Although Berne (map) is the seat of most of the institutions of the Swiss confederation, this is only a small to medium sized city. The remarkable design coherence of Berne’s old town (map) has earned it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Berne was founded in 1191 by Duke Berthold V von Zähringen and was part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was made a free imperial city by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in 1218.
Situated in the middle of Switzerland, Berne is easy to reach from all parts of the country. Berne is full of history and museums. It also has quite a bit of public art, all of which is marked on a walking map which is available from the tourist office in the train station for free.
+ More information > Wikipedia • Wikivoyage • UNESCO
+ TOURIST INFORMATION > Switzerland > Canton of Bern

Bern is home to 114 *Swiss heritage sites of national significance (sgkgs.ch). Thanks to 6 kilometres (4 miles) of arcades, the old town boasts one of the longest covered shopping promenades in Europe.
Zytglogge (map). It has been a guard tower, and a prison for women convicted of having sex with priests, but since the 15th century, it’s been a clock tower with an elaborate astronomical clock. Hourly throughout the day, it puts on a great display of early animatronics. There are guided tours inside the tower that will let you have a look at the clockwork while the show is displayed outside.
Buskers Bern. Since a few years the annual street musician festival is taking place in the picturesque old town streets. You don’t need to buy a ticket but are encouraged to buy a festival pin or give donations to the musicians which come from all around the world.
Rathausgasse (map) and the streets parallel to it have any number of cute shops with an amazing range of handicraft and luxury goods. This is not the normal range of Swiss souvenir stuff, but really interesting things. There are a couple of worthy examples below, but the real pleasure is in spending a few hours (or days) exploring the arcades and vitrines.
Eating in Berne (or almost anywhere in Switzerland for that matter) can be an expensive proposition for foreign tourists. Be patient and you will persevere without breaking the bank. In the ancient Matte neighborhood, which is well worth a daytime visit too, you’ll find nightlife options for almost every taste.

+ Getting here & around (bern.com) • On the Move in Bern (bern.ch)
+ Swiss Travel System | Swiss Pass
BUS > Swiss PostAuto bus network + Eurolines • Flixbus
RAIL > The Swiss Travel System includes a rail network of 29 000 kilometres, including several popular rail lines. SBB-CFF-FFS. + TGV Lyria • InterCity Express (*Rail travel in Switzerland)
AIRPORTS > Bern-Belp Airport. For better choice of flights, fly into Genève Aéroport • Zurich Airport • EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg then take the train to Bern.
WATERWAYS > Association of Swiss Navigation Companies