Switzerland is known for doing things on a grand scale – the craggy mass of the Matterhorn, the shiny reputation of Geneva, the epic ski slopes of Graubünden – so having the modestly proportioned Bern as its de facto capital may seem out of place. What this charming tiny city lacks in headline-grabbing magnificence, it makes up for in charm.
It’s a site where history looms big, with a UNESCO-listed old town, medieval clock tower, and massive cathedral all giving the city a stuck-in-time atmosphere. It also has an odd obsession with all things ursine – the name ‘Bern’ is claimed to have arisen from when the city’s founder killed a bear here on the Aare peninsula, and bear pits have been in the town ever since. In Bern’s Bear Park, visitors may still witness the local bears living freely, climbing, fishing, and playing by the river.
You can travel to Bern by flying directly to the smaller Bern airport or, the more prominent Geneva, Basel, or Zurich airports and hiring an airport transfer.
