Berne
Discover Berne
Although Berne (German: Bern) is the seat of most of the institutions of the Swiss Confederation, the remarkable design coherence of Berne's old town has earned it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It has 6.4 km (4 miles) of arcaded walkways along streets decked out with fountains and clock-towers. In 2018, it had a population of about 134,000 in the city, and roughly 420,000 in the urban agglomeration. It sits on a peninsula formed by the meandering turns of the river Aare.
What to Experience in Berne
Taste of Berne...
Eating in Berne (or almost anywhere in Switzerland for that matter) can be an expensive proposition for foreign tourists. Be sure to "shop around" before deciding on a restaurant as many of them cater to foreign tourists (especially those serving traditional Swiss food) and have inflated their prices accordingly. Most Bernese natives prefer Italian, Asian, or other non-local cuisine so finding a traditional Swiss restaurant with acceptable prices can often be a daunting experience. Be patient and you will persevere without breaking the bank. In the evening, many restaurants may not offer food after 21:45. Many Bernese will tell you that the nightlife in Berne is not exactly what you might call spectacular, but they're probably comparing it to Zurich or Paris. There are quite a few good spots to hang out. For a drink or two, there's a wide choice of bars all over town. However, you might be disappointed with most central options as they tend to be annoyingly conventional, though there are an ample number of exceptions: Most of the town's cooler bars are around the main clubbing venues though. In the ancient Matte neighborhood, which is well worth a daytime visit too, you'll find nightlife options for almost every taste. The main train station has a tourist office on the west side on the ground floor. They'll try to help you find a hotel room, if you arrive without booking.
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Berne.
Berne is home to the prestigious University of Berne which enrolls 17,431 students (2015). In addition, the city has the University of Applied Science also known as Berner Fachhochschule. There are also many vocational schools and offices of the Goethe Institute and the Alliance-Francaise (German and French cultural institutes). As with most other cities in Switzerland, store opening and closing hours in Berne are strictly regulated. All stores, including grocers, close by 18:30 or 19:00 from Monday to Friday, except on Thursdays when they remain open until 21:00. Aldi supermarkets are an exception, closing at 20:00 during the week. On Saturdays everything must close by 17:00. On Sundays, all stores are closed, except for those in the main railway station, which are open 7 days a week until about 22:00, and which include Migros and Coop supermarkets. Rathausgasse and the streets parallel to it have any number of cute shops with an amazing range of handicrafts and luxury goods.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsSituated in the middle of Switzerland, Berne is easy to reach from all parts of the country. To reach the city take Bus 334 or 160 to Belp railway station (10 min). Frequent S-bahn local trains connect Belp to Bern's main station, 40 min altogether. The bus runs every 30 min between 05:10 and 23:10, with the first and last buses of the day running directly to Bern railway station. The transfer is free if you have booked accommodation in Bern, just show your confirmation letter; otherwise Fr. 7 each way. A taxi to the city is about Fr. 40 and takes 20 min. For a better choice of flights, fly into Geneva (GVA), Zurich (ZRH) or Basel (BSL) then take the train to Bern. Berne is at the hub of the Swiss Federal Railway network. Express (InterCity) trains connect twice per hour to Geneva, Basel and Zurich as well as Zürich and Geneva airports. Hourly express trains connect to most other cities, including Interlaken, Brig, and Lucerne. 46.9497.4372 Bern Railway Station....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Berne has an excellent public transportation system, with frequent local city services provided by trams, trolleybuses and buses, together with an S-Bahn rail system for longer journeys into the surrounding suburbs. Tickets are valid for all modes of transport within a given zone and time. The suburbs of Berne, Biel and Solothurn form a common public transport network named "Libero-Tarifverbund". Tickets can be purchased as single ticket, saver ticket with six rides, day pass as well as weekly, monthly or yearly passes. Tickets can be bought at vending machines at most stops, or with a smartphone using the SBB mobile app. They are valid for all modes of public transport within the zones they encompass. A ticket valid in the central urban zones (100 and 101) for 60 minutes costs Fr. 4.60 (March 2019).
Where to Stay
The main train station has a tourist office on the west side on the ground floor. They'll try to help you find a hotel room, if you arrive without booking. However, it is better to book ahead if you can, as Berne is a capital city; the budget hotels do tend to fill up on the weekends. As of Sep 2021, the city has 5G from all Swiss carriers. The city center is mostly covered by WiFi networks that have limited speed and access as open access after obligatory registration with SMS. Berne is a very safe place with nearly no violent crime. However, as it is the capital of Switzerland, it sees political demonstrations every few weeks on a variety of subjects, occasionally leading to police intervention. LGBT+ people feel safe in the city center and around major spots in the city, though not many explicitly LGBT+ spaces are available. The drunks and vagrants often congregate at the central railway station at night, which is a nuisance but in general not dangerous.
Money & Budget
As with most other cities in Switzerland, store opening and closing hours in Berne are strictly regulated. All stores, including grocers, close by 18:30 or 19:00 from Monday to Friday, except on Thursdays when they remain open until 21:00. Aldi supermarkets are an exception, closing at 20:00 during the week. On Saturdays everything must close by 17:00. On Sundays, all stores are closed, except for those in the main railway station, which are open 7 days a week until about 22:00, and which include Migros and Coop supermarkets. Rathausgasse and the streets parallel to it have any number of cute shops with an amazing range of handicrafts and luxury goods. This is not the normal range of Swiss souvenir stuff, but really interesting things.
Language & Talk
The main language spoken in Berne is (Bernese-)Swiss-German, a Swiss dialect of the Alemannic language. Swiss-German is mostly a spoken language, but also used in text messages, etc. In official publications, announcements and news broadcasts, standard German is used. Almost everyone you are likely to meet as a tourist will be able to speak standard German. English seems to be supplanting French as the favourite second language of the Bernese, even though the canton of Berne is a bilingual German and French-speaking canton. However, many people you encounter as a tourist will be able to speak both so it's certainly worth a try. Situated in the middle of Switzerland, Berne is easy to reach from all parts of the country. To reach the city take Bus 334 or 160 to Belp railway station (10 min).
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Berne is a very safe place with nearly no violent crime. However, as it is the capital of Switzerland, it sees political demonstrations every few weeks on a variety of subjects, occasionally leading to police intervention. LGBT+ people feel safe in the city center and around major spots in the city, though not many explicitly LGBT+ spaces are available. The drunks and vagrants often congregate at the central railway station at night, which is a nuisance but in general not dangerous. There has been a slight increase in violence from young people. Try to avoid groups of drunk teenagers that look suspicious and you should be fine. While police officers in Berne will happily help you out if you are in trouble or need information, they are also known for approaching "suspicious" persons in order to check their papers. This procedure is annoying, but legal as you will probably have a hard time proving you were not acting suspicious.
Glimpses of Berne
a view of a city from a hill
grayscale photo of man walking on concrete road
a view of a city at night from a hill
Bern, Schweiz, Ausblick vom Rosengarten
A narrow alley with a clock tower in the background
A street scene with focus on a clock tower
a view of a city covered in snow
A street at night in Bern, Switzerland.
a person walking under a bridge
Bern, Switzerland Oct. 2019
a view of a city from a hill
grayscale photo of man walking on concrete road
a view of a city at night from a hill