About Bern

Bern works wonders – as you will see the moment you glimpse the city behind the façade. There is so much to see here, so many places worth discovering, whether it is Parliament Square with the Swiss Parliament, the famous Clock Tower, or the city’s innumerable churches and fountains. All of these double as a backdrop for countless events: the annual Jazz Festival, Gurten Festival, Buskers, Carnival, Grand Prix, and Swiss women’s run, to say nothing of the annual Onion Market, the Geranium market and Christmas Market on the Münsterplatz and the Waisenhausplatz. The choice of museums is also sure to impress you, including as it does the Zentrum Paul Klee, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Historical Museum, the Alpine Museum, and the Museum of Communication, all of which house exciting collections.

Bern is also a great starting point for excursions into the surrounding region: its very own mountain, the Gurten, commands fantastic views of the Alps and into Emmental, both of which are worthwhile day trips. Bern, moreover, is centrally located and boasts excellent road and rail links as well as its own airport.

Bern is a forward-looking city, as demonstrated by its new Bear Park, and Westside shopping mall and leisure centre designed by world famous architect Daniel Libeskind. If you feel you’ve had your fill of sightseeing for one day, you can take a break in one of the city’s many street-side cafés or fabulous restaurants, because Bern’s cuisine is just as varied and rich in contrasts as are its people.

What both have in common is traditional Bernese hospitality: warm, winning, authentic. Not that the façade is of no concern to us. Thanks to its beautifully preserved medieval city center, the Old Town of Bern was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites as long ago as 1983. How many stars would you award us? We look forward to giving you a glimpse behind the façade!

Markus Lergier
Director of Bern Tourism

For more information about Bern, visit www.berninfo.com