Bear Park to Gurten: Exploring Bern’s Surprising Natural Side

Bern is the part of Switzerland that most visitors treat as a stopover, but it has a green, riverside side that rewards a few unhurried days. A looping river, a hillside rose garden, a bear enclosure on the water’s edge and a 858-metre hill with Alpine views are all within a short tram ride of the medieval centre. This guide walks you from the Bear Park to the Gurten summit and covers the neighbourhoods, food, transport and day trips that make the rest of the stay easy.

A Capital That Behaves Like a Village

Bern is the seat of Switzerland’s federal government, though the country has never officially called it a capital. The city has the unfussy confidence of a place that doesn’t need to prove anything. Politicians cycle to work, and on market mornings the square in front of the Parliament building fills with vegetable stalls instead of motorcades. If you are building a wider route through the country, the broader Switzerland travel picture is full of louder, more dramatic stops. Bern’s appeal is quieter and more domestic.

The Old Town sits on a narrow peninsula, almost entirely encircled by the green-blue Aare river. That shape explains the city’s character. You are never far from water, and every street seems to end in either a steep drop to the river or a view of one. The sandstone buildings, the six kilometres of covered arcades and the sixteenth-century fountains with their painted figures earned the centre UNESCO World Heritage status in 1983. Locals take it all for granted and spend their summers in the river.

Bear Park and the Bend in the River

The bear is on the city’s coat of arms, and according to local legend the name Bern comes from a bear hunted by the founder. Bears were kept in the old stone pit at the eastern end of the Old Town for centuries, in a space that visitors increasingly found cramped. In 2009 the animals moved to the Bärenpark, a sloping enclosure of grass, trees and a pool running down toward the riverbank. Entry is free.

The park is a better experience than most zoo-style attractions. The bears have real room to roam, and you watch from several levels, including a path above and a viewing area near the water. Visits are hit and miss, because bears do what they like. If they are asleep in the undergrowth, take it as part of the deal and come back later. Early morning and late afternoon are usually the best times to see them active. You can also look down from the Nydeggbrücke above, which gives a flat, free overview of the whole enclosure.

The old bear pit stands next to the new park and is now a quiet monument to the old way of doing things. A small brewery restaurant, the Altes Tramdepot, sits right beside the viewing terrace. Its terrace looks across the river to the Old Town, which makes it a convenient place for a beer even if the food is only decent.

From here the most rewarding walk drops you down into the Matte, the old lower district beside the river. Craftsmen and mill workers once lived here, and the area developed its own slang, Mattenenglisch. Today the Matte is a quiet cluster of old houses, small galleries and cafés along the water’s edge. It is one of the few parts of the Old Town that feels lived in rather than curated.

Rosengarten and the Best Views of the Old Town

Bern’s most famous postcard view is the one from the Rosengarten, a hillside park on the opposite bank from the Old Town. Walk uphill from the Bear Park along a short, steep path and you reach terraces of rose beds, irises and rhododendrons, with the peninsula laid out below. The cathedral spire, the red roofs and the looping Aare all appear in a single frame. Entry is free, and the park is at its best from late May through the summer, though the view itself works in any season.

The park has a restaurant and a few benches where you can sit with a coffee and watch the light change. Late afternoon is the strongest time to come, when the sun hits the sandstone and the river turns a brighter green. It also attracts photographers on weekends, so a weekday morning gives you more breathing room.

Bern has other good viewing points, and each offers something different from the Rosengarten. The Kleine Schanze, a small park behind the Parliament building, looks over the Aare valley and the Bernese Alps beyond on clear days. It is shaded and has benches, and office workers use it for lunch breaks. Each viewpoint is within about fifteen minutes’ walk of the others.

The Aare: Swimming, Marzili and Riverside Paths

In summer Bern’s real social life happens in the river. The Aare is cold, fast and strikingly clean, fed by alpine meltwater, and by July the Bernese are using it as a commute, a swimming lane and a social space.

The easiest introduction is the Marzili, a free riverside swimming area just below the Parliament building. It has lawns, a few pools, a snack kiosk and a relaxed mix of families, students and office workers on their lunch break. You can reach it on foot down a staircase or on the Marzilibahn, a tiny funicular of about a hundred metres that claims to be one of the shortest public railways in Europe. A ride costs a few dollars and is more novelty than necessity.

The classic summer ritual is to walk upstream, enter the river at a designated point such as Eichholz, and float back down to the Marzili with the current. Waterproof dry bags for your clothes are sold locally, and many swimmers use them. Treat this seriously. The current is strong, the water is cold even on hot days, and there are marked exit points that you should not pass. Do not swim after heavy rain or when the river is high, and check local signs and advice before you enter. If you are not a confident swimmer, stay in the Marzili pools and watch the floaters from the bank.

