Breitenrain
Bern, Switzerland
A leafy residential district north of the station, increasingly the place locals go for good neighbourhood restaurants and bars away from the tourists.
Places in Breitenrain
- Marta A relaxed, contemporary neighbourhood bistro in Breitenrain, with a short seasonal menu and a good natural-wine list. Where younger Bern eats.
- Café Kairo A bohemian café-bar and cultural hub across the river, good from morning coffee to evening concerts. The creative city's living room.
Practical notes for Bern
- Best time to visit
- June to September for warm days and river swimming; the arcades keep you dry in any season. December brings markets and mulled wine; spring is quiet and green.
- Getting around
- The old town is small and entirely walkable, if steep and cobbled. Trams and buses cover the rest, and the train station links to Zurich and Geneva in about an hour. In summer, locals travel by floating down the Aare.
- Currency
- Swiss Franc (CHF)
- Language
- German (Swiss German). English is widely spoken.
- Timezone
- CET (UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer)
- Current trends
- A young bistro and natural-wine scene loosening the city's formality; the Aare river swim as summer ritual; specialty coffee arriving in the arcades; and a revival of Bernese comfort cooking in modern rooms.
Other neighborhoods in Bern
- Altstadt (Old Town) — The UNESCO-listed medieval core, a peninsula of sandstone arcades, fountains and the great clock tower, wrapped by the river. One of Europe's most complete old towns.
- Matte — The low-lying old riverside quarter beneath the Altstadt, once a workers' district, now a quiet pocket of cafés and craft workshops by the water.
- Länggasse — The university quarter west of the centre, with a younger, more affordable run of bars, cafés and student energy. Bern at its most relaxed.
Read the full Bern guide