Another capital in Europe you have to visit is Bern. We wrote about Paris, Madrid, Budapest, Viena, Zagreb. Now try another UNESCO World Heritage site in the Old Town of Bern. If you love shopping streets and covered sidewalks, here are 10 things you can do in a city break in Bern, Switzerland.
Things to Do in Bern
- The Old Town of Bern will transport you back in time with its medieval architecture and cobblestone streets. Snap a pic in front of the iconic Zytglogge clock tower and refill your water bottle from one of the beautiful fountains.
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For a good night scene and bars, clubs, and people, head to the Matte neighborhood. It’s part of the old town and to travel from the upper zones to the lower ones you can take the Mattelift, a venerable lift still operated by a local figure (Hans Peter Blum). He might tell you a story or two during the transport inside this 1897-built metal construction designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Yes, that Eiffel.
3. Relax In the Rosengarten, a place with beautiful views and amazing smell if you visit in the summer.
4. Acrosss the bridge from the Old City there’s the Bear Park, the iconic place where they keep the city simbol, the Bear. The brown bears here are huge and while some question the need for bears to be held captive inside the city, the crowds are constant here!
5. For a special shopping experience, head up and down the city. Head to the Bundesplatz, where you can find all sorts of souvenirs, from Swiss Army knives to chocolate, clothes and fancy perfumes. One of the best features of the city is the way shops are located unde the street level.
Immerse yourself in thyself little treasure chests and have another kind of shopping experience. What makes Bern stand out in my memory are these shops and the arches above the sidewalks.
The small streets and the elevator near the river are another path to take for a walk, but only after lunch. You can make your people watching coffe savouring siesta in the park here.
And you do have interesting people to see, like we did here.
6. Try one of the traditional Swiss dishes like raclette, fondue, and rösti, followed by a cold glass of Swiss beerlike Erdinger, Quollfrisch or the great white whine they make, like Petite Arvie Top it all off with chocolate. Lindt, Wernli, Cailler Ragusa, Ovomaltine, Villars and Sprungli, all are great choices.Grab a snak if you are on the run, I recommend the Racklette bagel.
Another tested recommendation is the Shaorma from Mimo. A pleasure.
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For another kind of appetite and ataste of local history, head to the Einstein House, where the famous physicist once lived. Bonus points if you can spot the equation he wrote on the wall! And you souldn’t miss the Bern Museum of Fine Arts, where you can see works by the likes of Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso.
8. Fall in love with the Aare river. By falling IN it. For more than its colour, you can come to apreciate it by floating on it. It’s a tradition here and either on paddle boards or in a swimsuit, you can see people in the azure river at all times. There are even special Routes, you can read more about them here.
9. Take a tour of the Foutains in Bern. There are over 100 of them, each with clear drinking water and part of the Bern Story, because the city is also The City of Fountains. Take in these magnificent examples of Renaissance art.You can visit Len Fountain, in the basement of the State Chancellery, the capital’s oldest preserved historic monument. But you can discover the stories for Lady Justice and the Ogre Fountains, Moses Fountain and the Bagpiper Fountai A copper engraving by Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürrer served as inspiration and template for the figure on the fountain.
10. Reserve half a day for a hike up to the Gurten, the mountain South of Bern. The Gurtenbahn’s (funicular) valley station can be reached by streetcar no. 9 in around 15 minutes from Bern’s main station. From there, the top can be reached on foot, by bike or by the red funicular. Here you can photograph the panoramic views of the city and the Alps. Make a picnic here and enjoy the quiet.
How do you spend a day in Bern?
Spend it in the Old town and near the azure river. It can give you all the good vibes, while enjoying the paves streets, the people and the food.
Like and follow for more trips, tips and tricks! Happy trails,
The GALs, Catalina&Florin
”We’re a couple in love with travel and research. We hope to give you some good tips from experience so that you can have the best of times.”
Some special accessories>
- What I recommend as a must-have is a chic dress. Try iepemarie.ro
- And a hat for the same bourgeois feeling of this city. Try this.
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