world, from native Alpine species and medicinal herbs, to six mixed-climate greenhouses where you can see butterflies and even pineapples and bananas growing.
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Einsteinhaus, Bern
This museum in the heart of the city’s Old Town is the former house of Albert Einstein, where he lived between 1903 and 1905, during which time he developed his theory of relativity within these very walls. His house was restored and you can now see who can see his life’s work exhibited, as well as a 20 minute biographical film.
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Museum of Communication, Bern
Nearby the Natural History, the history of Bern and Alpine museums, this particular museum was awarded the Council of Europe Prize in 2019.
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Museum of Fine Arts, Bern
Opposite the Botanical Garden, this is Switzerland’s oldest art museum and covers over 800 years of art history with more than 50000 pieces on display from all over the world. You can explore pieces by famous artists including Picasso, Salvador Dalì, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh, not to mention those by renowned Swiss artists.
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Rosengarten, Bern
Thanks to its location just above the Bear Pit, you can get a bird’s eye view of Bern’s Old Town, its roofed landscape and even the Alps if the weather is good, from what is widely considered the city’s most beautiful park.
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The Cathedral of Bern
Nestled in Bern’s Old Town, this is Switzerland’s largest religious building and country’s tallest tower.
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The Parliament Building, Bern
Built between 1894 and 1902 by architect Hans Wilhelm Auer, its green dome makes this building an easily recognisable part of the Old Town’s skyline and is where Parliament meets.
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UNESCO Old City of Bern
This is the medieval centre of Switzerland’s capital, founded in 1191 on a hill encircled by the river Aare.
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