Bern: a first-timer's guide to the Swiss capital

Why go

Bern is a capital that feels like a town. Its whole old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, government buildings sit beside cellar shops and bars, and in summer locals jump into the Aare on their lunch break. It is a gentle introduction to Switzerland and a good place to slow down for a day or two.

The old town

Walk the length of **Marktgasse**, **Kramgasse** and **Gerechtigkeitsgasse** under the arcades, known as Lauben, which give shelter in any weather. Look down too: many shops and bars live in vaulted cellars entered through sloping street doors. The **Zytglogge** clock tower puts on a small show of moving figures just before the hour, and guided tours take you inside the clockwork. Along the way are more than a hundred fountains, including a dozen colourful sixteenth century figure fountains. The **Bern Minster** has the tallest church spire in Switzerland and a tower you can climb for a view over the rooftops.

Parliament and the river

The domed **Federal Palace** is home to the Swiss parliament, and free guided tours run on many days when parliament is not in session; bring your passport. The terrace behind it looks over the Aare to the Alps on clear days. In summer, the **Marzili** baths below the Federal Palace are the place to join locals floating down the river. The current is strong: only swim if you are confident, use the exits with handrails, and never swim after rain or when warnings are posted.

The bears and the gardens

Bern takes its name and symbol from the bear, and the **BärenPark** on the riverbank across the Nydegg Bridge gives the city's bears a large, natural enclosure. Uphill, the **Rose Garden** has the finest view over the old town and a relaxed restaurant.

Museums

The **Einstein House** is the flat where Albert Einstein lived while developing his theory of special relativity, and the **Bern Historical Museum** has a larger Einstein exhibition. The **Zentrum Paul Klee**, in a wave-shaped building by Renzo Piano, holds the world's largest collection of Klee's work. The **Kunstmuseum Bern** is the oldest art museum in the country.

Food and markets

Order the **Berner Platte**, a hearty platter of sausages, smoked meats, beans and sauerkraut, in a traditional restaurant. Markets run on **Bundesplatz** on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, and the **Zibelemärit**, the onion market on the fourth Monday of November, is a much loved local festival with onion braids, confetti and onion tart.

Where to stay

Stay in or near the **old town** or by the **station**, both walkable to everything. Bern is often cheaper than Zurich or Geneva for hotels, which makes it a smart base for day trips to **Thun**, **Interlaken** and the cheese villages of the **Emmental**.

Getting there

Fast trains link Bern with Zurich, Basel and Lucerne in about an hour, and Geneva in under two. Interlaken is under an hour away, which makes it easy to combine with the Jungfrau region. A popular plan is to spend a morning in Bern's old town, take an afternoon train to Thun for a walk along the river and a boat on the lake, and continue to Interlaken by evening, arriving in the mountains without ever feeling rushed. Luggage can travel separately by rail between many stations if you want to walk light. See Interlaken and the Jungfrau region for the next step.