Things to do in Bern

Bern's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the reason is obvious within ten minutes of arriving: six kilometres of covered sandstone arcades shelter shops and cafes from the rain, and the Zytglogge clock tower still performs its mechanical show four minutes before every hour. Trains from Lucerne take about an hour, making Bern an easy day trip.

The Bear Pit (BarenPark) sits below the Nydeggbrucke, home to the city's bears since 2009, while the Zentrum Paul Klee, a wave-shaped building by Renzo Piano on the eastern edge of town, holds around 4,000 works by the artist. In summer, locals float down the Aar with their clothes in a waterproof bag, entering near the Marzili and drifting past the Old Town in twenty to thirty minutes.

The Gurten, a 858-metre hill reached by funicular from Wabern, gives the best overview of the capital and the Alps beyond.