Things to do in and around Bern

Not having a car in Switzerland is a good thing...not a bad one. Where will you have already visited in Switzerland on your RS tour?

2 days is too many??? Hardly! You're already there so why not see as much as you possibly can? Extend as many days as you can.

Bern is my favorite city in Switzerland. When will you be there? If Summertime, floating the river with mostly locals is fantastic-the highlight of our time there. There are a few nice churches, good walking and people watching. Also, the Fine Arts Museum and Paul Klee Museum are under appreciated IMO. A quick train ride to Murten is an option as well. Good shopping, restaurants and beer (if you are into that). So, easily enough to keep you busy for a couple of days.

The more days in Bern the better. Murten, Lusaunne, Gruyeres are very close. Zermatt is only 2 hours and St Ursanne is only 90 minutes.

Luzern is my favorite Swiss town and you could do a daytrip there from Bern. Something that wasn't mentioned is that Einstein lived in Bern for a while. There is an extensive Einstein exhibit in the history museum. You also could visit his house which is now a museum (closed when we were there) As you wonder around Bern take note of the wonderful water fountains and make sure to see the clock tower.

There is a nice section on Bern and Murten in the RS Switzerland guide.

Bern has a great Paul Klee museum and a relatively good Einstein museum.

If you cross over the Aare river , you will come upon the bear park which is done up nicely in a park setting , with a small brewery on site. In the old town just past the clock tower is Ensteins apartment when he was in Bern. It cost a few francs, but it is 3 floors with no air conditioning.

Hi, I live in Bern (lucky me!) and I absolutely endorse staying in this lovely city for a couple of days. I recommend taking a "free" walking tour of the Old City (note that guides are paid in tips); I have been on a tour with this group and found them to be informative and fun: http://www.freewalk.ch/bern/tours-english.php. People have already mentioned the Zentrum Paul Klee, which is excellent, and the Einsteinhaus, which is worth a quick visit. But more than anything, this beautiful city rewards people who just stroll around enjoying the lovely views and maybe stopping at an outdoor cafe for a glass of wine, or a beer sampler at the Altes Tramdepot (next to the Barengraben). Finally, you can walk along the river, either around the peninsula of the city or heading south, which will take you past the zoo and some beautiful scenery. On clear days you can see the Alps. One heads-up: unless you are a STRONG swimmer, I advise against swimming in the Aare. The current is very swift, and the river is cold, even in midsummer. My husband has swum in it a few times, but he is careful to stay right near the shore, and I walk along the path with phone in hand. For a true Bern swimming experience that is a bit less dangerous, try Marzilibad, which is right below the Bundeshaus, and which is also next to the best gelato in Bern--Gelateria di Berna. Here's the website for Marzilibad: https://www.sportamt-bern.ch/sportanlage/marzili/ Here is the site for Gelateria di Berna: https://www.gelateriadiberna.ch/marzili Enjoy!

People float the Rhine in Basel if you want to do something like that. We saw quite a few when we were there at the end of August on a very hot day. If my memory serves me, some may have been wearing life jackets. Maybe the river is safer in Basel that Bern? Maybe people would have thoughts for you.

Jules they're not life jackets, they are waterproof bags to keep your clothes in while you are swimming in the river.
They've even got a name "Wickelfisch" because they are fish-shaped. You can buy them all over Basel in Summer.

YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwNFj6Mdoo4

But what about the relatively good Einstein museum? That was gold, people!

The Einstein museum within the history museum (across the bridge from the old town) is amazing! I brought my 20 year old girls, and we knew that the one that likes physics would love it, but the other "less sciency" daughter and myself really liked it as well.

Chris F, so as someone who loves to sit on an intertube and float (when I can't canoe) I'm wondering why locals in Bern or Basel haven't come up with tubing, or at least wearing life jackets? Is it because normally, what ever that means these days as I sit in my house because its -22F (and that's not the windchill temp), the water and air temperatures are not that warm??

do you normally wear a life jacket when you go down to the lake to have a swim?

and all you need is a speedo and a Wickelfisch (you can get them everywhere, they are cheap). Nobody to rent you anything or drive them back up river. You can go when you want, by yourself or in a group.... there are several places to get back out....

"why locals in Bern or Basel haven't come up with tubing, or at least wearing life jackets?" - probably because they don't need a life jacket, and it would be a PIA to carry.
You swim (or float) downstream, and have to walk back when you get out the river. A Wickelfisch doubles as a shoulder bag (see video). You can use it to carry your stuff back upstream, and to carry your cozzie and other stuff (wallet, keys) on the tram to and from the Rhine.

Someone had commented that the current is fast in Bern. I'm a good swimmer so I wouldn't wear a life jacket, but tubing is very relaxing/enjoyable.

Thank you all for your suggestions! I am looking forward to our time in Bern.