Best in 1 to 5 Days

Best in 1 to 5 Days

If You Have 1 or 2 Days

Bern is best explored the old-fashioned way—on foot—so start your visit with a morning wander through the arcades and plazas east of the Hauptbahnhof. Pause to watch the mechanical figures strike noon atop the Zytglogge, then descend to the cellar of the Kornhaus for lunch. All 344 stairs up the Münster steeple could be necessary to recover from your Bernerplatte, but don't under any circumstances miss the view. The Bundeshaus is closed for renovations, but plenty of 16th-century fountains remain and the bears await their carrots in the Bärengraben. Hop on a bus from there to the Zentrum Paul Klee, then head back into town for a lighter, Italian, meal; the Bar Toulouse-Lautrec deserves a peek on your way home. Spend your second day museum-hopping from Alpine relief models (Schweizerisches Alpines Museum) to postage stamps (Museum für Kommunikation) to cutting edge art (Kunsthalle Bern), then round out the day with a climb to the Rosengarten for a sunset view of the Altstadt.

If You Have 3 to 5 Days

Additional days will allow you to go at a more Bernese pace. Spend a morning at the market on Waisenhausplatz and peruse the shops along Münstergasse. Head down to Marzili or Matte, take a dip in the Aare, and ride the Marzilibahn back up the hill, or take the tram out to Wabern and climb the Gurten for breathtaking Alpine views. When the sun goes down, head in the other direction for an evening at Marians Jazzroom. Visit Einstein's living quarters the next day, stop for fondue around the corner, and take in a temporary exhibit at the Kunstmuseum.