Aare River Swimming
Swimming in the Aare River is the quintessential free Bern summer experience. The clean, turquoise river loops around the old town and locals float downstream from the Eichholz area to the Marzili pool in the current.
City in Switzerland
Bern
3 things to see
Bern is Switzerland’s underrated capital, with a UNESCO-listed old town, free riverside swimming in the Aare, and the Zytglogge clock tower. The arcaded old town is free to wander and the riverside paths cost nothing, which matters in one of Europe’s most expensive countries. It is cheaper and calmer than Zurich, Geneva, or Lausanne, and sits within easy reach of Interlaken and Lucerne for the Alps. Summer is when the Aare swim makes most sense.
What to see
Things to do in Bern
What each one costs, where the cost is known.
Bern Old Town
Bern's UNESCO-listed old town is a peninsula of covered arcades (the longest weather-protected shopping promenade in Europe), medieval fountains, and the Zytglogge (astronomical clock tower that performs a mechanical show 4 minutes before every hour). Free to walk.
Rosengarten
The Rosengarten (Rose Garden) is a park on the hill above the Bear Park with 220 varieties of roses, an iris garden, and the best panoramic view of Bern's old town peninsula and the Aare River loop. Free.
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