Top Reasons to Go to Bern

Lived-in history: UNESCO only made Bern a World Heritage Site in 1983, but the city's cobblestone arcades and clock towers have been beautifully preserved since the 1400s.

Feats of Klee: The spectacular Zentrum named for Paul Klee—the whimsical painter artist who hopscotched across art—is a tour de force of vibrant creativity.

Undercover shopping: Bern's got it all—from couture fashion to artisan chocolatiers—and, thanks to those famous arcaded streets, you can even enjoy window shopping in rainy weather.

The Zibelemärit: Think of an object—a train car, an alarm clock, a teddy bear—and you will likely see it rendered in onion at November's city-wide celebration of the humble veg.

Those sunbathing Swiss: Warm summer days lure swimmers to the Marzili's sweeping lawns and swift, icy stretch of river below the Federal parliament building.