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    Old Town Bern
    JoachimKohler-HB / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Switzerland

    Old Town Bern

    Point of Interest

    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.

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    9. Old Town Bern
    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's Old Town, situated on a peninsula in a tight loop of the Aare river, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983. Around six kilometers of arcaded walkways line the main streets, allowing you to stroll dry even in the rain. Highlights also include the 16th-century allegorical fountains, the cellar shops beneath the arcades, and the view from the Minster over the rooftops. From the train station to Nydegg Bridge, you can walk the main thoroughfare in a good half hour, if you don't stop anywhere.

    Sights in Old Town Bern

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Cage Tower
    Historic Landmark

    Cage Tower

    The baroque gate tower from the 17th century once marked the western city boundary and served as a prison until the late 19th century, hence its name. It stands between the train station and Zytglogge at the transition from Spitalgasse to Marktgasse.
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    Münster Platform
    Park

    Münster Platform

    The tree-lined terrace south of the Münster is perched on a high retaining wall above the Aare. From here, you gaze upon the roofs of the Matte and the Schwellenwehr; a lift brings you directly down to the water.
    Open in Google Maps
    Child-eater Fountain
    Historic Landmark

    Child-eater Fountain

    The most famous and bizarre of Bern's figure fountains stands in Kornhausplatz. The 16th-century figure devours a child, with others tucked into its sack; what it is meant to represent remains unexplained to this day.
    Open in Google Maps

    Sights in Old Town Bern

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Cage Tower
    Historic Landmark

    1Cage Tower

    The baroque gate tower from the 17th century once marked the western city boundary and served as a prison until the late 19th century, hence its name. It stands between the train station and Zytglogge at the transition from Spitalgasse to Marktgasse.
    Open in Google Maps
    Münster Platform
    Park

    2Münster Platform

    The tree-lined terrace south of the Münster is perched on a high retaining wall above the Aare. From here, you gaze upon the roofs of the Matte and the Schwellenwehr; a lift brings you directly down to the water.
    Open in Google Maps
    Child-eater Fountain
    Historic Landmark

    3Child-eater Fountain

    The most famous and bizarre of Bern's figure fountains stands in Kornhausplatz. The 16th-century figure devours a child, with others tucked into its sack; what it is meant to represent remains unexplained to this day.
    Open in Google Maps

    Restaurants in Old Town Bern

    On the Go in the Old Town

    From the station, Spitalgasse, Marktgasse, Kramgasse, and Gerechtigkeitsgasse form a single line to Nydeggbrücke. If you don't want to walk, take bus 12, which runs through the Old Town to BärenPark. The Mattelift takes you down to Matte from the Münsterplattform.

    Accommodations in Old Town Bern

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    Campgrounds in Old Town Bern

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    Matte

    Matte

    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

    Bern

    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.
    Bern Region

    Bern Region

    The Bern region stretches from the federal city on the Aare to the high mountains of the Bernese Oberland. To the north lies Bern with its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983, while to the south stand Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.Between them lie Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, along with Interlaken, the starting point for Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, and the Jungfraujoch.
    Jungfrau Region

    Jungfrau Region

    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.
    Old Town Lucerne

    Old Town Lucerne

    The car-free Old Town lies on the right bank of the Reuss, between Kapellbrücke and Museggmauer. Around Weinmarkt, Kornmarkt and Hirschenplatz stand burgher houses with painted façades, with cafés and shops in between. Via the Kapellbrücke and the Spreuerbrücke, you reach the other side of the river.