Bern Region

The Matte Quarter is by the Aare, directly below the Münsterplattform. Formerly, craftsmen, raftsmen, and boatmen lived here; today, small restaurants and homes define this quiet riverside quarter. The Mattelift connects the quarter to the Münsterplattform in the Upper Town.

Bern's Old Town is situated on a peninsula, encircled by the Aare river in a tight loop, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983. Around six kilometers of arcades stretch through the alleys between the station and Nydegg Bridge, complemented by ornate fountains, cellar bars, the Zytglogge (Clock Tower) and the Minster (Cathedral).

Bern is the federal city of Switzerland and lies on a peninsula in a loop of the Aare. Its Old Town, with sandstone buildings, fountains, and around six kilometres of arcades, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983.Shops, cafés, and cellar theatres line the arcades. The Zytglogge is a landmark, its astronomical clock with animated figures striking the hours since 1530. Other highlights include the Bern Minster, the Federal Palace, and the Einstein House, where the physicist lived from 1903 to 1905. In summer, many locals float in the Aare, and from the Rose Garden, you can overlook the Old Town.

The Jungfrau Region in the Bernese Oberland lies at the foot of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, south of Interlaken. Here, the Jungfraubahn has been traveling since 1912 through Eiger and Mönch to the Jungfraujoch, which, at 3,454 meters, is Europe's highest-altitude railway station.From Grindelwald Terminal, the Eiger Express takes you to Eigergletscher station in 15 minutes, from there you continue by cogwheel train; from Interlaken Ost, the journey takes about an hour and a half. At the top, you look out onto the Aletsch Glacier, at 23 kilometers the longest glacier in the Alps and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch. In the Lauterbrunnen Valley, also known as the Valley of 72 Waterfalls, and in Grindelwald and Wengen, many hiking trails begin. The Swiss Travel Pass only grants a discount on the journey to the Jungfraujoch.

At 23 kilometres, the Great Aletsch Glacier in Oberwallis is the longest glacier in the Alps and has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch since 2001. From the panoramic peaks above the car-free villages of the Aletsch Arena, you can look down on the mighty ice stream, which sweeps in a wide arc from the Jungfrau region into the valley.The three most important viewpoints are the Eggishorn at 2869 metres, accessible by cable cars from Fiesch via Fiescheralp, the Bettmerhorn at 2872 metres above Bettmeralp, and the Moosfluh at 2333 metres above Riederalp. To reach Bettmeralp and Riederalp, you travel by train to Betten or Mörel and from there ascend by cable car. At Konkordiaplatz, where several ice streams converge, the ice is up to 900 metres thick.