Bern (Berne) Travel Overview
Bern, Berne in French, is the capital of Switzerland. Bern takes its name from the German word for bear. Bern is a pretty medieval city, founded in 1191, with many attractions, musuems, and historic sites. Bern was built with local sandstone and has unique fountains, towers, open squares, and arcades lining its walkways. Because of its impressive medieval architecture in Bern's old town, Bern has been made a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Bern Location
Bern is in central Switzerland in the German speaking section (see Switzerland Map). Bern sits on the River Aare, surrounded by wooded hills, near the Swiss Alps and makes a good base for exploring the alps. It's 122 km from Zuirch and 152 km from Geneva.
Bern Transportation
The closest international airport is in Zurich, about an hour by train. The Bern airport is 9km southeast of Bern. There's a shuttle bus between the airport and Bern's central train station. Bern is easily reached by train from other Swiss and European cities and its train station is very modern. Buses to other parts of Bern and outlying areas leave from the station. Bern is on our Amsterdam to Italy's Lakes Region Suggested Train Itinerary.
The best way to get around in Bern is on foot or by bike but there are also buses, trams, and horse-drawn carriages in summer. The compact old town is a pedestrian zone. Bikes are available for free use (with a deposit) at the train station.
Bern Tourist Office
Bern's tourist office is on the upper level of the train station. It opens daily at 9am and stays open until 8:30 in summer but closes at 5:00 or 6:30 the rest of the year. There's a free hotel phone outside the tourist office. There’s also a smaller tourist information booth at the Bärengraben.
Bern Festivals
Bern holds an annual onion fair in late November that includes street entertainers dressed as onions. There's a big Buskers festival for three days in early August, celebrating street performers. The Bern Jazz Festival is held March through May. Gurtenfestival, a music festival, is held in mid-July on top of Gurten, Bern's local mountain. In June, 2008 Switzerland and Austria host the European Cup, one of the largest sporting events in the world, and 31 matches will be played in Bern.
Where to Stay in Bern
Bern has a number of reasonably priced hotels. The top guest rated three star hotels in Bern are the Hotel Jardin (book direct) and the less expensive Continental (book direct).Shopping
Bern's old town has shops of all kinds and the arcaded walkways give Bern one of the longest covered shopping promenades in Europe. Most shops are closed all day Sunday and Monday mornings. Thursday evenings shops are generally open until 9pm. Food and flower markets are held on Tuesdays and Saturdays and craft markets are held on Saturdays except in January and February. Christmas Markets are held December 1-24.
Bern Attractions
Besides strolling through the old town, Berne has several interesting attractions worth seeing.
- Medieval clock tower - The Zytglogge tower, Bern's first western city gate (1191-1256), has moving figures.
- Federal Building - Built in 1902, the Federal building houses Parliament and can be visited when open. In the square in front of the building are 26 squirt fountains, one for each Swiss state.
- Munster - Bern's 15th century Gothic cathedral is topped by a 100 meter tall tower.
- Bear Pit - Started in 16th century, the bear pit houses live bears.
- Garden of Roses - A panoramic view of the medieval town center and a restaurant highlight the relaxing Garden of Roses.
- Botanical Gardens - The gardens have nearly 6000 plant species growing outdoors and in greenhouses.
- Prison Tower - Constructed as a prison, this tower was Bern's second tower and second city gate.
- Museums - Museums include Arts, Natural history, historic museum, psychiatry museum, alpine museum, Einstein house, and Zentrum Paul Klee.
- River Aare - Walk along the river or swim in summer.
