The best city hikes and walks around Naturpark Gantrisch

One of many, beautiful fountains in the city.

Kleine Schanze Park, Bern – dating back to the 17th century The fortifications, consisting of the Grosse Schanze (Great Fort) and the Kleine Schanze (Little Fort), are part of Bern's last city fortifications in the west of the Old Town, dating from the 17th century. When they no longer served a defensive purpose, they were transformed into parkland in several stages. The Kleine Schanze, with its adjacent park café, offers the public a climate-adapted and almost barrier-free recreational area in the heart of the city. The park's popularity is being addressed with additional seating and more lawn space. Text / Source: City of Bern https://www.bern.ch/mediencenter/medienmitteilungen/aktuell_ptk/kleine-schanze-nach-sanierung-wieder-vollstaendig-zugaenglich

Bern Town Hall (built between 1406 and 1417) The Town Hall, built between 1406 and 1417, housed the meeting rooms for the Small and Great Councils. The Kreuzgasse (Cross Lane) gained prominence as an urban center (Zähringer town) with the construction of the new Town Hall between 1406 and 1417. While the mayor and council had possessed a modest meeting place since the mid-13th century in the courthouse behind the choir of St. Vincent's Church (parish church of St. Vincent), this building contained only a small council or courtroom. The old town hall was too small for the meetings of the Council of Two Hundred, which had been institutionalized during the constitutional reform of 1294, nor for the council elections held annually during the Easter holidays, nor for the periodic accounting of the city's officials and administrators. Therefore, since the second half of the 13th century, citizens and council members had held their meetings in the spacious monastery churches of the Franciscans and Dominicans. Only proceedings concerning the lower courts were usually held in the corner building next to the chancel of the parish church by the mayor, his deputy, the bailiff, and the court clerk. The mayor, along with his deputy, the bailiff, and the court clerk, was also usually present. Text / Source: City of Bern https://www.bern.ch/themen/stadt-recht-und-politik/informationen-im-stadtarchiv/suche-nach-themen-und-ereignissen/internetpublikation-gott-ist-burger-zu-bern/raeumliche-gliederung-des-stadtgebiets/kommunale-gebaeude/rathaus

Bear Park, Bern A hilly park with a 19th-century bear pit, now home to many brown bears (the city's heraldic animal). The Bernese bears live in the Bear Park right in the heart of the city. Exclusively situated with a view of Bern's UNESCO-listed Old Town, the bears live in the park on the banks of the Aare River. The approximately 5,000-square-meter grounds extend from the former bear pit down to the banks of the Aare and are fully accessible. The "Bear Train" provides a quick, wheelchair-friendly connection between the riverbank and the upper part of the park. The panoramic inclined lift can be used free of charge. A unique experience: gliding through the park past the bears' noses! Text / Source: Bern Animal Park, Tierparkweg 1, 3005 Bern https://tierpark-bern.ch/baerenpark/

The arcades of Bern are one of the most distinctive features of Bern's UNESCO-protected Old Town. Brief description: * What are they? They are covered, arcade-like walkways that extend along the main streets of the Old Town at ground level. * Length: With a total length of approximately six kilometers, they form one of the longest weather-protected shopping promenades in Europe. * Origin: The arcades were created after the devastating city fire of 1405 during the reconstruction of the city using sandstone. The houses were extended forward, narrowing the alleyways and creating the arcades. * Purpose: Originally, they served as covered work and sales areas for craftsmen and merchants. Today, they protect pedestrians and shoppers from rain, snow, and sun while strolling and house numerous boutiques, cafés, and shops, often with adjoining vaulted cellars. * Architecture: They are typical of Bern's medieval sandstone buildings and contribute significantly to the distinctive charm of the old town.

The Rathausplatz (Town Hall Square) in Bern is a historic square in Bern's Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), dominated primarily by the Town Hall building itself. A striking feature: The main attraction is the monumental, double staircase on the Town Hall's main facade, from which historically significant speeches have been delivered (e.g., by Winston Churchill in 1946).

View of the donkey barn in Bern.

Bern's Old Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and is undoubtedly an absolute highlight. The arcades with their diverse shops and cafés, as well as the small, charming alleys, invite both a short stop and a longer visit. World-famous sights such as the Federal Palace, the Minster, the Zytglogge Tower, and the Bear Pit are also just a few minutes away. Good information about the Old Town can also be found on Bern's website: https://bern.com/de/erleben/attraktionen/sehenswuerdigkeiten/berner-altstadt