Bellevue Palace

Top choice in Bern


For many years this was Bern’s only five-star hotel and the guest list has included bigwigs from Nelson Mandela down. It’s gilded, polished, sashed and swathed, and suitably discreet, with classic period antiques and service that will make you feel like royalty. Don't turn up looking shabby unless its shabby-chic.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bern attractions

1. Zytglogge

0.09 MILES

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…

2. Berner Altstadt

0.13 MILES

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,…

3. Bundeshaus

0.13 MILES

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

4. Kindlifresserbrunnen

0.13 MILES

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

5. Einstein-Haus Bern

0.17 MILES

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…

6. Schweizerisches Alpines Museum

0.2 MILES

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

7. Münster

0.22 MILES

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

8. Historisches Museum Bern

0.27 MILES

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