Bern, Switzerland

Bern, Switzerland has been our home city for just about a year.  Even though we live just outside of the city in the village of Worb, Bern is where my wife Amy goes to work every day, and it is where my kids love to walk the arcades and look in the shops.  The slow pace and beautiful architecture of the capital city of Switzerland captivates us every time we walk its century old streets.

One of my goals for this New Year is to explore a new place in Switzerland at least once a week.  Whether that is a day excursion into the Alps, explore the many different trails and lakes, or experience a new Swiss village or town, the goal is to see and experience as much as I can in this small but beautiful country.

Due to the weather forecast this past week of heavy snow in the mountains and rain in the cities, I decided to bring my camera into the city that has captivated my heart for a year now.  The familiar city of Bern.

Walking up from the Bahnhof (train station) you find yourself right in the heart of the city.  I made my way down to a quiet park called Kleine Shanze.  This is a great place to come in the spring or summer afternoon to eat at the café, or just relax and look at the Alps on a clear day.  We often walk through the park as we make our way to one of our favorite churches, Holy Trinity Church that sits on the other side of the park.

From here I walked up Bundesgasse to Bundesplatz, which is the square right outside of The Federal Palace of Switzerland.  Throughout the year you can find markets filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats in Barenplatz.  While during the winter months you can find people enjoying the skating rink in the middle of Bundesplatz.

On the side of the Federal Palace you can experience its beautiful architecture and views of the Aare River and Alps.

Making my way through Barenplatz, I found myself heading up Marktgasse towards Zytglogge (the famous Clock Tower).  You notice right away that throughout the city the buildings and storefronts are a uniform gray as the Bernese sandstone comes from the nearby quarry.  You can also see many colorful fountains and statues in the middle of the streets.  These fountains and statues were commissioned during the 16th century.  Walking most streets in Bern, you have a choice between “Rohren” or “Piping” (Rohr means pipe) the slang word for walking under the arcade corridors, or to walk along the cobble streets.  If you do take the street, watch out for the buses and trams.

Once crossing over Zytglogge into the old town I made a quick left onto Zibelegässli, and then onto one of my favorite streets in Bern, Brunngasse.  Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city lies this quaint and old street to casually stroll or sit in one of its restaurants or cafes.

At the end of Brunngasse you wrap around and connect back to Rathausgasse and down to my favorite square in Bern, Rathausplatz.

I soon made my way toward the famous Münster crossing over Kramgasse.  Kramgasse gives you a great view of the clock tower from the old town.

The Münster is the 15^th century cathedral that has a 330 foot tall tower.  Its gothic structure was originally patterned after the famous Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany.

Around the other side of the Münster lies the platform that overlooks the Aare River.  The views are great from here not only looking out over the Aare but also toward the backside of the beautiful old homes and buildings.  (Also, I found what could be my new mode of transportation…I love these)

In front of the Münster is the beautiful square of Münsterplatz.

Bern offers so many side alleys, old staircases, and beautiful architecture to explore.  Amy and I are constantly finding new things and places to enjoy.

My final spot of the day before picking up the boys from school was at the famous Rosengarten.  The Rosengarten is a beautiful place in its own right especially during the spring and summer months.  But on this cold winter day it served to be a great spot to overlook my favorite city of Bern.

“Cities were always like people, showing their varying personalities to the traveler. Depending on the city and on the traveler, there might begin a mutual love, or dislike, friendship, or enmity. Where one city will rise a certain individual to glory, it will destroy another who is not suited to its personality. Only through travel can we know where we belong or not, where we are loved and where we are rejected.” 
― Roman Payne