Bern Old Town
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Old City Of Bern (1983). A Medieval City On A Bend Of The Aare Founded In 1191, With About 6 Km Of Covered Arcades, 11 Renaissance Fountains, The Zytglogge Astronomical Clock, The Bear Park And The Federal Palace. Albert Einstein Lived And Worked In The City. · Bern, Bern
Bern is the capital of Switzerland, a calm city of about 140,000 people, and its old town sits on a narrow peninsula inside a loop of the Aare river. It was founded in 1191 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1983). Walk the sandstone streets and you find about 6 km of covered arcades called Lauben, eleven painted Renaissance fountains, and the Zytglogge, an astronomical clock tower from 1530. The Minster has the tallest spire in Switzerland at about 100 m, the Bear Park lies by the river, and Albert Einstein worked here as a patent clerk in 1905. The honest picture is a quiet, human-sized capital, less dramatic than Lucerne or Zurich, with rain at times. One day is enough. Its charm is in the arcades, the markets and the river light, so come to stroll and shop, not to tick off sights. Rain is no problem, because the arcades run for kilometres and every fountain is a short walk from the next. Trains are fast, the station sits at the edge of the old town, and you can leave your bags in lockers there before you start.
Medieval centre of the Swiss capital on a peninsula in the Aare river, with the Zytglogge clock tower, six kilometres of arcades and the Rose Garden viewpoint, Bern, Bern, Switzerland
The old town streets and arcades are open and FREE at all times. Shops mostly close on Sundays, and many shut early on Saturdays. Museums are usually closed on Mondays. The Minster tower and the Zytglogge tower tours keep set hours and may close in bad weather or in winter. The Bear Park and the Rose Garden are FREE and open all day.