The Best of Bern: The Swiss Capital City with a Pet Bear
Wrapped in a tight bend of the Aare river, Bern provides a combination of natural and architectural beauty.
This (de-facto, as apparently there is no official) capital city situated near the western border allows for easy access to other Swiss hot spots and it a short distance from German, French and Italian borders.
We visited Bern on a tri-city tour of Switzerland and it served as the perfect city to transition from the bustling life of London into a calmer, and greener surrounding before we went deeper into the mountains.
While Bern has different attractions that you can visit, I think it’s the perfect city to explore at a slow pace, letting you direction be guided block by block, taking turns when a building or shop catches your eye. Our favorite moments were catching the sunset both from Rosegarden and banks of the river Aare. Budget at least two days for your visit to enjoy the city at a leisurely pace!
view of Bern’s Altstadt or “Old City”
History of the City:
Bern’s old city center, or “Altstadt” in the German language, dates back to the 12th century with the French Church and Medieval tower which both still stand date back to the 13th century - that’s 800 years of history!
It’s contested whether the name of the city itself derives from the Celtic word berna, meaning cleft, identifying the geographical formation of the river here, or whether it an ode the city’s founder Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen, whose first game taken down in the area was a bear.
Regardless of the origin, it is a Bear Pit, not a Celt Pit, which is positioned just east of the Altstadt on the river Aarne. The bear has long been a symbol of the city appearing on the seal and coat of arms from the 1220s.
I was surprised to learn that not only did they start to keep a live bear in an enclosure in the city in the 15th century, but that a living bear still remains in the enclosure today. I don’t love that they keep a wild animal behind bars, it seems that the Swiss government has passed more recent lawas which have resulted in much more comfortable and natural habitats for enclosed animals - more on that here if you’re interested.
Top Recommendations for Bern, Switzerland:
Walk the historic cobblestone streets of the Altstadt - it’s impossible to miss the medieval clock tower - Zytglogge in German
Drink straight from the fountains in the Altstadt, it’s clean and ready to consume
Shop local; buy Swatch! The famous Swiss watch manufacturer’s head quarters are located only a 30 minute drive away in Biel/Bienne
Eat Birchermüesli, a Swiss-born breakfast dish, at Rösterei Kaffee und Bar on Gurtengasse
Visit the beautiful Münsterplattform park that sets high on the edge of the river Aarne
Walk down Aarstrasse and stroll along the bank of the river Aarne, stay on the North side of the river.
Take a dip in the outdoor pools (if its open for the season) at Freibad Merzili and then make your way to Swiss Restaurant Dampfzentrale for lunch or dinner
Walk across Nydegg Bridge, a heritage site, and across the river to say hello to the bear in his natural pit
Walk up the hill on the east bank of the river to the Rose Garden; though it gets a lot of traffic, I highly recommend the Restaurant Rosengarten for a sunset meal or drink to watch the sun melt behind the backdrop of the city
Museums galore - if you’re looking for an indoor experience, Bern has a nice selection of museums to check out:
dinner at the Restaurant Rosengarten
Have you been to Bern?
