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Bernisches Historisches Museum and around
A day in Bern · 9:30–14:00 · 3 stops
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mapvivid.com/bern/itineraries/bernisches-historisches-museum-and-aroundA walking day around Bernisches Historisches Museum and Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, with a lunch break nearby and Museum für Kommunikation to end the day.
Every stop on Google Maps: open the list
Morning
9:301Bernisches Historisches Museum ↗1 h 30 minClosed Mondays
History museum with a major Einstein exhibition.
- Allow 2 hours
- Discounts with the Bern Card
↓ 2 min walk
11:002Naturhistorisches Museum Bern ↗1 h 30 minClosed Mondays
Natural history museum with dioramas and dinosaurs.
- Good for kids
- Famous dioramas
↓ 2 min walk
12:303Museum für Kommunikation ↗1 h 30 minClosed Mondays
Interactive museum about communication.
- Good for families
- Combine with the history museum
Lunch
14:00Lunch break nearby · Find restaurants nearby on Google Maps ↗
Good to know. Times are a guide for an unhurried pace. Check opening days before you go.
Bern tips
Transportation
- Claim your Bern Ticket: if you stay overnight in a Bern hotel, ask at check-in for the Bern Ticket, which covers Bernmobil trams and buses in the city zones for your whole stay.
- Buy before you board: Bernmobil drivers do not sell tickets, so get one from the stop machine or the SBB or FAIRTIQ app before stepping on, as inspectors check often.
- Ride the Gurtenbahn: take tram 9 to Wabern, then the Gurten funicular up Bern's home hill for a picnic lawn, playground and a wide view of the Bernese Alps on clear days.
Local Hacks
- Float the Aare like a local: walk upstream along the river path to Eichholz, pack your clothes in an Aareschwimmsack dry bag, and drift back down to the Marzili baths.
- Climb the Münster tower: the cathedral's tower is the tallest in Switzerland and its viewing gallery gives the best look over the Old Town roofs and the Aare loop.
- Shop on Sundays at the station: most stores close on Sundays, but the Coop and Migros outlets in and around Bern main station stay open for snacks and groceries.
Saving
- Eat at Coop and Migros restaurants: the self-service restaurants inside the big Coop and Migros stores offer hot meals and salad bars for far less than an Old Town brasserie.
- Take the free Parliament tour: the Federal Palace offers free guided tours on many days when parliament is not in session; bring ID and book ahead online to get a place.
- Save leftovers with apps: Too Good To Go is widely used in Bern, letting you pick up bakery and supermarket surprise bags at the end of the day for a fraction of the usual price.
Security
- Respect the Aare current: the river is cold and fast even in summer, so float only between Eichholz and Marzili, stay near the bank and get out at the marked exit steps.
- Do not dodge fares: Swiss ticket checks are frequent and the surcharge for riding without a valid ticket is steep, so validate your app ticket before the tram doors close.
- Mind the arcade steps: the cellar shop entrances under the Old Town arcades have steep stairs and open hatches, so watch your footing on wet evenings and with small kids.
Cultural
- Say Grüessech and En Guete: greet staff in shops and cafes with Grüessech, and wish others En Guete before eating; small courtesies like this matter a lot in Bern.
- Try a Berner Platte: this hearty winter platter of smoked meats, sausages, beans and sauerkraut is the city's signature dish, best shared in a traditional Old Town restaurant.
- Visit the Zibelemärit: on the fourth Monday of November the Onion Market fills the Old Town with braided onion strings, onion tart and confetti fights from dawn onwards.
Weather/Clothing
- Escape the winter fog: from November to February Bern often sits under grey Hochnebel; ride up the Gurten, which frequently rises above it into sunshine, and pack a warm coat.
- Pack swimwear for July and August: hot summer afternoons send half the city into the Aare and the Marzili lido, so bring a swimsuit, a dry bag and quick-dry sandals.
- Bring a light rain jacket year round: showers roll in quickly off the Alps in spring and autumn, though the long Old Town arcades let you walk most streets fairly dry.
Planned with MapVivid. Opening hours change, so check each place before you go. This day, with the map: mapvivid.com/bern/itineraries/bernisches-historisches-museum-and-around
Day 2 of 29:30–14:003 stops
Bernisches Historisches Museum and around
A walking day around Bernisches Historisches Museum and Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, with a lunch break nearby and Museum für Kommunikation to end the day.
Opens Google Maps with every stop of the day, ready to save to your own list.
Morning
109:30 · 1 h 30 minHistory museum with a major Einstein exhibition.
- Must know: Closed Mondays
2 tips
- Allow 2 hours
- Discounts with the Bern Card
📷 Photos
2 min walk
211:00 · 1 h 30 minNatural history museum with dioramas and dinosaurs.
- Must know: Closed Mondays
2 tips
- Good for kids
- Famous dioramas
📷 Photos
2 min walk
312:30 · 1 h 30 minInteractive museum about communication.
- Must know: Closed Mondays
2 tips
- Good for families
- Combine with the history museum
📷 Photos
Lunch
Lunch break nearby · 14:00
Find restaurants nearby on Google Maps
Take this day with you
Add the stops to your calendar
Times are local time in Bern. Apple Calendar adds every stop at once (Outlook too). Google Calendar adds one event per link.
Times are a guide for an unhurried pace. Check opening days before you go.