Christmas adventures in Bern

When shopping for gifts, don’t forget to stop by the shops in Bern’s old town after browsing the Christmas markets. The six kilometres of arcades and characteristic vaulted cellars make Christmas shopping here extra special. We especially recommend the lower part of the old town – from the Zytglogge (Clock Tower) downwards – with its many charming boutiques, ateliers, and local shops. Many of them accept the Bern City gift card for payment.

Christmastime in Bern is more than just festive – it’s colourful, creative, and merry, with all kinds of inviting winter pop-ups. Be it in the lovingly decorated courtyard of the Berner Generationenhaus (Bern House of Generations), at Oscar Elch in Ringgenpark, or at Bim Portier at Freibank in Wankdorf City: you can go by on any day of the week to find hot chocolate, hot punch, raclette, and many other winter treats. Enjoy!

Overview of Bern’s winter pop ups

• Oscar Elch, Ringgenpärkli

• Berner Generationenhaus, Bahnhofplatz

• Bim Portier, outside the restaurant Freibank in Bern Wankdorf

Let there be light! For Caritas’ “Eine Million Sterne” (One Million Stars) campaign, a sea of candles will illuminate Bundesplatz on 7 December as a sign of solidarity. Light a candle and donate a “Füfliber” (five-franc coin) to help people affected by poverty and those in need. If you want to do even more good – after all, Christmas is a time of giving –, participate in the “Café Surprise” project. The idea is simple: when visiting one of the participating Bernese cafés, you pay for a second cup of coffee in addition to your own. People in need will be able to enjoy a hot beverage for free.

The Christmas spirit has arrived at Bern’s animal park, and with it many fun activities. Under expert guidance, children can get creative and help make something to keep the animals entertained until they, too, receive their gifts on Christmas Day. Or they can get their faces painted and turn into a glittery Christmas fairy or a snow angel. There’s a letterbox for “Samichlous” (Father Christmas), who is looking forward to receiving lots of rhymes (a Swiss tradition) and drawings. As a thank-you, he will be distributing little bags filled with treats on 7 December. While the children are busy, the adults can sit back and enjoy a warm drink in the festively decorated Eulen Bistro. 

A “Schoggi Tasting” (chocolate tasting) at Casa Nobile will take you on a journey into the fascinating world of fine cocoa. Learn from the passionate “artisti del cioccolato” how chocolate is made, all the way from the cocoa bean to the exclusive end product. After the tasting, sweet temptations galore await in the new shop on Kramgasse, from chocolate tablets, coated nuts and fruit, pralines and tartufi to what is probably the largest selection of branchli (slim, fine chocolate bars) in the world – to name just a few. At Christmas time, there are festive creations such as lovingly decorated chocolate figures or elegant Advent calendars filled with handmade chocolates.

Every year, the facade of the Berchtoldhof in Bätterkinden is turned into a 16-metre nativity scene. The figurines, décor and props are all hand-made. Visitors of all ages flock to Bätterkinden from far and wide to see the installation, which tells the Christmas story from a different perspective every year. It can be visited every day from 1 December to 6 January from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The nativity scene sits 50 centimetres above ground, so children and people in wheelchairs can also enjoy it.

If you’re in the mood for an enchanting Christmas stroll away from the holiday hustle and bustle, visit the Ochlenberg Christmas Trail: this 1.5-kilometre loop tells the Christmas story, captivating visitors at eight lovingly designed stations with figurines made of wool. This Christmas experience is particularly splendid in the evening, when the little houses are lit up. Make sure you stop by the “Hof-Beizli” bistro on the Jordihof farm, which is the starting and finishing point of this Christmas experience, to warm your feet and fill your stomach with festive treats.

Who knows the secret of the well in the castle courtyard? Who has heard the legend of the White Lady? No one? Then it’s high time to visit Junker Gerold and listen to him tell these and other spooky stories on a tour of Thun Castle by night. The legends are complemented by historical facts and information about the construction and operation of the castle over the course of eight centuries. Accompanied by a guide, the participants tour the dark castle, lit only by lanterns – an experience that will let you see the historic site in a new light.

Everyone loves a good ghost story, even though (or perhaps because?) they send shivers down our spine. When night falls and the city goes quiet, the “Spooky Bern” city tour leads you into the world of gruesome tales, tragic fates, unredeemed souls and haunted places. Who spent centuries in the little chamber in the Zytglogge (Clock Tower)? What is the difference between ghosts and ghouls? And why is there a headless woman going down the steps into the Matte neighbourhood? Participants will find out all this and more on this entertaining tour through Bern’s old town. 

Did you know? There is also a children’s adaptation of this tour, which takes place a bit earlier.

From 18 December to 15 February, current and aspiring ice princesses and princes flock to Bundesplatz where, every winter, an ice-skating rink is set up. There is also a restaurant where you can warm your feet while enjoying a hot chocolate, a steaming mug of mulled wine, or a creamy cheese fondue. Admission is free and you don’t need to make a reservation – we do recommend it for the restaurant, though – and ice skates can be rented on site. We think it’s the perfect choice for a fun, festive family activity or a romantic winter date with your (future?) sweetheart.

Enjoy a fun activity with a fantastic view over the rooftops of Bern. Who is the most skilful athlete in your friend group or family? Head to the Gurten on a winter’s day to find out during a game of icestocksport. The aim of the game is to place the ice stock as close to the target as possible and move the opponent’s stocks out of the way. The ice surface is set up on the meadow of the “Bahnhöfli” kiosk from November to March and can be used by prior arrangement.

The ticket to the one-hour Open Atelier will let you embark on an inspiring journey. A new theme is explored each month at this interactive hands-on art education programme, and in December, it is all about angel sculptures. Shapes are modelled by hand and then laid out next to each other, stacked on top of each other, rotated on their own axis. What will our angelic being look like? Until Christmas, Creaviva will allow the sculpture to grow up to the heavens so that it may protect us and our loved ones.