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Today we’re going to dive into the best things to do in Old Town Bern.

You will spend most of your time in Old Town when you visit Bern, Switzerland.

In this post you will learn the best buildings to see, museums to visit, parks to visit and the ideal places to view the city.

You are going to love visiting these locations when you visit Bern.

Let’s get right into the best things to do in Old Town Bern!

Where is Old Town Bern

The Old Town Bern area, known as Alstadt, became a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site in 1983.

Alstadt is a really rad area to explore. You can really feel the history and heritage as you walk down the streets.

The Old City of Bern is surrounded by the Aare River on 3 sides, which protected it from invasion during the Middle Ages.

The entire city of Bern has some of the best public transportation in the world. You can easily take a tram or bus to anywhere in the city.

You don’t really need to drive or take public transportation in Old Town Bern because it is very easy to walk and navigate.

The train station is near the heart of the Old City of Bern. Once you walk out of the train station in Bern, you are right in the middle of the Old Town area.

You can look at the map below to see exactly where Old Town Bern is.

Parking Near Old Town Bern

The Old City of Bern is a car-free area (except for deliveries).

I believe the 2 best places to park in the Old City of Bern are at the Metro Parking lot and at the City Hall (Rauthaus) parking structure.

I have included map locations of both parking areas below.

Old Town Bern is a very walkable area, however, there are a lot of public transportation options available.

It is so easy to navigate the streets by walking, or by taking one of the several trams and buses in the Old Town area.

The Best Things to Do in the Old City of Bern (Altstadt)

1.  See the Zytglogge (Clock Tower in Bern)

The Zytglogge is probably the most recognizable and famous site to see in Old Town Bern.

It was built in the early 1200s and has been used as a clock tower (duh), guard tower and prison.

The Zytglogge has 2 clock faces, one on the east and the other on the west. The eastern clock face has the time shown with Roman numerals with an astronomical clock below it.

The astronomical clock has intricate figurines and a painted frieze depicting the deities above the day of the week they represent.

There are 2 bells on the clock tour; one bell for the full hour and the other bell is for the quarter hour. There is a figure of Chronos, the Greek personification of time, which strikes the bell at the full hour.

The clock tower is really cool, with the east façade being the main draw. This is a must-see for anyone visiting Bern.

2.  Go to Bundeshaus and Bundesplatz

Bundeshaus is the Federal Palace (Parliament Building) of Switzerland that houses the Swiss Federal Assembly and the Federal Council in the Bundesplatz.

Bundesplatz is the giant open square situated in front of the Bundeshaus.

There are 26 water fountains that shoot water up from the ground in Bundesplatz. They are really nice during the summer for kids to run through and cool down.

Each fountain represents one of the cantons (regional municipalities) of Switzerland.

The Parliament Building consists 2 wings and a central assembly building. Both wings connect to the central building by elevated walkways.

 There are paths beneath those elevated walkways that lead behind the Bundeshaus to a large viewing platform.

I highly recommend visiting the viewing platform. You get great views of the Aare River, Naturhistorisches Museum and Gurten.

Rendez-vous Bundesplatz

From the middle of October to the end of November there is a light and sound show at Bundesplatz called Rendez-vous Bundesplatz.

Rendez-vous Bundesplatz is awesome and is one of my favorite things to do in Bern.

It’s a 3-D video show at Bundesplatz projected onto the Bundeshaus with a soundtrack played with it. These shows happen 2 times every night during the run.

Viewers sit down in front with food and drinks and watch the show, which can be brought from home or purchased from vendors.

The best thing to purchase from the vendors is the traditional German mulled wine known as Glühwein. Glühwein is like an adult hot chocolate and is perfect on cold days.

Bundesplatz also holds a farmers market twice a week and is perfect for picking up fresh fruit and vegetables.

3.  See the Bern Minster Cathedral (Berner Münster)

Berner Münster is the tallest cathedral in Switzerland at just over 100 meters.

It’s a Gothic-style cathedral that took over 400 years to build. While most of the construction was completed in about 100 years, the bell tower, with the largest bell in Switzerland, wasn’t completed until 1893.

Definitely make sure you check out the Last Judgement Gothic sculptures above the entrance at the Bern Minster. The attention to detail on the sculptures is incredible and is definitely one of the best things to see at the Münster.

Inside the cathedral you can see the carved wooden choir stalls, amazing stained glass windows and climb to the top of the 100-meter spire for incredible views of Bern.

4.  Visit the Museums

There are a few museums in the Old City of Bern worth visiting.

I would recommend checking out the following museums: Einsteinhaus, Galerie SOON, Klingende Sammlung and the Kunstmuseum (Museum of Fine Arts).

I wrote a detailed post about the best museums in Bern, which I recommend reading.

5.  See the Fountain Statues and Drink from the City Fountains

One of my favorite things to do in Old Town Bern is to check out all the historic water fountains.

Bern has over 100 public fountains throughout the city. The 11 fountains in Old Town have beautiful 16^thcentury statues resting atop them.

