Bern in One Day
This is Bern. I have never thought that the capital of Switzerland would be that beautiful, and that autumn could make the nature that colorful and alive.
I have finally visited Switzerland! It has been on my to-do list since quite a while, but I was finally able to make it this October. So for a full week, we traveled through Switzerland: Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Lausanne, Geneva, Gruyere… we did it all! Saying that Switzerland is beautiful is an understatement. So I will try to show you a part of its beauty throughout a series of posts about the places we have visited, but I really advise everyone to go and visit, especially if they are aiming for a relaxing vacation.
So Switzerland’s first post is about Bern, the capital and an UNESCO world heritage site. Here is the guide to spending one day in Bern.
Where to Stay?
We didn’t stay in Bern. We were staying in Zurich, and took the train to come and spend one full day in Bern. But if you are staying in Bern, don’t worry as it is a small city and can be visited by walking. So wherever you are staying, you can still walk to the points of interests and admire the beauty of the city.
One advice for those coming by train: If you already know the date and time of your visit, book “Supersaver” tickets available on the SBB website and mobile application only, and allowing you to take the train for nearly half the price.
What to Visit?
- Old City of Bern: This medieval city center surrounded by the Aare River and listed as a UNESCO heritage site, is also known as the city if fountains. When walking through its streets, you are sure to come across many of its historic fountains decorated with colorful sculpted statues.
Kramgasse is one of the principal streets in the Old city. You can easily identify it as it starts the west by the Zytglogge, Bern’s astronomical clock and a landmark of the medieval city, where rooster and bear figures showing up at every hour. To be honest, having seen the Astronomical Clock of Prague, I was a bit disappointed by the one in Bern as its figurines show is shorter and less impressive.
In the Old city, you can also visit the Cathedral of Bern. This Gothic masterpiece is Switzerland’s largest ecclesiastical building. Its remarkable portal depicts the Last Judgment.
The cathedral has the tallest spire and can be seen almost anywhere in Bern.
Heiliggelstkirche (Church of the Holy Ghost) is one of the finest examples of the Protestant church architecture.
Nydeggkirche (Nydegg church): Located on the eastern edge of the Old City, this is the second-oldest church building in Bern.
Einstein House: This is the apartment where the genius scientist lived in 1910s and where he developed his most important theories. It tells the story of Einstein and his family.
Einstein Museum: We skipped it because we visited Einstein House. The museum is known to be focused on Einstein as a man more than a scientist.
- Bear Park: Brown bears, the symbol of Bern, live here in an area larger than 6000 m2. It is a great experience to watch them in their natural habitat.
- Rosengarten: The Rose Garden is a large park home to more than 200 different types of roses. As our visit was in October, many of the roses had faded.
But there is much more than the roses, as going up that hill will show you a wonderful view of the Old Town and the Aare Loop. Do not miss it.
- Museum of Communication: This animated and interactive museum is good to visit if you are coming with family or kids. It is known to be more a playground than an education venue. We didn’t visit it.
- Bern Zoo: If you have additional time to spend in Bern, you can visit its Zoological Garden with its 200 different animal species. The unique riverside landscape is ideal for observing wild animals in their natural habitats.
If you are not staying in Bern and are just visiting for one day, here is a recommended itinerary for the visit:
1- Arrive at the Train station
2- Heiliggelstkirche: Church of the Holy Ghost (Note that it opens at 11:00, so you might need to walk around if you arrived earlier).
3- Zytglogge: Astronomical Clock
4- Einstein house
5- Bern Cathedral
6- Museums: Einstein museum or Museum of communication
LUNCH
7- Nydeggkirche (second oldest church)
8- Bear Pit
9- Rosengarten
10- Zoo (If you still have time. The visit would need at least 2 hours)
11- Train station
What to eat?
We only had one main meal there: Lunch at a the Thai and Japanese restaurant Fugu Nydegg that I totally recommend. The food was yummy, the yellow curry was a bit too hot for us, but the Masamman Curry was awesome.
Japanese Yakitory Beef Skewers with Sweet Potato and Pineapple
Massaman Curry Prawns
Yellow Curry Chicken (Too hot but good)
Green Tea
While visiting Bern, you can also stop at some of the bakeries or desserts shops like Confiserie Tshrirren to get some delicacies to eat them by the river.
As for chocolate lovers, please do not miss Läderach. I tried several flavors of their chocolate bars and mousse…. Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures of their shop in Bern, but trust me, they really are the best!
In case you are staying in Bern, you can also take trips to areas around, like the Emmental region, best known for its Emmental cheese (you can visit a cheese factory there), or visit the Kambly Experience to learn how the Kambly biscuits are made. Unfortunately we couldn’t do that as we were tight on schedule.
And finally, more pictures of beautiful Bern…