Attractions in Bern

The Bern Minster (Berner Münster) is Switzerland's tallest cathedral, soaring 100.6 metres above the Old Town. This late-Gothic masterpiece took over 400 years to complete and is famous for its elaborately carved main portal and the breathtaking panoramic views from its tower.

The Zytglogge is a medieval clock tower that has stood at the heart of Bern's Old Town since the early 13th century. Originally built as the western gate of the city, it became a prison, then the city's master clock — its astronomical dial and animated figurines have been captivating visitors since 1530.

The Kindlifresserbrunnen (Child Eater Fountain) is one of Bern's most unusual and debated medieval fountains. Erected in 1546, it depicts an ogre devouring a child while clutching a sack of more children, and has puzzled historians and visitors for nearly five centuries.

The Bärengraben (Bear Park) is an open-air enclosure along the Aar river where Bern's heraldic bears live in semi-natural conditions. Bears have been kept in Bern since the 15th century, and the current park — a modern, humane redesign — was opened in 2009.

The Käfigturm (Prison Tower) is a medieval gate tower on Marktgasse that once marked the western boundary of the Old Town. After centuries as an actual prison, it now serves as a political forum hosting free exhibitions on Swiss democracy and current affairs.

The Bundesplatz Fountains are a public water feature consisting of 26 ground-level jets — one for each Swiss canton — set into the granite surface of the square in front of Parliament. Active from April through October, they serve as a playful landmark and a summer gathering spot.

Konzert Theater Bern (formerly Stadttheater) is the city's principal performing arts venue, staging opera, ballet, drama, and concerts since its inauguration in 1903. The ornate Jugendstil building sits near the Bundeshaus and the Kleine Schanze park.

The Untertorbrücke is a stone arch bridge spanning the Aar at the eastern foot of the Old Town, and the oldest surviving bridge in Bern. Completed in 1461, it offers a low-angle view of the river and the Old Town cliff rising dramatically above.

The Bundeshaus is the seat of the Swiss Federal Assembly and Federal Council, Switzerland's parliament. Completed in 1902 in a Florentine Neo-Renaissance style, it sits on a cliff overlooking the Aar river and the distant Bernese Alps.

The Kornhaus is a monumental baroque granary built between 1711 and 1718 on Kornhausplatz. Its vast vaulted cellar (Kornhauskeller), painted with allegorical murals, is now one of Bern's grandest restaurant spaces, while the upper floors host the city's Forum for Media & Design.

The Nydegg Church sits at the eastern tip of the Old Town peninsula, built directly over the ruins of the castle that gave Bern its start. The present church dates from the 14th century and marks the spot where Duke Berchtold V of Zähringen allegedly founded the city in 1191.