Bern: A Capital City Catch-Up 🇨🇭

✨I’ve visited Switzerland multiple times but never made it to the capital—until now. Took the FlixBus from Lyon, and wow, border checks were intense 🛂. First, everyone on the bus had passports checked one by one. Then random passengers were asked to get off and inspect luggage. For some reason, everyone was suddenly told to disembark and retrieve their bags—total chaos. After nearly an hour of back-and-forth, we were finally cleared to go. ✨ Pro tip: Download the BernWelcome App beforehand and get an activation code from your hotel/hostel. It’s supposed to offer free rides on most urban buses during your stay. I showed the app’s ticket to the driver, but she insisted I get off and buy a new one—confused, I just paid 5.2 CHF for a 1-hour ticket. Later, when I mentioned this to my accommodation’s front desk, they called the manager, refunded the ticket in cash, and said they’d contact the bus company. My goodwill toward them? Skyrocketed instantly. 🚍💸 Bern, aka the “City of Bears” 🐻, is tiny. From the train station square to the Rose Garden halfway up the hill? Just a 30-minute walk. Add photo stops and breaks, and it’s totally doable in half a day. Too bad it was Ascension Day (a holiday)—most shops were closed. Perfect for window-shopping, though: medieval arcades line the main streets, with charming stores everywhere. When tired, I sipped water from the fountains in the middle of the road—over 100 fountains of all shapes dot the Old Town’s lanes. ⛲ Snapped a pic outside Einstein’s former residence—this is where the genius wrote his theory of relativity 🧠. At the Bear Park, the bears were napping—only their big heads peeked out from the grass. One thing’s for sure: overhead wires everywhere are ruining the scenery. And yes, it’s still pricey—Chinese restaurant noodles cost ~25 CHF (~200 ). Better to hit Coop: half a roasted chicken for 6.95 CHF, which is a steal here. 🍗 Bern’s charm? It’s small, slow, and full of surprises—even with a few hiccups, it’s impossible not to fall for this bear-filled gem. 🐾❤️ #BernTravel #SwitzerlandCapital #TravelHiccups #WindowShopping #BearCity #FoodieFinds