THE BEST Sights and Attractions in Bern

🏛️ Sights and Attractions in Bern

• Bern Old Town (UNESCO) — A UNESCO World Heritage medieval old town on a bend of the Aare River, with 6km of arcaded streets, 15th-century houses, and 11 fountains with statues.
• Zytglogge Clock Tower — A 13th-century clock tower with an astronomical clock, mechanical figures (jester, bears, knights) that perform 4 minutes before the hour, and a 1543 mechanism.
• Federal Palace (Bundeshaus) — A 1902 Renaissance Revival parliament building designed by Hans Wilhelm Auer, with a 210-foot dome, free guided tours, and the Swiss parliament chambers.
• Bern Cathedral (Münster) — A 1421 Gothic cathedral with a 328-foot spire, the tallest in Switzerland, with a Last Judgment portal, stained glass, and tower views.
• Kunstmuseum Bern — A 1879 art museum, Switzerland's oldest, with 50,000 works from the 13th century to present, including Paul Klee, Picasso, and the Hodler collection.
• Aare River Gorge — A turquoise river bend around the old town, with swimming at the Marzili lido, river walks, and views of the cathedral and Federal Palace.
• Bear Park (BärenPark) — A 4-acre park on the Aare River banks where Bern's famous bears have lived since 1513, with 3 bears, a pool, and a viewing platform.
• Rose Garden (Rosengarten) — A 1913 rose garden on a hill above the Aare River, with 200 rose varieties, 12,000 plants, a restaurant, and panoramic old town views.
• Einstein House — A 2nd-floor apartment at Kramgasse 49 where Albert Einstein lived 1903-1905, developing his Annus Mirabilis papers including E=mc², now a museum.
• Paul Klee Center — A 2005 Renzo Piano-designed museum of Paul Klee's work, with 4,000 paintings, watercolors, and drawings, in three wave-shaped hills outside the city.