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An inspirational and musical city...
The capital of Switzerland, Bern is built around an extravagant
bend in the River Aare. With 6km of covered arcades and fountains,
it is an ideal city for relaxed exploration over a long weekend.
Everything can be reached on foot. Start off at the stunning 15th
century Gothic cathedral with the highest spire in Switzerland,
which gives excellent views of the Bernese Alps. Walk along
Marktgrasse and Kramgrasse and marvel at the beautiful colourful
arcades and fountains on the way to the Zeitglockenturm, the famous
16th century clock. Cross the Aare and head to the Bärengraben, the
bear pits where the city’s animal mascots have been kept since the
19th century.
B ern’s Museum of Fine Arts contains
a massive collection of Switzerland’s finest painter, Paul Klee.
The collection features early Renaissance masterpieces as well as works
of modern genius by Cézanne, Matisse and Picasso. The Bern Historical
Museum offers a uniquely insightful history of the city while the Alpine
Museum does an equally good job of describing and explaining the Swiss
people’s relationship to their spectacularly mountainous environment.
Such a stimulating natural backdrop might explain what inspired Albert
Einstein to come up with the theory of relativity when he worked in the
Patent Office in Bern between 1902 and 1907. His former house is open
to the public.
Take a break from Bern’s stimulation
of the intellect and indulge your senses with a visit to the city’s
market, held every Tuesday and Saturday in Bundesplatz. Sample some
Toblerone chocolate in the town where it originated. Just outside of
town, Gurten is the high point that the Bernese go to for exercise
and to take in exhilarating views of the city and the surrounding
Alps. Bern is a musical city. Aside from its superb Jazz festival
in May, the Bern Symphony Orchestra provide a year-long soundtrack
to experiencing the city, as well as providing an opportunity for
locals and visitors alike to congregate. Intelligent, dynamic, comic
and above all friendly, Bern is a model of how a city should be.
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