Daily Times

Bern is one of Switzerland’s oldest and prettiest cities, where you can bathe in the River Aare and hunt for Emmental cheese on an electric bike, all against the backdrop of some of the most majestic Alpine peaks.

There’s even a museum of mountains to explore in the Swiss capital.

Not only that, Albert Einstein, perhaps the 20th Century’s greatest mind, devised his theory of relativity in an apartment in the Old Town.

And there are bears, real ones. Bern has kept bears, the city’s symbol, since 1513. None has enjoyed better care and greater comfort than the current generation – Finn, Bjork and daughter Ursina – in their new enclosure.

Bern may be small but its Old Town is one of the most distinguished medieval districts in Europe. Two surviving features set it apart. One is the network of 15th Century arcades, made in the gorgeous brown sandstone they use locally. The other feature is the 100 or so elaborately and colourfully decorated fountains, built around 1550. Weigh up these wonders over a coffee at Coffee Fellows on Barenplatz, where they serve 10 types of bagel.

Public transport is excellent – show your hotel booking for free train travel into the city from Bern airport. Visitors can also travel free on public transport with the Bern Ticket, which hotels give to guests.

A good spot for lunch is Altes Tram Depot in Grosser Muristalden, where they brew their own beer in copper vats. Do try the Swiss pasta

After lunch, walk along the banks of the River Aare – the river runs from the glaciers in the Bernese Oberland. And feel free to join the locals, even in winter, diving into the water from the Schonausteg Bridge, or from the steps by the Marzili public pool.

From another site, Lorraine Bad, you can drift with the current and take in the main sites, including the triple-domed Parliament Building, home of the Swiss federal government. Some people even swim home, keeping their things in waterproof packs. Afterwards, head for the Paul Klee Museum, which holds the world’s most important collection of works by this Swiss artist. The museum was designed by Renzo Piano, architect of London’s Shard. There is a good cafe here for afternoon tea. If Picasso is more to your taste, the nearby Bern Art Gallery has works by the artist.

If you fancy a sundowner, head to the 2,400ft peak Gurten. Take tram No 9 to Wabern-Gurtenbahn, then the funicular railway to the top. Order a drink in the observation tower and soak up the views.

A dreamy setting for a meal is Schwellenmaetteli. You dine on a deck looking back towards the Old Town.

The grandest overnight stay must be the opulent Schweizerhof, where rooms cost from £346 a night.

Start the day at the apartment on Kramgasse where Einstein developed his theory of relativity. Many of old Bern’s star turns are nearby. They include the Cathedral, which is celebrated for its 300ft spire and 13th Century stained-glass, and the ancient Prison Tower.

The Zytglogge Clock Tower dates from 1405 and crowds gather on the hour to see the model figures parade. The Natural History Museum is famous for its dioramas of animal habitats. And the Swiss Alpine Museum is worth a visit thanks to its displays on the Alps and other mountains of the world.

The bears live in their new enclosure, Barenpark, on a slope rising from the Aare.

If the weather is good, savour the surrounding countryside on the Emmental Cheese Route. Take the Burgdorf train from the main station and hire a bike or electric bike. During the tour, you will see traditional and modern ways of making the cheese.

Back in Bern, the two main shopping streets are Kramgasse and Gerechtigkeitsgasse in the Old Town. Shops in the cellars under many of the old houses are another of the city’s charms.

If you want a glamorous dining experience of Bernese specialities, try Kornhauskeller in an impressive, vaulted space.

The top choice for city views and fondue is the veranda at Rosengarten. Don’t miss the Alpine Herbs fondue.

For a special meal, book the Schongrun and try goat’s cheese ravioli with quince, hazelnut and romanesco.

Published in Daily Times, January 24^th 2019.