Must-see attractions in Bern

  • Rooftops in the old town district of Bern.

    Berner Altstadt

    Bern

    Bern’s flag-bedecked medieval centre has 6km of covered arcades and cellar shops and bars descending from the streets. After a devastating fire in 1405,…

  • Paul Klee Centre.

    Zentrum Paul Klee

    Bern

    Bern’s answer to the Guggenheim, Renzo Piano’s architecturally bold, 150m-long wave-like edifice houses an exhibition space that showcases rotating works…

  • 514866764 Architecture; Bern; Bern Canton; Bern-Mittelland; Blue; Construction Industry; Downtown District; Dusk; Europe; Famous Place; Photography; Business Finance and Industry; Capital Cities; City; City Street; Cityscape; Clock; Clock Tower; Color Image; Night; No People; Old Town; Outdoors; Zytglogge; Gate; History; Horizontal; Illuminated; Street; Switzerland; Tower; Town Square; Medieval; Morning; Traffic; Travel; Travel Destinations; Twilight; UNESCO; UNESCO World Heritage Site; Urban Skyline; Zytglogge clock tower lit up at night, in Bern.

    Zytglogge

    Bern

    Bern’s most famous Old Town sight, this ornate clock tower once formed part of the city’s western gate (1191–1256). Crowds congregate to watch its…

  • Museum für Kommunikation

    Bern

    Fresh from extensive renovation and expansion, Bern's Museum of Communication reopened its doors in August 2017. Occupying almost 2000 sq metres of…

  • Historisches Museum Bern

    Bern

    Tapestries, diptychs and other treasures vividly illustrate Bernese history from the Stone Age to the 20th century in this marvellous castle-like edifice,…

  • Kunstmuseum

    Bern

    Bern's Museum of Fine Arts houses Switzerland’s oldest permanent collection, ranging from an exquisite early Renaissance Madonna and Child by Fra Angelico…

  • Bern Old Town with Gothic Munster (Cathedral) in background.

    Münster

    Bern

    Bern’s 15th-century Gothic cathedral boasts Switzerland’s loftiest spire (100m); climb the 344-step spiral staircase for vertiginous views. Coming down,…

  • BärenPark

    Bern

    A popular etymological theory is that Bern got its name from the bear (Bär in German), when the city’s founder, Berthold V, duke of Zähringen, snagged one…

  • Bundeshaus

    Bern

    Home of the Swiss Federal Assembly, the Florentine-style Bundeshaus (1902) contains statues of the nation’s founding fathers, a stained-glass dome adorned…

  • Gurten Park

    Bern

    A great outdoorsy escape only 3km south of town, this small peak boasts a couple of restaurants, a miniature railway, cycling trails, a summer circus,…

  • Kindermuseum Creaviva

    Bern

    Inside the Zentrum Paul Klee, the fun-packed Kindermuseum Creaviva lets kids experiment with hands-on art exhibits or create original artwork with the…

  • Einstein-Haus Bern

    Bern

    Housed in the humble apartment that Einstein shared with his young family while working at the Bern patent office, this small museum includes a 20-minute…

  • Naturhistorisches Museum

    Bern

    The Natural History Museum near Helvetiaplatz features the famous moth-eaten and taxidermied remains of Barry, a 19th-century St Bernard rescue dog. Its…

  • Kindlifresserbrunnen

    Bern

    Bern is home to 11 decorative 16th-century fountains depicting historic and folkloric characters. The most famous is Kindlifresserbrunnen (Ogre Fountain),…

  • University Botanical Garden

    Bern

    A flight of steps leads from the northern end of Lorrainebrücke to the University Botanical Garden, a riverside garden with plenty of green specimens to…

  • Schweizerisches Alpines Museum

    Bern

    The Swiss Alpine Museum hosts special exhibitions; its permanent collection of relief maps and Alpine mountaineering exhibits are kept under wraps.