Twelve Hours In Bern

After a great trip to Luzern to see the Hockney exhibition i decided to get out of town again and visit another of the fantastic galleries that Switzerland has to offer. This time the reason for the list was the exhibition of Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler. Never heard of him? He was responsible for the «The Woodcutter,» one of Switzerlands most famous art works. But although Bern is a short, (one hour,) train ride i thought i’d spend a few hours in the city and explore my favourite haunts.

Once in Bern i stroll down the Spitalgasse to Adriano’s and start my visit with a Bernese Bowl and a coffee. The coffee is always great and i love the ambiance as well as the big windows which give you ample opportunity to people watch. As i drink my latte i wonder if people look different in each city and i come to the conclusion that yes, they do. Sort of. A little bit.

After my work in Adriano’s is done (and a Bernese Bowl can definitely be described as work,) i head past the hoards of tourists crowding round the Zytglogge Tower and Kindlifresser Fountain to the Art Museum, where i immerse myself in Ferdinand Hodler's Switzerland. Here i lean more about Hodler’s style and «Parallelism» with which i can’t wait to smugly educate everyone with at the next apéro.

After leisurely round of the collection, i take the 10-seater bus and head towards Ostermundigen. My next destination is called: Bimano. My Bernese colleagues rave about the gigantic restaurant/bar/children's playground/bouldering hall. On the way I listen to a Bernese playlist. Native, Manillio, Jeans for Jesus. As well as being the seat of the Nationalrat it also remains the music capital. 

And the Bimano? My goodness, a dream! The tagine tastes great and the playground is so gigantic that for a short while I wish I were a child again. But rather than get jammed in the space age pods i work of a few calories on the Bouldering wall. 

I spend the rest of the afternoon shopping. Kitchener, Fizzen, Petitepuce, Yamatuti, Winkel, Moss - in Bern, the highlights are close together. So there's even time for a quick trip to Gelateria di Berna in Marzili. The best ice cream in Switzerland!

The nice thing about city trips is that, with all the walking and travelling, you're always hungry so i’m already looking forward to dinner. I booked a table at Löscher which is located in the old Viktoria fire station. The restaurant was temporary but fortunately is now permanent and with my first sip of red wine i realise that are still putting out fires. As i enjoy my menu of the day and enjoy the warm glow of a good wine everyone starts to be come clear: Bern is seriously alright.

Before my train leaves, there is still enough time to walk across the Kornhaus bridge and have a drink in the Turnhalle. As I sip my drink, I think this is something i should do more often. And as SBB have some great offers for combining a trip to a museum, (or loads of other leisure activities,) with a rail ticket it can be easy and good value. 

Rons Tips For Bern

Rons Bern Playlist: