After exploring Bern, you might be ready for a refreshing hike in its neighborhood. The first address for this is the local mountain, the Gurten. It is especially a good option as you can have a wonderful view on the city from up there and you can easily reach it by the funicular Gurtenbahn. The Gurten is 858 meters high and located in the neighboring community of Köniz.
Continue reading “Gurten”Floating in the Aare
It’s a unique pleasure I’ve so far only observed in Switzerland: citizens jumping from bridges and floating in rivers through their cities. But who would want to blame them when the river is so clear and has such a beautiful color like the Aare? It is the longest river of Switzerland; it originates in the Alps and runs into the Rhein.
Continue reading “Floating in the Aare”Museum für Kommunikation
It is one of these interactive museums you can only love and enjoy: the museum of communication at Bern, Switzerland. It was founded in 1907 as the museum of the Swiss Post and is today a large playground about all facets of human communication. It is very modern, well designed and it activates and involves the visitors.
Continue reading “Museum für Kommunikation”Berner Historisches Museum
The history museum of Bern resides in an impressive building created until 1984 in historicism style. It exhibits collections about the early history of the region and spectacular findings over the centuries (like the statues hidden in the iconoclasm of 1528). This includes archaeology and ethnography, but also numismatics.
Continue reading “Berner Historisches Museum”Kunsthalle
The Kunsthalle of Bern is just a small exhibition space for art that has been opened in 1918 and is used solely for changing exhibitions. A visit there can be amazing if you get to see a fantastic exhibition or rather boring if you come at the wrong point in time. Reviews of the museum vary extremely – but how could it be any different?
Continue reading “Kunsthalle”Einsteins flat
Who doesn’t know Albert Einstein? He was the most renowned scientist of our times. A special episode of the life of this theoretical physicist was when he had a dull job in the patent office of Bern. Some of his most important works were finished during this time and in that phase, from 1903 to 1905 he was living in a flat in the famous Kramgasse.
Continue reading “Einsteins flat”Kunstmuseum
One of the oldest art museums of Switzerland is the Kunstmuseum at Bern, located next to river Aare in the north of the city center. It dates back to the year 1879 and is located in a beautiful renaissance revival style. But for sure the people are coming for what’s inside: from Franz Marc to Paul Cézanne, from August Macke to Lovis Corinth.
Continue reading “Kunstmuseum”Senkeltram
The Mattelift is a simple elevator at Bern which you’ll find attached to the Münsterplattform close to the cathedral. It is part of public transport and connects the city center with the lower quarter Matte which was in old times a zone for the lower class and crafts like tannery. Locals call it the Senkeltram – a tramway going up and down on a lace.
Continue reading “Senkeltram”Rooftop bar for railway lovers
I’m always in for a sundowner with good views. Bern offers different high-class rooftop bars but if you want something special you should visit the PinkLime for a beer, some cocktails, or classic Apéro snacks. By the way: the Apéro is not only an important tradition in France, but also in Switzerland. You meet with friends to talk and your drinks are always served with small snacks (cheese, olives, bread, dried meat, …).
Continue reading “Rooftop bar for railway lovers”Marzilibahn
One might wonder whether there is a need for this funicular: it is only 105 meters long and the difference in height is 32 meters making it the second-shortest funicular in Europe after the Uspinjača at Zagreb. It connects the upper city center (close to the parliament, the Bundeshaus) with the city quarter Marzili.
Continue reading “Marzilibahn”