Discover Bern: Old Town, culture and the Aare

Bern offers several distinct reasons to visit: its historic Old Town, museums and historic living spaces, gardens with views, and the recurring Zibelemärit onion market. If you plan your trip around a guided tour or the market, take the relevant dates into account.

Old Town and architectural history

The historic Old Town in the city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was laid out in the 12th century according to an innovative founding plan; its medieval urban fabric is considered an impressive example of town planning in the High Middle Ages. Arcades and house façades supported by arches define the preserved structure. The Aare surrounds the Old Town and provides another important landmark for finding your way around Bern.

A walk begins in the UNESCO-listed Old Town and follows the Aare towards Bern Animal Park and Elfenau. This combines the historic cityscape with a riverside route, without specifying a particular walking time.

The clock mechanism, Einstein and Paul Klee

The Zytglogge was built as a defensive tower between 1218 and 1220. With the addition of its astronomical clock mechanism in 1530, it became a prestigious feat of engineering. A guided tour offers a look behind the hands of the centuries-old clock mechanism and a view from the tower. Check the tour dates before making firm plans to visit.

Albert Einstein lived in Bern from 1903 to 1905 and developed his theory of relativity there. The apartment in Einstein House is open to visitors and furnished in the style of the period in which it was created. Check the visiting arrangements before your visit.

The Zentrum Paul Klee offers a different cultural focus: its wave-like steel and glass structure was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano. The collection includes around 4,000 works, including paintings, watercolours and drawings. The centre also serves as a platform for events such as concerts, readings and guided tours; the programme varies.

Gardens and animal park

The Rose Garden offers a view of the UNESCO-listed Old Town. The grounds served as a cemetery for the Lower Old Town from 1765 to 1877; since 1913, the garden has been open to the public. Its diverse plant life includes more than 400 varieties of roses and irises, as well as 28 different rhododendrons. The view of the Old Town and the botanical features each give the garden a distinct focus.

The BärenPark is part of Bern Animal Park, covers 6,000 square metres and is free to enter. Visitor paths run through the grounds, where you can observe bears playing, eating, climbing and swimming at close range. Check the applicable conditions before your visit. The Rose Garden is known for its garden setting and city views, while the BärenPark offers an animal park with designated visitor paths.

The Aare and seasonal events

Swimming in the Aare is suitable only for strong swimmers because the current is powerful and easy to underestimate; check local conditions before swimming. Lorrainebad and Marzilibad are cited as popular and safe places to enter the water. Follow the signs on site.

The Zibelemärit takes place every year on the fourth Monday in November. A large part of its range consists of onion braids, onion wreaths and onion figures. Its fixed date makes the market a specific seasonal reason to travel; if you visit in November, you can plan your trip around it.

A look beyond the city

Nearby, the Gurten is an additional destination in the municipality of Köniz, not within the city of Bern. It can be reached by a funicular railway that opened in 1899. From the viewpoint at Eastsignal, the view stretches from the federal city to the Alps. There is also an observation tower, a children’s playground with a miniature railway and a varied cultural programme. The Gurten broadens the view to include the region, while remaining clearly distinct from the city of Bern.

Discover more destinations

Rokwiler, Saules, Sornetan, Lengnau, Muri Bei Bern, Ostermundigen, Zimmerwald, Kirchlindach

Go to the main travel overview: Bern.