The art of living: Bern, the capital of leisure
The clocks tick slower in Bern than elsewhere. Being in a hurry or having a hectic lifestyle are foreign concepts to the Bernese. But they are not slow, as other Swiss people may tell you with a wink, they simply know how to embrace the art of living. In the capital of leisure, you can float around at your own pace, take time to enjoy yourself and celebrate in the open air. The city is also the perfect place for visitors enjoy a slower pace of life!
‘Floating around’ is more than just a metaphor in Bern. Instead of eating a sandwich in front of their computer at lunchtime, the Bernese locals take a dip in the crystal clear Aare river alongside their colleagues, and afterwards have a picnic at the Marzili pool. It is even rumored than you used to be able to spot bikinis and swim shorts hung out to dry on the Federal Councilors’ balconies. Swimming and rafting on the Aare or Aaretubing is also a true Bernese experience for visitors to the city!
Enjoying, feasting and chatting. Bern offers a slower pace of live and time to enjoy the finer things in life. Here, you can savor a freshly brewed regional beer, have a sunset picnic in the Rose Garden, enjoy a delicious brunch on the local Gurten mountain or make a toast with your cocktail glasses high above the rooftops of Bern. This is how to live!
Visitors describe the people of Bern as being straightforward, relaxed and open. For anyone who wants to try their hand at a few words of the Bernese dialect, ‘Bärnerdüütschs’, you can come and chat to the locals on the ‘Pläfe’, in the legendary Turnhalle or in the Peter Flamingo summer bar.
