8 Best Sights in Bern, Switzerland

Bern almost certainly gets its name from the local contraction of the German word Bären because of the bear that Berchtold V supposedly first hunted in the area. The image of a bear is never far away, from the official coat of arms to chocolate morsels. The city has kept live bears since 1513, when victorious Bernese soldiers brought one back from the Battle of Novara and installed it in a hut on what is now Bärenplatz. Brown bears Björk, Finn, and their daughter, Ursina, seem to feel at home in this open-air enclosed area just off the Aare River, complete with quasi forest, shrubs, and cave, where they can play, swim, climb, and sleep all day. Photos and plaques in English describe the bears and their lifestyle. The park is open all hours, every day.

This resolutely interactive museum keeps its focus on the act of communication rather than the means. Exhibits use video, audio, and games to examine body language across cultures, the views of Switzerland's minority populations, the history of the Swiss postal service, and the evolution of telecommunication through to the Internet. All signage is in English.

Engaged creativity are the watchwords in this undulating, light-filled complex inspired by the life and art of Paul Klee and designed by Renzo Piano. The permanent collection is the world's largest of works by Klee (about 200 are on display at any given time); temporary exhibits focus on his artistic environment and legacy. The Ensemble Paul Klee performs regular, varied, and colorful short concerts in the auditorium; guest artists from the worlds of theater and dance present productions, readings, and workshops (mainly in German) with a pictorial slant. The Kindermuseum Creaviva, a sunny, paint-spattered area visible from the Restaurant Schöngrün on the north end of the interior Museum Street, is open to children over four and anyone else who would like to make art. A sculpture garden and multilingual audio tours of the permanent collection round out the possibilities. Basic signage is in English.

The second floor of the Bern History Museum is devoted to the Einstein Museum, where about 550 objects and 70 films chronicle the famous physicist's life. Indonesian shadow puppets, Japanese swords, Polynesian masks, Indian figurines, and Celtic jewelry fill the museum's ground floor, and the Islamic collection is exquisite, but head to the basement for exhibits about Bern and its place in Swiss history. Armor and arms, lavish church treasure (including sculptures from the Berner Münster), magnificent silver, tapestries "acquired" in 1476–77 when the Bernese pushed Charles the Bold back into France, and several of Hans Gieng's original fountain statues lead the charge. Major signage is in English, and there are audio guides in nine languages.

Bern's very own hill rises 1,000 feet above the city and presents a delightful alternative to the city on clear afternoons. The view moves from the Jura Mountains in the west to the Alps in the east by way of Bern itself; multiple lawns, terraces, and restaurants allow for picnics, cafeteria service, or formal dining as you gaze. The funicular to the top takes three minutes; head left to the east for a diagram labeling more than 200 distant peaks or right for a 360-degree view from the top of the Gurtenturm. The playground---the largest in Bern---includes bumper cars and a kiddie train; there's also a toboggan run open from March to October. You can also walk up from Wabern, or in winter, whiz down on a rented sled.

The biggest draw here is the stuffed body of Barry, a St. Bernard who saved more than 40 people in the Alps between 1800 and 1812. But start with the Alpine minerals, diamonds, and fossils in the basement, working up to wild animals in the city. Birds' nests, skeletons large and small, interactive temporary exhibits, and more than 200 wildlife dioramas round out the highlights. Basic signage is in English, though some special exhibitions are only in German and French.

The lower Altstadt's hilltop cemetery was converted into a public park in 1913, and today, its lawns, arbors, playground, and formal gardens draw leisurely couples and families with young children. The gardens are planted with azaleas, irises, rhododendron, and rose varieties such as Ingrid Bergman (deep velvet red), Maria Callas (bright magenta), Christopher Columbus (peach), Cleopatra (red tips, orange interior), and Lady Di (small and pink).

Though its exterior dates from 1771, the internal walls of Bern's first western gate reach back to the 12th century and represent the city's core. The calendar clock on the Kramgasse side began keeping Bern's official time in 1530; the gilded rooster to the left of the mechanical figures crows four minutes before every hour to begin the sequence of marching bears, fools, and gilded knights who strike the bells. The astronomical clock to the rooster's right keeps track of the day, the month, the zodiac, and the moon. Tours of the horological masterpiece behind it all are conducted in English, German, and French.