Given the tourist masses passing through Bern, especially from Asia, one would assume to find the crowning jewel of Switzerland. Given the scarcity of reviews on this site by community members as well as the brevity of those by otherwise verbose travellers (including Els herself), I already figured that this wouldn't be the case.

Bern old town feels very Swiss and distinct from northern Italian cities it shares many features with. Not sure if it's the clocktowers or the abundance of fountains all over the city. Personally, I enjoyed the views of the rushing Aar river best and the tucked away gardens found all over the city.

As with many other old towns, Bern, too, would profit from finally kicking out the cars. They ruin the overall mood in the old town as well as many pictures.

Bern is nothing to call home about. But if you are in the area and need a place to stay, you can tick this off en passant and you will have a few pleasant hours in the process.

While You Are There

The clock tower tour (Zytglogge) seems to be the only unique thing to do. When I visited they only ran at 14:30h apparently, which didn't fit with my schedule. The tour can be reserved online.

Getting There and Away

Bern is well connected by train to all parts of Switzerland. The closest site by distance would be the Jungfrau Aletsch Glacier. But in the time it takes you to get from Bern up the mountains (2h), you could also be in most other parts of Switzerland.

The Swiss Travel Pass is recommended if you plan to travel by train. It also offers free public transport in Bern and free entry to select museums. You also get free public transport if you stay in a local hotel.

Trivia

The bear den is found outside of the gates. The original den has been enlarged via a tunnel to an external part that is way larger than the original part. When I visited the bears were staying there.

The Zytglogge has a unique feature, that puzzled me quite a bit. They attached a public urinale to their most prominent site. Not sure why Unesco isn't intervening here.