Everyone knows the amazing postcard pictures of the Old Town of Bern. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. And also you should know that Bern is the capital of Switzerland. That’s true; it is tough to believe that it is the capital of Switzerland. But it is. The first-timers who visit Bern get addicted to its stunning arrangements and settings.
And Bern is built on a sandstone ridge, encircled on three sides by the Aare flowing through a valley. The prosperity of Bern’s citizens in the 17th and 18th centuries show by the city’s houses, shops, roofs, and street-level arcades. Altogether Bern has a lot more to discover. So, here are the Best Places to visit in Bern, Switzerland.
Places to Visit in Bern
Places to Visit in Bern: Traveling around the Old Town
Apart from the UNESCO World Heritage site’s old statues, there is a lot more to discover in the Old Town of Bern, Switzerland. The town is more fertile with the Aare River. And also, this is a well-preserved medieval town with its characteristics. So, you can walk along the streets and feel beautiful. There are shops, cafes, bookstores, and restaurants on the lower levels of the buildings, while the upper floors are apartments.
All the bridges across the Aare River, public fountains, towers, and statues attract more tourists to this Old Town. And the Clock Tower is one of the most famous and iconic places here.
It’s about the Zytglogge (Clock Tower)
The Zytglogge or the Clock Tower is the most famous sight in the Old Town as mentioned earlier. This landmark is 800 years old and 23 meters high. And it is located just above the western gate tower of the Old Town. This clock’s decorations are unique and beginning at just three minutes before every hour, a circus of mechanical creatures come out to put on a little show.
The creatures include The Fool, The Knight, The Rooster, The Piper, and more. Even the inside of the clock shows more ancient formations like 130 worn stone steps. You also can visit the inside clock mechanism, and it is better to contact the tourists’ office and ask for a guided tour.
The Historical Museum of Bern and Einstein Museum
The combination of the Historical Museum of Bern and the Einstein Museum is the second largest museum in Switzerland. The museum design was based on the 15th-century castles and included more than half a million valuable objects in each era.
Starting from Alpine stone ear, through the Celts, Romans, Middle Ages, Napoleonic era and into 19th and 20th centuries’ objects are displayed here. The burial objects from the Alpine stone era and the famous Königsfelden diptych painted for the king of Hungary are more important.
The second floor of the museum is totally devoted to the worlds’ great scientist Albert Einstein. This museum is focused on his life story and demonstrated how he lived. Plenty of old movie clips, original objects, and letters are used for the demonstrations. Even his Nobel Prize certificate is also displayed in this museum. If you visited the Old Town, then cross the Aare and visit the Helvetiaplatz to reach this museum.
Places to Visit in Bern: Visit the Einstein Haus Bern
After visiting the Einstein Museum, you can reach the apartment where Einstein actually lived with his family. He had shared this humble apartment with his young family while working at the Bern Patent Office. Actually, it is worth seeing how this genius scientist lived with his wife, Mileva Maric, and the son Hans between 1903 and 1905.
The most special feature is that he had done some of his greatest findings while living in this house. Those findings include the writing about the photoelectric effect, the Brownian motion, the theory of relativity, and E = mc2.
There’s a small exhibition of all the furniture which they used and his works in understandable language for anyone. So, you can have a great idea about his works as well.
Discover the Paul Klee Center
Paul Klee is a world-famous German-Swiss painter since the first part of the 20th century. The specialty of his work is that he has combined various kinds of media with his work. And his theoretical writings on art are considered the greatest theories ever. For example, Form and Design Theory on Art is a very famous and great theoretical work written about art. And this center is all about his great works. Altogether, there are 4000 works by Klee, including Dame mit Sonnenschirm (Woman with Parasol), In den Hausern von St. Germain (Houses of St. Germain), and Tod und Feuer (Death and Fire).
And also, a note should be kept about the design of the building as well. The great architect Renzo Piano is the designer of this outstanding rolling hilly landscape-like building. The wide space, light, and air are sufficiently gaining to feel the beauty of the arts.
Visit the Oldest Art Museum in Switzerland: Kunstmuseum
Kunstmuseum is the oldest museum in Switzerland which was built in 1879. And this amazing museum is the home for more than 51000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, prints, and films. This museum holds an international reputation for its content. 14th-century Italian arts, 15th-century Swiss arts, 19th, and 20th-century paintings are included here. And most of the world-famous artists’ artworks are displayed here, like Duccio and Fra Angelico like ancient Italian painters and Niklaus Manuel, Albert Anker, Cuno Amiet like Swiss artists.
Check this official website for more details regarding exhibitions, guided tours, etc. http://www.kunstmuseumbern.ch/
The Cathedral in Bern: Berner Münster
Münster is the most famous building in Bern, and this is also called the cathedral of St. Vincent. This has taken a major place to influence the overall development of the city in the past. This late Gothic creation was constructing between 1421 to 1893. The architecture of Berner Münster cathedral is worth reading and find out as it is very eye-catching.
Explore Gurten
This will be a very different experience for you in Bern. Because Bern is full of ancient things and museums, Gurten offers you a chance to feel a high mountain range’s natural beauty. Just to the south of the city center, the Gurten is an 864m high mountain range with a 360-degree view. And you can see the whole city with its ancient buildings and towers just below this place. And also, you can see The Three Lakes Region all the way to the Jura Mountains. And try to climb up the tower since it gives amazing views at every additional step.
Especially in the winter, the mountain offers skiing, toboggan run experiences for kids as well.
Travel around the Rose Garden Park: Rosengarten
From 1765 to 1877, this place was a cemetery. But in 1913, it was converted into a calm and nice public park. The park will give the most impressive views of the city with a large open area. And most importantly, as the name says, this garden has more than 200 types of roses. On the other hand, nearly 200 species of irises, azaleas, and rhododendrons are there with a pond and a pavilion. Actually, this is a very romantic place for a romantic walk.
Places to Visit in Bern
