Getting Oriented

Few capital cities are as charming and compact as Bern, Switzerland's political nerve center. Alluring medieval streets, frolicsome fountains, and palpable history coexist so easily with outdoor markets and traditional cheese-and-potatoes that it's easy to forget this is actually a fully wired, surprisingly young, 21st-century urban center.

• Altstadt (Old Town) and City Center. Today the historic Rathaus, Münster, painted fountains, and 18th-century guildhalls rub shoulders with arcades and cellars full of restaurants and quirky boutiques. The swath of land between the Zytglogge and the Hauptbahnhof is Bern's most commercially vibrant, a dense warren of narrow streets and pedestrian passageways studded with stores, hidden alleys, grand architecture, and the Swiss Federal Government complex.
• Bärengraben and Rosengarten. The eastern end of Bern's Old Town houses the BearPark on the slopes of the River Aare. Up the hill is the Rose Garden, with an impressive collection of flora and stunning views over the city.
• Museum District: Kirchenfeld. The Kirchenfeld neighborhood is a masterpiece of late-19th-century urban planning, where a top array of Bern's museums is grouped together in a tight, easy-to-visit cluster on the south bank of the River Aare.
• Greater Bern. Just north of the center are neighborhoods that stray from the medieval feel of the Old Town. Be it modern, funky, or artistic, each is charming in its own way. The Paul Klee Center, an easy bus ride away, is in the eastern suburbs and well worth the detour.