Places / Europe / Switzerland
Bern
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At a glance
- Country
- Switzerland
- Region
- Canton of Bern
- Population
- 135,000
- Best time to go
- May to September
- Main airport
- Bern (BRN) has few flights; most visitors arrive via Zurich (ZRH)
- Coordinates
- 46.95°N, 7.45°E
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Overview
Bern is Switzerland's federal city, a small, unhurried capital on a hairpin bend of the Aare river. Its medieval Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is laced with six kilometres of stone arcades, painted fountains and cellar shops.
It feels more like a large town than a capital. Spend your time strolling the arcades, visiting the museums and, in summer, floating down the river like the locals.
Things to see
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Photo: Mike Lehmann, Mike Switzerland 13:37, 2 July 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0 Zytglogge
The medieval clock tower, whose mechanical figures perform just before the hour; tours go inside.
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Photo: André P. Holzer, Bern, CC BY-SA 3.0 Bern Minster
Switzerland's tallest church, with a carved Last Judgement over the door and a high tower to climb.
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Photo: Mike Lehmann, Mike Switzerland ( talk ) 05:54, 14 July 2010 , CC BY-SA 3.0 Federal Palace
The domed seat of the Swiss parliament, with guided tours when parliament is not in session.
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Photo: Unknown artist Unknown artist, Public domain Bear Park
A riverside enclosure where the city's symbolic bears live, below the Nydegg bridge.
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Photo: Norbert Aepli, Switzerland ( User:Noebu ), CC BY 2.5 Zentrum Paul Klee
Renzo Piano's wave-shaped museum dedicated to the painter, on the edge of the city.
Tickets and tours
Things to do
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Photo: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 3.0 Swim in the Aare
On hot days, locals walk upstream, jump in and drift back down to the Marzili baths.
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Photo: Daniel Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 Rose Garden
A hillside garden above the Old City with the best view over its rooftops and the river bend.
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Photo: August Geyler, CC BY-SA 4.0 Gurten
Take the funicular up Bern's local mountain for walks and views of the Alps.
Find tours -
Photo: Dsmntl, CC BY-SA 3.0 Einstein House
The flat where Einstein lived while developing his special theory of relativity.
Find tours
Where to stay
Old City
Atmospheric and walkable, with hotels inside historic buildings.
Hotels in Old CityNear the railway station
Practical for day trips to the Alps and lakes.
Hotels in Near the railway stationKirchenfeld
A quiet, elegant area across the river, near the museums.
Hotels in Kirchenfeld
Getting around
The Old City is easy to walk. Trams and buses cover the rest, and hotel guests receive a Bern Ticket covering local transport.
Direct trains from Zurich airport reach Bern in about 75 minutes, and from Geneva airport in under two hours.
When to go
May to September is warm, with river swimming in July and August. Late November brings the onion market, Zibelemärit, and December has Christmas markets.
Plan your trip to Bern
Guide last checked October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.