If you would rather stay dry, the riverside paths are some of the best walking in the city. The route along the Aare through the Elfenau park, with its old trees, meadows and gardens, feels like countryside within the city limits. In the other direction, the path past the Bear Park leads into the forest on the northern bend, quiet and shaded.

Gurten: Bern’s House Mountain

Bern’s local hill is the Gurten, rising to 858 metres south of the centre. Locals go up for a picnic, a pint, or just to look at the weather. It is an easy half-day trip that gets you a proper mountain view without leaving the city’s public transport network.

The approach is straightforward. Take tram 9 from the centre to the Gurtenbahn stop in Wabern, then ride the funicular, which has run since 1899, up to the summit. The ride takes only a few minutes. A round trip costs roughly $15, though fares change, so check current prices before you go. The Gurtenbahn is also covered or discounted on some travel passes, so check the details if you hold one.

At the top you can walk to the lookout tower for views of the city, the Aare valley and, on clear days, the long line of the Bernese Alps with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in the distance. The view is the main reason to come, and it is worth checking the weather and the webcams before you commit. On a hazy day you still get a good view of Bern from above, but not the full panorama.

The summit area is a park, with lawns, children’s playgrounds, a small miniature train and several restaurants and kiosks. The Gurten brewery has its own beer, which is widely sold in the city and makes a decent souvenir. In July the hill hosts the Gurten Festival, a major music event, so expect crowds and higher prices then.

The better way to see the hill is to ride up and walk down. Well-marked trails lead down through forest and meadow to Wabern or back toward the city centre, and the descent takes about an hour at a relaxed pace. Wear shoes with grip, because the paths can be slippery after rain.

Neighbourhoods: Where to Wander and Where to Sleep

Bern is compact, and most useful areas are within a short tram ride of the station.

• Altstadt (Old Town): The obvious base, with the arcades, fountains, the Zytglogge clock tower and the cathedral. It is the most convenient and the most expensive area for hotels, and it quietens in the evening.



• Matte and Marzili: The riverside districts below the Old Town. They are quiet and green, ideal for swimmers, though accommodation is limited.
• Lorraine: Across the Aare to the north, a former working-class district now popular with students and creatives. Expect independent cafés, small bars, bakeries and a more alternative feel than the centre. It suits visitors who want to see how locals live.
• Länggasse: The university quarter on the hill west of the station. It has student bars, cheap lunches and a lively atmosphere during term time.
• Kirchenfeld: A residential area south of the river with grand nineteenth-century buildings and several museums, including the Bern Historical Museum and the Einstein Museum.
• Breitenrain: To the northeast, a neighbourhood of everyday cafés, parks and local life, away from the tourist circuit.

For a first visit, stay in or near the Old Town, or in the streets between the station and the river. If you want better value and a more local feel, look at Lorraine or Länggasse. Everything is connected by tram and bus, so a central location matters less than in larger cities.

When It Rains: Münster Tower, Arcades and the Paul Klee Centre

Bern’s natural side is a summer and shoulder-season pleasure, but the city has indoor and covered options for bad weather.

The six kilometres of Old Town arcades are the obvious first answer. Locals have been shopping under them for centuries, so you can walk the length of the centre in the rain and stay dry. They are lined with independent shops, cellar bars, small theatres and cafés.

The Bern Münster, the late-Gothic cathedral, has the tallest church tower in Switzerland at about 100 metres. Climbing it means a few hundred steps up a narrow spiral staircase, with a wide view of the rooftops and the river at the top. Save it for a clear day. The carved portal of the Last Judgment on the main entrance is worth seeing from the ground either way.

Nearby, the Zytglogge clock tower puts on a mechanical show a few minutes before each hour, with figures that parade and a jester that rings the bells. It draws a crowd, and the show is shorter than people expect, but it is part of the city’s identity.

On the eastern edge of the city, the Zentrum Paul Klee is one of Bern’s best cultural stops. The museum holds the world’s largest collection of work by the Swiss-German painter, in a building of three steel-and-glass waves set into the hillside. Allow a couple of hours. It is reachable by bus from the station and sits beside open fields, so it combines well with a walk.

The Bernese Table: What to Eat and Where Locals Go

Bernese food is hearty, built on meat, potatoes, cheese and bread, and it pairs well with a day spent outdoors.

• Berner Platte: The classic, a huge platter of sauerkraut or beans with boiled and smoked pork cuts and sausages. It is a meal for hungry groups and for cold weather.
• Rösti: Swiss fried grated potato, often served as a side or topped with an egg or cheese. Rösti is eaten across the country, but the Bernese claim it as their own.
• Zopf: A soft braided loaf, traditionally baked for Sundays. Look for it at bakeries.
• Meringues with double cream: A sweet, from the nearby Gruyère region, that turns up in Bernese cafés.



• Zibelechueche: An onion tart, particularly popular around the Zibelemärit, the onion market held on the fourth Monday of November, when stalls fill the centre and locals throw confetti.