The Old Town fountains with the beautiful statues are really cool to check out.

Each fountain has a different statue design depicting a historical or cultural reference.

Not only are the designs of the fountains totally awesome and entertaining, but the water coming out of every public fountain is crisp, cold and delicious.

There is absolutely no need to purchase water ever.

Just bring your refillable water bottle (I recommend this water bottle from Avex) and fill it up at the several fountains all throughout the city.

6.  Walk Under the World Famous Arcades

Above the walkways on each street are beautiful arcades.

Each little section of town has a different arcade design. You can see where development occurred after they were originally built in some locations.

Under these arcades you can also find the many boutique shops, restaurants and bars.

Additionally, there are also street vendors selling food and handmade items underneath the arcades.

7.  See the Amazing Views by the Bellevue Palace and Casino Bern

The viewing platform by the Bellevue Palace and Casino Bern is another great spot to see awesome views of Bern and the Gurten.

This is another place to get beautiful pictures of the city and landscape in the Old Town area.

READ MORE: Your Guide to The Best Things to Do in Bern!

8.  See the Prison Tower (Käfigturm)

The Käfigturm was the second tower built in the city. The Prison Tower originally served as the second city gate.

After the great city fire of 1405, the Käfigturm was converted into a prison.

In 1641 the old Prison Tower was torn down and the building that stands today was built and replaced it in 1644.

Starting in 1897 the building was repurposed into a government facility after a new prison was built.

Bern still uses the Käfigturm for government purposes such as hosting exhibitions and political forums.

9.  Visit the Town Hall (Rathaus)

The Town Hall was originally finished in 1416 and is where the local government meets.

The Rathaus is where the Cantonal Government meets to discuss and decide on policy for the canton and city of Bern.

At the top of the building are the different coat of arms for the original districts of Bern.

The staircases leading up have unique Gothic-style sculptures leading up to the top. Each side has a different set of sculptures that show the different sins of man.

10. St. Peter and Paul Church (Kirche St. Peter und Paul)

Kirche St. Peter and Paul is a neo-Gothic church built in 1864 right next to the Rathaus.

The small church was the first Catholic church built in Bern after the reformation.

11. Nydegg Church (Nydeggkirche)

Nydeggkirche was completed in 1346 and is one of the oldest churches in Bern.

The church was built where part of Castle Nydegg once stood. Nydeggkirche still has one of the original city wells in front of it, too.

Nydeggkirche is an iconic landmark of Old Town Bern and is right next to the Nydeggbrüske (Nydegg Bridge) that takes visitors over to BärenPark (Bear Park).

12. Walk the Kornhaus Bridge (Kornhausbrücke)

The Kornhausbrücke is a large metal bridge constructed in the late 1800s. It crosses the Aare and connects Old Town with some of the newer settlements.

Crossing this bridge will take you to a few of the museums, such as the Bernisches Historisches Museum and Museum für Kommunikation.

The best part about the Kornhaus Bridge are the amazing panoramic views you get of Bern and the Alps.

This is a fantastic spot to get Instagram-worthy pictures of Old Town and the surrounding landscape.

13. Take a Bern City Tour

iPod AudioGuide Tour of Old Town Bern

There are several tours to pick from when you visit Bern.

My favorite was the iPod AudioGuide Tour of Old Town Bern.

The tour consists of 2 parts, each with 18 stops and lasts about 4 hours total.

You can pick up an iPod AudioGuide at Tourist Information Center at either the main train station or by BärenPark.

It is a self-guided walking tour that you can take at your own pace.

You can rent the iPods for either 6 hours or 24 hours.

I did this tour and we finished in about 4.5 hours, with a stop for lunch included.

The tour takes you all through Old Town and provides you with tons of great historical information about the city.

You can either reserve online here or just walk into one of the Tourist Information Centers.

If it’s a busy time of the year, you are going to want to make your reservation online.

I went in late-spring and it was not busy and just walked into the office to rent my iPod AudioGuide.

I highly recommend taking the iPod AudioGuide Tour if you want to learn about the history of Bern.

The tour is available in English, French, German, and Italian.

A 6-hour rental costs CHF 18 ($18.12) and the 24-hour rental is CHF 25 ($25.16).

Bern City Tour

There are also awesome guided tours available in Bern if you prefer having someone walk you through the city.

This 1-hour private walking tour hits all of the important historical sites in addition to captivating narration on the history and culture of Bern.

Plus you get insider tips on the best places for eating and going out from a local tour guide, all for under $30/person.

Final Thoughts

Old Town Bern is a beautiful area that transports you back into the Middle Ages.

Visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage Site will really enjoy the Gothic architecture of the old churches and marvel at the views of the Alps.

The charm and history of Old Town Bern really make this area special.

Now I’d Like to Hear from You

I hope you enjoyed my post on the best things to do in Old Town Bern.

Now I would like to hear from you.

What were your thoughts on Old Town Bern?

What did you think of my list of the top things to do in Old Town Bern?

Is there anything you think I left out?

Let me know by leaving a quick comment below!

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