Bern Travel Guide
The capital city of Switzerland, Bern is an attractive town built in a bend of the turquoise River Aare.
Bern’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site and is home to medieval covered shopping arcades, fountains, cobblestone squares, the Zytglogge clock tower and the tallest Cathedral in Switzerland.
Canton: Bern
Population: 140,000 (Bern)
Language spoken: German
Top Events in Bern
- Bern Fasnacht Carnival – February > More info
- Swiss National Day celebrations – August 1st
- International Jazz Festival Bern – March to May > More info
- Onion Market – fourth Monday in November
- Christmas Market – 30th November to 24th December, 2024. (Click here to learn more).
How to get to Bern
Bern is well connected to the rest of Switzerland (and Europe) by both road and rail.
Intercity trains service the city’s main station, Bern Hauptbahnhof, every 30 minutes with the journey to Zurich and Basel taking just one hour, and less than two hours to Lucerne and Geneva.
Journey times by car between the major cities are similar, thanks to the excellent motorway network.
