What does the smell of the wooden staircase in the Matte district remind you of? What smell greets you as you descend the steps into a vaulted cellar? What were Napoleon’s favorite smells? From sandstone to licorice and the aroma of cocoa – Bern has many unmistakable smells, scents and aromas. The background of Bern’s turbulent history provides a very special mixture for all those taking this “aroma tour”.

This walking tour of the city becomes a voyage of discovery for the senses. The reason is that Bern’s sights are surrounded by characteristic nuances of smell so that the sights are waiting to be discovered not just be the eyes and ears, but by the nose in particular. And typical smells created specially for the tour allow the history of the nation’s capital to come to life. The past, with all its associated emotions and memories, can suddenly be experienced through your nose.

Everyone using his or her senses to the full during this tour will learn all kinds of interesting facts about Bern. Anecdotes about Napoleon’s entry into Bern and his “Grande Armée”, the history of soap and the importance of incense in church are just a few of the subjects you will hear about during the tour.

The guided tour of the city ends with a visit to the “Art of Scent” perfume workshop. Bern’s parfumière Brigitte Witschi assists visitors in the creation of their own personal perfume. Visitors use pipettes, mixing glasses and precious essential oils at the end of the day to blend a very unusual and personal souvenir to take home. On request, the tour can also be taken without the visit to the perfume workshop.