Things to do in Bern

Nature · The river loop below the Old Town

A free riverside lido under the Bundeshaus, and a green-glacial river the whole city floats down on summer evenings.

Local tip: Entry to the Marzili is free — it always has been, and it is a point of civic pride. Get in at the Eichholz for the longer float, and identify the exit steps before you get in; the current does not negotiate.

Landmark · The Old Town peninsula

Kilometres of covered sandstone arcades along a medieval street grid, with the astronomical clock tower at the centre of it.

Local tip: The Zytglogge's mechanical figures perform a few minutes before each hour, which is when the crowd forms — the interior tower tour is the better half. In the rain, the Lauben mean you can cross the whole Old Town without a coat.

Culture · Above the Aare bend, city centre

The seat of the federal government, open to visitors, with a square in front that hosts a market twice a week and a light show in autumn.

Local tip: Free guided tours of parliament run when it is not sitting, and you can watch debates from the public gallery during sessions. The 26 fountain jets on the square, one per canton, are a swimming pool for small children in July.

Neighborhood · North of the Aare, across the Lorrainebrücke

The younger, less formal side of the river — cooperative housing, independent bars and the city's best casual eating.

Local tip: This is where people go when the Old Town feels like a museum. The Lorrainebad, the outdoor river pool on this bank, is the local alternative to the Marzili and much quieter.

Nature · Above Wabern, funicular from the city

The city's house mountain — a flat green plateau with a view across the whole Mittelland to the Bernese Alps.

Local tip: The funicular is included in a Libero season ticket to the right zone, which most people discover only after paying for it twice. Go on a clear winter day: the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau line up on the horizon.

Food · Old Town and Bundesplatz

A twice-weekly produce market on the parliament square, and once a year an onion market that starts before dawn in late November.

Local tip: Zibelemärit runs on the fourth Monday of November from about four in the morning. Go early rather than at lunchtime, eat a Zwiebelkuchen standing up, and accept that you will be hit with confetti.