Bern

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See all tours & things to do in Bern

Top sights in Bern

7 sights and activities in Bern

Nestled in the Alps, a visit to Bern is as much about the activities as it is about the sights.

  • Einstein's House

    1. Einstein's House

    While he was working at Bern's Swiss patent office, Albert Einstein rented an apartment here with his wife. It's said that this is where his general theory of relativity was born!

  • Gorge Canyoning

    2. Gorge Canyoning

    The Saxeten Gorge is in the Bernese Uplands. Canyoning involves getting across canyons in whichever way you see fit - rappelling, swimming, and so on! There are also opportunities to kayak around the waters.

  • Paul Klee Center

    3. Paul Klee Center

    This unusual, wave-shaped building houses original, interesting, and wonderful works by German-Swiss painter Paul Klee.

  • Zytglogge

    4. Zytglogge

    There's a reason the Swiss are famous for their clocks! The Zytglogge dates from the 13th century and boasts an entertaining puppet show on the strike of every hour...

  • Jungfraujoch

    5. Jungfraujoch

    Although roughly a couple of hours out from Bern, visiting the glacial pass of the Jungfraujoch - a UNESCO site - and admiring the majestic view while inhaling the clean Swiss air is an essential way to spend a day.

  • 6. Helvetiaplatz Museums

    "Helvetia" is Switzerland's Latin-derived patron, so it's fitting some of its capital's best museums are to be found at Helvetiaplatz. The Historical Museum and the Swiss Alpine Museum show pieces of history from the Stone Age to the present day.

  • 7. SC Bern

    Would you have guessed that Bern has its own ice hockey team - and also the highest average audience turnout outside the NHL? Come show your support at the second-biggest stadium in Europe.

Planning Your Visit

  • Safety

    Bern is generally a safe place, but normal caution is to be exercised - keep your valuables hidden away and don't leave your belongings unattended!

  • Souvenirs

    Make sure you don't miss out on any of that tasty Swiss chocolate - just wander the central streets of Bern and you'll find more varieties than you ever thought possible!

  • Getting around

    Bern has a steady network of buses and trams - maps are available from any local tourist office.

  • Local lingo

    The country of Switzerland counts no less than four official languages - German is the language of Bern, but just a drive away and you could be speaking French, Italian, or even Romanch!

Good to know

  • Language
    German
  • Currency
    Franc (CHF)
  • Time Zone
    UTC (+02:00)
  • Country Code
    +41
  • Best time to visit
    The spring and fall are best for cool weather temperatures, although summer is when locals and tourists take advantage of many of the water activities and winter is a magical time to see the Alps covered in snow.

Top Attractions in Bern

Things to Do in Bern

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Want to discover all there is to do in Bern? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Bern

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 412 reviews

Fun and informative tour on Bern's Zytglogge

Interesting and informational behind the scenes look at Bern, Switzerland's iconic clock in the old city. You'll get a history lesson on the city, and the clock tower, as they go through their constructive history. In addition, you'll get to see the clock mechanism and its functionality. Be aware that to access the clock, stairs are the only way and some of it are narrow and steep. But it was fun and informative tour if you have an hour to spend in Bern.

Bern: Zytglogge - Tour through the Clock Tower Reviewed by Frank, 4/30/2019

Best thing about this tour that is for small group, which makes it easier to move around. Our guide, Aindreas, was very knowledgeable and gave many useful information and interesting background about Switzerland, its culture and towns. Bern is just a beautiful town with lots of character, countryside is breathtaking, Emmental and Kimberley visits were also fun.

From Zurich/Lucerne: Berne Capital and Countryside Day-Trip Reviewed by Zaina, 8/24/2019

For people with limited time in Switzerland, this provides an opportunity to see some beautiful Swiss countryside and the beautiful old city of Bern, which nestles in a bend in the beautiful Aare river. While it was a long day, the vehicle was good and driver Konrad was amiable and helpful.

From Zurich/Lucerne: Berne Capital and Countryside Day-Trip Reviewed by Malcolm, 6/21/2019

Very informative, well paced and well written... I learned a lot.

Someone put a lot of thought into this experience. It is very interesting, very well written and spoken;. There is plenty of interesting information, just right, not too much. I like the fact that they divided it up onto a couple of parts... I happily took both of them. Thank you Bern!

Bern: Tour with iPod Audio Guide Reviewed by Walter, 9/24/2019

Our guide Jan made a nice detour for us and took us down the river for a lovely walk and instruction to Bern. We saw lots of nice local hangouts and heard the story of Bern. He was very accommodating.

Bern: 1-Hour Essentials Tour Reviewed by Christine, 10/19/2019

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