Run in Bern, we had a crush...

Let’s start from the square in front of the 2nd busiest train station in Switzerland, where more than 1,100 trains and 325,000 passengers travel every day. And from here you are directly immersed in the Old Town, and heading to the Federal Square, its 26 water jets in front of the Federal Palace, house of the Parliament and the Swiss Government. Come on, let’s pass under the arcades of the Palace, and reach a beautiful esplanade, to enjoy the view of the Aar, the Marzili district, and the surrounding hills.

Let urbirun guide you, and here you are in the Old Town again. The Old Town covers a very large area, since it is one of the largest and best preserved remains of medieval urbanism in Europe. Beige sandstone facades top a total of 6km of arcades at the buildings ground floor, cobbled streets, fountains with colorful statues, and towers almost 1000 years old. Among these towers, the famous Zytglogge (in Bärntütsch, the local Swiss-German dialect, makes it the “time bell”): this Clock Tower dates from the Middle Ages and its original mechanism still works. Ah, the magic of Swiss watchmaking… Its peculiarity is also that it gives the Bern time, that is to say 30 minutes behind the official time … From this, there to say that this is why the Bernese have the reputation of being slow, there is only one step which I cannot take, for the sake of confederal fraternity …

A short run take you to the Cathedral of Bern, the Collegiate Church, which raises the highest bell tower in the country, which surmounts the main portal, adorned with 294 figurines representing the Last Judgment. Pass the small gate on the right and you are on another beautiful esplanade which you are invited to run around.

Let’s take you down towards the Aare, the river which meanders in the heart of the city. You will pass near the statue of the runner, yes, yes, it exists, and you will run along the Aare to a bridge on which it is “Joggen Verboten”, forbidden to run… Well ok, but you have to cross it anyway, so you cross it, to run back along the other pretty banks, then you will hurt your thighs in a few flights of stairs, enjoy a beautiful view of the city from the Rosengarten, before going to see the bears.

Yes, because what would Bern be without its bears?… It would almost be Paris without the Eiffel Tower… The origin of bears in Bern is not very clear, but there must have been some in the region. Their presence in the city has been documented in any case since 1441, and they would have been placed there in memory of Duke Berchtold V of Zähringen, founder of the city, who is supposed to have captured a bear at the end of the 12th century… The 4 current residents of the Bears’ Park were given to the city by the wife of former Russian President Medvedev.

Keep being guided, and enjoy, it is very nice. You are now in the middle of the forest and yet in the heart of the city, still along the Aare. A beautifully bucolic passage. Small climb to reach another beautiful forest, that of Dählhölzli where you will meet many animals (but no more bears), before returning to the Aare river banks, the Marzili Baths, and the Federal Palace, from below this time…

The last short climb is steep, along a funicular… But you are mentally strong, you keep running, although your thighs heat up a bit: it’s short, and you’re not the kind of runner to take a little train when you are tired… are you?…

And here you are, at the train station again, and I hope you liked the tour…

Frankly, personally I really like this route, which is very varied, in terms of its decor and scenery, its drop, its surface. All this in the heart of a capital, in the heart of the city, a run through history, along peaceful shores, on the terraces of the Government Palace as well as in the forests, all of this within walking distance …

What more can you ask for … You will run with your eyes wide open, I guarantee it…

Bonus

All our routes are available as pgx files as well, in Switzerland and in many other places. Visit the urbirun gpx boutique.