Bern, Switzerland

I was lucky enough to visit Switzerland’s capital city a handful of times, though I never committed to the full tourist experience.

Usually, my trips to Bern were a purely retail-oriented endeavor, when I could browse a greater multitude of shops than what was available to me in Neuchatel. While I did not cross off every tourist hot spot listed on Trip Advisor or recommended by my trusty Rick Steves’ book, I still managed to get a great sense of the city just by meandering around.

Just down the road from the central train station, the Swiss Parliament building sits regally atop a cliff overlooking the Aare river. Tours of the building are available, but I just come for the alpine views. On a clear day, the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains are visible, the highest peaks in the Berner Oberland.

Zytglogge-Turm is the famous clock tower in Bern, reminiscent of the astronomical clock found in Prague. The clock tower sits at the head of Kramgasse, a wide avenue of shops and cafes, some of which are located in underground cellars. Also located on this street – Einstein Haus. This museum is located in the same apartment that Albert Einstein occupied when he formulated the theory of relativity.

Bern Cathedral boasts the tallest tower in Switzerland, though beyond that, it is no more remarkable than any other gothic church in Europe. However, outside the cathedral is the Munsterplattform, where visitors can stroll through the gardens and enjoy the views of the river.

Crossing the Nydegg Bridge, the oldest bridge in Bern, you can look down on a patch of hillside known as the Bear Park. I have mixed feelings about the Bear Park (large animals confined to small spaces for the amusement of tourists and all that). Home to the city’s mascot, the bears roam along the hill, which has caves for hibernation and a fishing channel beside the river. You might get lucky and catch one of the bears out for an afternoon swim!

Of course there are several other museums, churches and viewing platforms to see in the city, but these four stops are the ones that I manage to hit every time I visit. Bern is a beautiful city with so much culture and history that I did not get a chance to experience, and it is well worth a visit to the Swiss capital when you visit.