Swiss Excursion Part 4: Exploring Bern
After leaving Lauterbrunnen, we had some time before check-in in Zurich, so we stopped in Bern. I’d considered it as a base while planning the trip, so this was a chance to explore the city after all.
An exploration of timeless style, travel, and the art of living.
Exploring Bern
What to Do:
Check out Bern’s clock tower. it’s one of the first things that you’ll see once you arrive in the city and it just so happens to be one of Bern’s most significant landmarks as it was the city’s first-ever gate.
Explore Bern’s Altstadt (old town). There are many restaurants, souvenir shops, cafes clothing stores to burn holes through your pockets as Bern has around six kilometres of covered shopping arcades.
Alongside the Swiss cantonal flags hanging from the buildings, the fountains were one of my favorite details in the Altstadt. Their sculpted figures were created to commemorate historical figures and events or represent ideals such as justice. Each has its own character and meaning, a piece of Bern’s history standing in the street.
Crossing the Nydeggbrücke is a chance to take in Bern from another perspective. Medieval buildings surround you, while the blue-green waters of the River Aare flow below. If you love medieval architecture as much as I do, there’s plenty here to hold your attention. The waters flow straight down from the nearby Swiss Alps and loop around the city in a very cool U shape. As you explore, cross the Nydeggbrucke bridge and head over to BärenPark, where a few brown bears call home.
Look out for the Berner Münster while exploring the old town. Switzerland’s largest late-medieval church, it holds an important place in Bern’s religious and architectural history. We didn’t explore the interior on this visit, but I did see the stained-glass windows up close, and they were exceptional. The cathedral’s tower also offers sweeping views over the city.
