Anticipation is the greatest of pleasures. From a swimming class in the Aare river to the city’s most exciting bathroom to starry skies in a nature reserve: we provide inspiration for when things get back to normal.
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Fact
Those were our wishes after the first lockdown. We still have to be patient with “normality” due to the current Corona situation. Dear universe, please make things possible again soon!
City of Bern
- Grab a bicycle (from PubliBike, for example) and explore Bern’s neighbourhoods
- Taste-test locally produced beers at Barbière
- See the world’s largest and most important Paul Klee collection
- Pick up a Raclette backpack at Restaurant Lötschberg, go to your new favourite spot and enjoy an al-fresco Raclette
- Practise your Sun Salutation at the Bernisches Historisches Museum (the Yoga class takes place every Tuesday from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.)
- Watch the brave members of the “Gfrörli-Club” (loosely translated as: “shivering swimmers”) go for a winter swim in the Aare river
- Solve the mystery of the Green Fairy within 60 minutes in Novotel Bern Expo’s Adventure Room
- Be sure to order a Sweet Hulk at Café Jusq’a
- Get to the traditional “Zibelemärit” (Onion Market) at 4:00 a.m. and start the day off with a slice of onion tart
- Have a drink at Kornhauskeller’s Gallery Bar, one of the most beautiful bars in the world according to TripAdvisor
- Enjoy a piece of Zopf (traditional plaited bread) for your Sunday breakfast
- Go on a tour of the famous Zytglogge (Clock Tower) to see the inside of the tower and learn more about the ancient clockwork
- Go to Restaurant Steinhalle for a 16-GaultMillau-points burger (yum!)
- Participate in an Aare river swimming lesson, a very cool activity – literally!
- See how 8 world religions are unified under one roof at the world’s first and only Haus der Religionen (House of Religions)
- Visit the animals at Bern Animal Park, Dählhölzli – it’s free and beautifully located on the banks of the Aare river
- Spend a laid-back vacation at campground Camping Eymatt or Camping Eichholz and enjoy the simple life by the Aare river
- Discover your new favourite cocktail at Abflugbar, where they make the best cocktails in town
- Tour Bern’s most beautiful antiques shops and find hidden treasures
- Enjoy some beautiful views – for example from Hotel Schweizerhof’s Sky Terrace or the rooftop bar on the eighth floor of Hotel Bern
- Try out the Bernese signature scents by perfumer Brigitte Witschi (the ingredients in the scent “Aarewasser” apparently make you happy!)
- Have Fondue in the cosy ski lift gondola at Restaurant Marzilibrücke
- Spend the night at One Suite Hotel Zollhaus on Nydeggbrücke (Nydegg Bridge) – the magazine “Geo Saison” ranked it one of Europe’s 100 most beautiful hotels
- Go and see the beautiful blossoming cherry trees at Rosengarten and make sure to snap a picture – likes on Instagram are guaranteed!
- Order the legendary apple fritters at Restaurant Bärenhöfli
- On Wednesdays, discover new talents at the open stage night at Mahogany Hall, Bern’s oldest music club
- In winter, visit the sauna at the Lorraine swimming pool and then jump into the Aare naked
- Root for the BSC Young Boys (our favourite team) at a soccer game
- Visit Albert Einstein’s original apartment at 49 Kramgasse
- Have delicious hot chocolate at Adrianos
- Climb the 312 steps to the top of the Bern Minster (Switzerland’s highest steeple) and enjoy the breathtaking view of the famous mountains Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau
- Try the “special drinks from the lab kitchen” at Asino il Bar on Hotelgasse alley
- Have mulled wine and roasted chestnuts while perusing Bern’s various Christmas markets
- Relax in a beautiful oriental setting at the Hammam & Spa Oktogon Bern
- Try a Berner Gingwerer, a combination of Matte-Gin (gin from the Matte neighbourhood) and Ingwerer (ginger liqueur)
- Have a machine generate a love letter for you at the Museum of Communication
- Go see a movie at Kellerkino, Switzerland’s first and oldest independent movie theatre
- Perform your pirouettes in a unique and beautiful setting at the skating rink in front of the Parliament Building (December–February)
- Dive into the sweet world of chocolate at Casa Nobile
- Use the city as your gym: go up and down all of Bern’s stairs
- Sit in on a jam session at the International Jazz Festival Bern, one of the oldest of its kind in all of Europe
- Visit Zar-Bar, Bern’s tiniest bar
- Spend a Saturday morning at the farmer’s markets on Bundesplatz (Parliament Square), Bundesgasse and Münstergasse
- Buy a sweet Mutz (the large version of the legendary Mandelbärli) and share it with friends or take it home as a souvenir
- Get dressed up and go see a play or concert at Konzert Theater Bern
- Run the nicest 10 miles in the world at the Bern Grand Prix
- Eat a scoop of black vanilla ice cream at the Eiswerkstatt, the ice cream bar of the restaurant Altes Tramdepot
- Go on a tour of the Parliament Building
- Root for the SCB (our local heroes) at a hockey game
- Enjoy life and a chocolate Fondue at Restaurant toi et moi
- Dance the night away, for example at a concert at Dachstock
- Visit one of Bern’s many flea markets
- Stroll along the Aare river and discover pretty places
- Order one of the world’s best Schnitzels at Jack’s Brasserie
- Travel back in time to the roaring twenties at Casino Bern and take a selfie in the most beautiful lavatory in all of Bern
- Find out if the chocolate cake at Apfelgold really is the best in town
Around Bern
- Eat your way through all the brunch options on the Gurten, spectacular view included
- Go snowshoeing in the beautiful winter wonderland that is the Emmental
- Enjoy the summer sun at Aarebar between Marzili and Eichholz or at Bogen 17 on Lake Wohlen
- Take an alpaca for a walk
- Hike through the Gantrisch nature reserve and marvel at the natural diversity
- Enjoy the beautiful view of the Emmental, Bernese Oberland and Napf regions from the top of Chuderhüsi Aussichtsturm (Chuderhüsi viewing tower)
- Treat yourself to a luxurious gourmet weekend at Moosegg and enjoy a glass of bubbly in the Hotpot
- Visit “Weg der Wolle” (“Wool: From Sheep to Textile”) in Huttwil – a perfect activity for families
- Look up into the starry night sky from the Sternenplattform (star platform) in the Gurnigel region
- Produce your own cheese the traditional way at the Emmental Cheese Show Dairy
- Discover and explore some pretty Bernese towns – how about Burgdorf or Laupen?
- Go on a micro-adventure with “skepping”: spend the night in a tree tent under the stars
- Watch the Kambly Maîtres Confiseurs at work and try all 100 biscuit variations
- Watch a traditional “Alpabzug” (return of the cattle), for example the one in Plaffeien
- Get on an e-bike and ride along the “Grünes Band” (“Green Band”) around Bern
- Spend a romantic night in Hotel Kemmeriboden-Bad’s very own igloo
- Put on some warm clothes and go ice fishing, for example on the Stockhorn
- Digital detox! Take a relaxing time-out at Romantik-Hotel Dürrenroth in the picturesque Emmental
- Dance to the live music of artists from all over the world at the popular Gurten Festival on Bern’s local mountain
- Overcome your fear of heights at Seilpark Gantrisch (Gantrisch Rope Park) oder Seilpark Bern (ROPETECH adventure park)
- Visit the prettiest town (officially!) in all of Switzerland: Trub, Emmental