Springtime in the city and region of Bern

The days are getting longer, the birds are chirping, and the trees are starting to blossom – time to go outside! We’re celebrating spring and Bernese joie de vivre with different outdoor activities.

Activities

In the mood for an e-bike tour along the cycling tour 888 – Grünes Band Bern, a spring stroll to the Rosengarten to see (and smell) the roses, or an excursion to one of the capital’s most exciting playgrounds? The city and region Bern offers all kinds of activities and experiences for nature lovers.

Cycling Tours Bern

Hop on an e-bike and enjoy the first warm days of spring outdoors, be it riding up and down the rolling hills of the Emmental valley or discovering the Laupen Historical Loop. The destination Bern has four cycling tours that let you explore some of the region’s most beautiful places. Old tales, quaint towns, inspiring landscapes, and quiet sports to rest and linger – there’s a perfect route for everyone. If you feel like extending your stay, you can spend the night at one of the pretty inns along the way and enjoy the Bernese joie de vivre a little longer.

Bern on a bike

The bears are up

Spring fever? That’s something that not just Bern’s two-legged inhabitants know! As soon as temperatures start rising, brown bears Finn, Björk and Ursina come out of hibernation. Still a bit groggy, they come out to explore their home at Bern AnimalPark, BearPark, where they have been since 2008 and which has a large bath and lots of trees, bushes, and caves on around 6,000 square metres. If you’re lucky, you might even catch bear male Finn during his swim. Our recommendation: after your visit, head over to Altes Tramdepot and enjoy a freshly brewed beer on the sunny terrace.

BEARS EVERYWHERE

Tipp

Fancy more animal encounters? Then be sure to pay a visit to Bern Animal Park, Dählhölzli.

The Gurten

The Gurten is the Bernese’s favourite local mountain. There’s so much to do there! Now that the temperatures are rising, it’s worth getting up early to reach the top in time for the sunrise. If you’re more of a night owl, you can visit the Gurten’s observatory at night and explore the secrets of the universe. The Gurten is great for children, too: be it an adrenaline rush on the toboggan run, discovering flora and fauna in the little “Gurtengärtli” (garden) or marvelling at the 300-metre ball path – you’ll never get bored here! But beware: the Gurten railway is still being renovated until May 2024 – fortunately, a bus will take us up the Gurten as an alternative.

To Bern’s local mountain

Tipp

If you spend the night in Bern, you receive a Bern Ticket. It allows you to use public transport for free in the entire city, including the Gurten funicular.

Eating and drinking

Are you tired of root vegetables? Fortunately, an increasingly diverse selection of regional products can be found at Bern’s weekly farmer’s markets now that spring has begun. If you prefer eating out, make yourself comfortable on one of the many cozy restaurant terraces in the destination Bern.

Bernese Beer Tour

Maybe it’s still a little too nippy to spend the evening outside? Then you should try out the Bernese Beer Tour: you’ll get to know and taste different beers and spend a relaxed evening moving from one iconic beer bar to the next. The tour begins at the Altes Tramdepot and continues to OnTap and Au Trappiste, a bar steeped in history, and then ends at Barbière. At every stop, experienced beer sommeliers and sommelières from Bern share fun anecdotes and key facts and figures. You’ll be more than well equipped for the next round of small talk over a few beers.

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Art and Culture

This year, the Bernese spring is kicking off with a big dose of culture: The Night of the Museums on 15 March will once again see the facades of the Old City lit up and welcome visitors into 37 cultural institutions. But even when the sun rises and the Night of the Museums is over, there are still plenty more events as well as interesting and sometimes bizarre things to discover about Bern, for example on a guided tour of the city.

Events

Shopping

Browsing for a birthday gift for your best friend in the charming little shops of Bern’s UNESCO-listed Old City or visiting Bern’s farmer’s market to buy regional products such as veggies, meat or fish for a barbecue – going shopping in Bern is so much fun! And the best thing about it: thanks to the six kilometres of arcades, shoppers are protected in any weather.

Where to stay

Whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly room in a cozy Emmental hotel, a glamorous suite in the heart of Bern’s Old City, or a stylish accommodation in a trendy neighbourhood: Bern offers everything your heart desires.

Hotel offers for families

Families profit from a free overnight stay for children under the age of 16 in a selection of Bernese hotels. Be it active or relaxed, in an urban setting or the breathtaking landscapes of the Bernese countryside: thanks to the federal city’s central location, the many diverse activities and experiences are only a stone’s throw away.