This unexpected city break will have you falling back in love with winter…
When you think of a capital city, you might expect bright lights, big brands taking centre-stage, and more activities than your social media feed can handle. It’s not often you find a city that feels quaint – but Bern, Switzerland’s de facto capital, is exactly that.
Postcard-pretty, with incredibly Instagrammable views of the Swiss Alps (on a clear day!), Bern is a medieval city that feels almost untouched by contemporary living. The Old Town is a World Heritage Site, with stunning buildings and beautiful gardens, including the famous ‘Rosengarten’. The bright blue Aare river snakes throughout the cobbled, winding city streets, a constant presence in every snapshot, with plenty of beautifully ornate bridges scattered across it, and beautiful gardens overlooking the landscape. Plus, Bern (meaning ‘bear’ in German’) famously plays host to its very own colony of bears, living in an enclosure in the middle of the city centre.
For those looking for a glitzy weekend of shopping, Bern probably isn’t the place for you – try nearby Basel, or Zurich instead. What it does offer, however, is peace, tranquillity and a slower pace of life, set against a backdrop of beautiful historical architecture and of course, that mountain scenery! We think it’s the perfect relaxed getaway this winter…
How to get there
It’s easiest to fly into Basel airport, and take the train from Basel SBB to Bern – roughly an hour’s journey from station to station. Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports both fly to Basel regularly, and flights are relatively inexpensive.
Alternatively, you can fly to Geneva and take a train or drive from there to Bern – usually around a two-hour train ride or just over an hour and a half if you’re driving.
Where to stay
Bern isn’t renowned for its fancy hotels, and big brands haven’t really taken up residence here (yet), so it’s a great opportunity to stay local and try some real, authentic Swiss hospitality.
Hotel La Pergola is a homely hotel in a fabulously central location, offering an oasis of calm. Plus, your city tax tourist payment also entitles you to free public transport during your stay.
The new Stay Kooook hotel, opening this Spring, also looks like an intriguing option if you fancy something a little slicker, just outside of the city centre.
If you’re on a budget, we recommend booking an Airbnb and making sure that you can save the pennies by cooking meals indoors – eating out for every meal can soon add up, especially in Bern.
Where to go
Bern’s Old Town is a must-visit; its UNESCO World Heritage Site status means it’s well worth a proper look around. The 15th-century sandstone architecture is woven with arcades on the ground floor, a defining characteristic of the city, after much of the city burned down in 1405. The famous Zytglogge is in this area, a beautifully ornate clock featuring intricate mechanical figures and an astronomical clock, alongside the traditional clockface itself. You can even book a tour to see behind the scenes! There are also 11 beautiful 16th-century Renaissance fountains in the centre too, decorated with statues of personalities from the city’s past.
The Rosengarten is the city’s landmark rose garden, which offers a gorgeous view across the Old Town and the Aare. In spring and summer, there are over 220 species of rose, 200 types of iris, and dozens of other flowers that bloom – but even in winter, it’s an ethereal place to visit and take in the sights of the city.
There are also plenty of other sights to see during your time in Bern; visit Einsteinhaus, where the city’s most famous former resident wrote the revolutionary Annus Mirabilis papers, or head to one of the city’s many museums – the Swiss Federal Assembly is fascinating, as is the Zentrum Paul Klee.
Where to eat
Switzerland is, of course, known for its chocolate, so don’t skip on an opportunity to sample some of it for yourself. Läderach is the most popular chocolate shop, so it’s definitely worth a visit. Traditional German lebkuchen (gingerbread) is also fantastic in Bern.
When it comes to lunch times, it depends on the time of year that you’re visiting for what’s best to try. There’s plenty of traditional Swiss fondue places, which are a must-try if you’re a cheese fiend, and if you’re visiting over the festive season, there are plenty of winter markets with street food options galore.
For a sophisticated meal that you won’t forget, reserve a table at Casa Novo. This elegant fine-dining restaurant, set in a beautiful courtyard tucked just away from the main city centre, is part of Bern’s slow food movement, promising premium local ingredients and beautiful dishes to savour. We opted for the four-course tasting menu (98.50 CHF per person, roughly around £80 per person), which promised a showcase of the best Swiss produce available, and it absolutely did not disappoint.
Beginning with slabs of delicious bread, baked in-house no less, served with fresh and local olive oil, the meal was off to a great start. Following this, a wild mushroom mousse - fluffy and light in texture, with a deep, earthy flavour, beautifully presented, of course.
The first course was beetroot-cured trout, delicately flavoured and served with gin-marinated yellow beetroot, a honey-mustard mousse and a peppery sable biscuit. This was followed by a course of roasted velvety quail breast, served with crispy polenta, and roasted and pureed cauliflower, perfectly portioned and completely delicious.
For our sumptuous third course, we were served a duet of Swiss veal, with a delicate lavender jus, and wonderfully charred sweet potato gnochhi, with a salsify ragout that brought a gentle aniseed flavour. And to finish the meal, an utterly delicious dessert, packed with traditional winter flavours; a creation of mandarin, chestnuts and traditional lebkuchen gingerbread. With juicy mandarin bites, was a creamy, velvety chestnut mousse – but the star of the show was undoubtedly the soft, chewy gingerbread, with its warming spiciness permeating the dish and creating a gorgeously rounded dessert.
As a special way to celebrate being in such a gorgeous city, Casa Novo is the ideal dining destination, and a perfect way to round off an evening on your weekend away. We’d highly recommend grabbing a table!
The need-to-know
Switzerland’s main currency is the Swiss franc, although you can spend the Euro in certain places (expect to receive your change in francs though!). If you have an online bank account, such as Starling or Monzo, it’s very easy to spend and draw out cash as you need
Bern has a main train station, with trains all over Switzerland – so plenty of options for day trips if you’re enjoying an extended stay. The main mode of transport within the city is the S-Bahn tram system (which you can often use for free if you’re staying at certain hotels), but the city itself is very walkable
The climate is much the same as Scotland, so if you’re visiting in winter, pack plenty of knitwear and wrap up warm! Also take a good moisturiser and lip balm; Swiss air is dryer than in Scotland so keep your skin well hydrated during your stay
As with most of Switzerland, Bern’s shops are closed on Sunday, aside from shops inside the main train station, and convenience stores at petrol stations. If you fancy going shopping, Saturday is your day to do it – spend your Sunday exploring the city instead
There’s no getting around it – Switzerland is expensive. Eating out and getting some drinks at a bar can get you an unexpectedly high bill, even with the exchange rate. Come prepared!