Hello, and welcome to my small post about Bern, and some of my favourite photography spots and photos I’ve taken so far! I have all of these photos sitting on my hard drive, so thought I’d create a small post showcasing some of my favourite ones!
I have been fortunate enough to visit Bern over the past couple of years (since my partner moved there for a period of time), and I have been able to capture many parts of the city throughout the year.
Bern is such a beautiful city (even though it feels more like a large town), and there are so many spots I’d recommend just for the sake of enjoying them. The main reason I love Bern — and Switzerland in general, I suppose — is its nature. In the summer months, Bern turns properly green, and its turquoise river running through the town is stunning, and refreshing to swim in!
In this post I’ll share some of my favourite photo spots in Bern. It won’t necessarily be a “what to visit” guide, but a list of places I’ve just gone to take some photos, or sit and take in the nature around them.
This list isn’t in any particular order. I’ll be going back again, so it’ll most likely grow, as there are still many places I want to visit.
Getting around Bern
Once you’re in Bern, getting around the city is very easy. You can use the tram to get around (using the SBB app), or hire a public e-bike (using the PubliBike app), many of which are placed at stations around the city. The e-bikes were my preferred option, making it easy to get from place to place, stopping at various locations and taking photos along the way.
Quickly – on my camera of choice
All the photos you see in this blog are taken on the FujiFilm X100VI. In my opinion, this is such a great little camera for photos and videos, especially for travel photography. You can use the in-built film simulations, or edit the RAW files yourself. It’s also so light and compact — great for capturing scenes that just appear. I actually prefer this over a heavier camera with a big lens, purely for the portability. It’s also less discreet, which I like — it doesn’t draw too much attention when I’m taking photos with people in shot.
The below images have all been edited in Lightroom, but I’ve also kept the film-style JPEGs, for more of that authentic film look. On some of my other posts, I’ll showcase those side by side.
Views of Bern from Rosengarten
When I first visited Bern, this was one of the first places I was recommended. When I got there, I could see why — it has beautiful views over the city. I’ve been up here in winter, autumn and summer, and each season brings something different. I also took a couple of videos on my camera of this place – one during the cherry blossoms bloom in spring, and one in winter when it was snowing. The composition of the cherry blossom video came out pretty well, as I managed to frame Berns cathedral between cherry blossom trees. Seeing Rosengarten in full bloom is probably one of the most beautiful sights in the city, and makes for some extra special photos and views.
One thing still left on my list is heading up in the evening for a night-time shot of the view.
Views over Bern from Bundesterrasse
You can see right over the south side of Bern from here, with views of the Aare River, the Einstein Museum, and Gurten — Bern’s local mountain — in the distance. On a clear day, you get incredible sights of the snow-covered mountains beyond. The photo below was taken on a particularly hot summer’s day (about 35 degrees, which, I’ll be honest, wasn’t especially enjoyable). I went after midday which was probably the hottest time of the day. I remember taking the shot, then heading straight down to the Aare River to cool off. I would like to come to this spot early in the morning, or later in the evening for some golden hour shots – I think that would look really nice.
If you walk further down towards the cathedral of Bern and the Münsterplattform, there are lovely views over the east side of Bern.
Wanders through the old town in Bern
There are so many nice photos to be had just from wandering through the old town – this part could probably be split into multiple locations. Bern has stunning architecture, monuments and cobbled streets. I quite like symmetry in photos, and managed to get one I’m happy with standing between the tram lines, facing towards the landmark clock tower (the Zytglogge). Be careful though, and keep an eye out for the trams coming either way – don’t be silly and stand right in the middle of a tram line!
Following the street down towards the river, there are lovely views back over the city.
The Botanical Garden of University of Bern
I visited this place on a sunny day in April — it actually felt like summer to me, coming from Scotland. The gardens had just opened for the season (they run seasonally, April to October). Plenty of people were there to explore the mix of plants, others just sitting and enjoying the sun and greenery around them.
This spot has great views over the Aare River, and once you’ve finished exploring the gardens, you can head down and walk alongside it. The greenhouses are also worth a look — the light and shadows in there make for some lovely photos. I don’t think you can go far wrong shooting in a greenhouse — there’s always an interesting frame looking through the glass, or framing shots between the plants themselves. I also just love editing greens, and there are plenty of green tones to shoot in a greenhouse.
Walks along the Aare River
When I can, I love being outside enjoying nature, so when I first saw the Aare River, I was properly excited. It was like nothing I’d seen before — the turquoise glacial water blew me away, and I felt like a kid wanting to jump straight in. Add to that the lush green trees and nature reserves alongside it, and you genuinely feel isolated from any busy city, even though you’re right in the middle of one.
The Aare flows right through Bern, and there are so many little spots to get good photos from, or just sit beside and take it in. Notably in summer, it’s a pretty special sight seeing locals commute down the river after a day’s work — dry bags in hand, floating from Eichholz to Marzili (about a 10-minute float), then walking back up to do it again. If you fancy it, you can even hire a boat from Thun (about a 20-minute train from Bern) and float three hours down the river — a perfect way to spend a Sunday.
Here are some of my favourite photos from walks along the Aare. My favourite from this set was catching some ducks swimming up the river. Another great spot is the bridge between Eichholz and Marzili – on a hot and sunny day you’ll no doubt catch people jumping off the bridge into the river. It’s great fun… I would thoroughly recommend.
Views of Bern from the Attika rooftop Bar
The Attika rooftop bar is another great spot for food and a drink, with lovely panoramic views over Bern. Again, on a clear day, you’ll be able to see the snow-covered mountains in the distance. When we went, I managed to get a couple of shots taking in Bern’s architecture with the mountains behind it.
Final thoughts
I hope you found this post somewhat interesting. As I said, this post will probably grow over time, when I visit more places. Bern is a magical place, and if you’re a photographer who loves nature like I do, you’ll have a great time here.