For atmosphere, the Kornhauskeller is a vaulted former granary with painted columns, now a grand restaurant and bar. It suits a special dinner more than a casual meal. For something cheaper, look at the Lorraine and Länggasse neighbourhoods, where small bakeries, bistros and international kitchens serve good lunches at lower prices than the Old Town.

Markets are the easiest way to eat like a local. On Tuesday and Saturday mornings, the produce market on Bundesplatz and the surrounding streets sells vegetables, cheese, bread and flowers. Pick up bread, cheese and fruit and have a riverside picnic in the Rosengarten or at the Marzili. Along the Aare in summer, informal bars and kiosks sell beer and snacks, and sitting with the river at your feet is one of Bern’s best meals regardless of what is on the plate.

Swiss prices are high, and a sit-down meal in a restaurant can easily run $25 to $40 per person for a main and a drink. Lunch menus, bakery snacks and market picnics keep costs manageable.

Getting Around Bern

The city centre is compact and walkable. Most of the sights covered in this article are within twenty to thirty minutes’ walk of the station, though the hills can be steep.

For longer distances, trams and buses are frequent, clean and run on time, and the main hub is the main station. Tram 9 runs to the Gurtenbahn, and a short bus ride takes you to the Zentrum Paul Klee and the Dählhölzli zoo. Day passes are available, but if you are staying in a Bern hotel, ask about the visitor transport pass, which many local accommodations give to guests and which covers local public transport during the stay. Holders of national rail passes should also check what is included.

Cycling is popular and city bike share schemes operate, though Bern’s hills make it more demanding than some flatter Swiss cities. Electric bikes help. Walking along the river is the most enjoyable way to get between the Bear Park, the Matte and the Marzili.

Day Trips from Bern

Bern sits at the centre of Switzerland’s rail network, so day trips are easy and quick.

• Thun and Lake Thun: About twenty minutes by train. A castle, a pretty old town and boats on one of Switzerland’s loveliest lakes, with mountain views.
• Interlaken: Under an hour. The gateway to the Jungfrau region and the Bernese Oberland, and good for lake cruises and mountain viewpoints. The high-altitude excursions here are expensive and weather-dependent, so plan carefully.
• Fribourg: A medieval city on a gorge, sitting on the French-German language border, roughly half an hour away.
• Murten: A small walled town on a lake, where you can walk the ramparts. It is a quiet, pretty option.
• Emmental: Rolling hills, farmhouses and the home of the holey cheese. Local dairies offer tastings and demonstrations.
• Lake Biel: Wine villages, vineyards and the St. Peter’s Island, good for a relaxed lakeside day.
• Lucerne or Basel: Both are about an hour away if you want a bigger-city contrast.

For an outdoor-focused trip close to home, the Gantrisch Nature Park south of the city offers hiking and quiet mountain scenery without the crowds of the main Alpine resorts. Check bus connections ahead, since services can be less frequent in rural areas.

Practical Tips: Airport, Seasons and What to Skip

Getting there: Bern has a small airport at Belp with limited routes, so most visitors arrive via Zurich or Geneva. Zurich Airport to Bern takes just over an hour by direct train, and Geneva Airport takes about two hours. Trains run frequently, and the central station sits right in the Old Town, so there is no need for a taxi.

When to go: Late May to September is the best time for the Rosengarten, the river and the Gurten. July and August are warmest and busiest, with swimming at its peak. September is often settled and slightly quieter. Winter is cold but atmospheric, with Christmas markets in the Old Town, though most outdoor attractions are less appealing. Spring is pleasant, but river swimming is out of the question.

How long to stay: Two days covers the Old Town and the highlights, and three lets you add the Gurten, the river and a day trip. Bern works well as a base for the region, since the train network radiates out in all directions.

What to avoid:

• Rushing the Old Town in half a day and skipping the riverside and hills, which are the city’s best features.
• Swimming in the Aare without local knowledge, after rain or beyond the safe exit points.
• Expecting nightlife on the scale of Zurich or Geneva. Bern is calmer, with most places winding down by midnight outside the weekend.
• Eating every meal in the Old Town, where prices are highest. Cross the river or head up to Länggasse for better value.
• Many shops close on Sundays, so plan for markets and groceries on Saturday.

What to pack: Comfortable walking shoes, a light waterproof jacket, a swimsuit in summer and a small dry bag if you plan to float the Aare. Tap water is excellent everywhere, and the public fountains are drinkable unless marked otherwise, so carry a refillable bottle.

Bern rewards a slower pace. Start at the Bear Park, climb to the Rosengarten, cool off in the Aare, and finish with the evening light from the Gurten, and you will have seen a side of the Swiss capital that most visitors never find.

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📷 Featured image by Ilia Bronskiy on Unsplash.