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.
Street in Bern
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. The arcades keep you dry in any weather. Budget travelers walk under the arcades from the train station to the Bear Park and pass through one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe.
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More in Bern
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
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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