Wander Through The Old Town (Bern Old Town)

Bern’s Old Town occupies a narrow peninsula in a tight loop of the Aare river, and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. According to tradition, the city was founded in 1191 by Duke Berthold V of Zähringen. The medieval street plan from that period survives almost unchanged: three long, parallel main streets run along the length of the peninsula, linked by narrow lanes and small squares, with steep drops down to the river on both sides. The French invasion of 1798 ended the old Bernese republic, but the town centre kept its form. A large fire in 1405 destroyed much of the earlier timber city, and the rebuilding in local sandstone gave the Old Town its pale, warm-grey appearance, with many of the facades dating from later centuries, including the 18th.

The covered arcades are the quarter’s signature. Stone-vaulted passages run along the fronts of the houses for around six kilometres in total, and they shelter shops, cafés, galleries and market stalls. They are one of the longest continuous covered shopping routes in Europe, and they make the Old Town pleasant to explore in any weather. Many of the cellars beneath are used as bars, small theatres and wine cellars, and you can see the stairways dropping from street level.

Along the main streets, Gerechtigkeitsgasse, Kramgasse and Marktgasse, a series of painted fountains stands at intervals, with figures from the 16th century such as the Fountain of Justice and the grim Ogre Fountain. The Zytglogge Clock Tower and the Käfigturm, the Prison Tower, a former gate, mark points along the route. Further on, the Gothic cathedral, the Münster, rises with its tall tower, and a climb up gives a view over the roofs and the Aare River loop. Kramgasse 49 is the house where Albert Einstein lived while working in Bern, and it is now a small museum. The Bundeshaus, Switzerland’s parliament building, stands at the upper edge of the quarter, with Bundesplatz in front of it, and the Aare, the Matte district and the Bear Pit are all within walking distance.

Walking the length of the Old Town takes under an hour without stops, but a half day lets you add the cathedral, a museum and a break in a cellar bar. Guided walking tours are offered in several languages, and there is no entry fee to explore the streets themselves. The Rosengarten viewpoint across the river provides a classic overview of the old town, and the same view looks good at sunset.

The quarter suits history and architecture lovers, shoppers, and families, and its compact size makes it easy to explore on foot.