Altstadt Bern and the medieval city on the Aare

Altstadt Bern in Bern pairs sandstone arcades with a medieval street plan, and its UNESCO setting still shapes the old city’s feel.

Altstadt Bern is the medieval core of Bern, spread across a hill above the Aare and recognised by UNESCO in 1983. Sandstone arcades, fountains and a compact street grid give the old city its clear profile.

Bern’s medieval core on a river bend

The Old City of Berne was founded in the twelfth century and grew within a planned urban layout that still reads clearly in the streets. The Aare wraps around the hill site, leaving the old centre visibly set apart from the river landscape.

The UNESCO listing describes the town as an exceptionally coherent example of medieval urban planning. The protected core includes arcades from the fifteenth century and fountains from the sixteenth century, alongside buildings from later periods.UNESCO listing

Sandstone arcades and streets in sequence

The built fabric is dominated by sandstone facades, covered walkways and a measured rhythm of public squares. The arcade fronts run along long stretches of the streets, giving the old town a continuous street edge.

Berne’s medieval townscape kept its original character through later change, which is why the city reads as a layered historic centre rather than a frozen ensemble. The streets, fountains and facades remain the most visible elements, and they define the experience more than any single monument.Bern’s Old City

World Heritage status and urban continuity

Altstadt Bern gained World Heritage status because the medieval plan and later building phases remain legible together. The old city is a record of how Bern developed from a thirteenth-century town into the federal city of Switzerland.

Its protected area covers the historic centre rather than a single monument, so the value lies in the relationship between streets, buildings and public spaces. The result is an urban landscape that keeps its plan, height lines and historic materials in view.the UNESCO World Heritage site

Visiting Altstadt Bern: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Altstadt Bern lies in the centre of Bern, reached on foot from the main station or by tram into the old town streets.
• The streets include arcades, slopes and bridges over the Aare, so the terrain changes from river edge to hilltop levels.
• The Zytglogge and the cathedral tower mark the skyline, while the arcades keep the street front largely continuous.
• The old town is divided into upper and lower areas, each with its own pattern of streets and blocks.

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Frequently asked questions about Altstadt Bern

Where is Altstadt Bern?

It is the historic centre of Bern in Switzerland, on a hill above the Aare. The old town forms the medieval heart of the federal city.

What should visitors expect on a walk through it?

Expect arcades, sandstone facades, squares and streets that shift between river edge and higher ground. The layout is compact and the historic fabric remains visible block by block.

What makes Altstadt Bern distinctive?

Its medieval plan survives together with later building phases and the UNESCO designation for the Old City of Berne. The result is a historic centre that reads as an urban whole rather than a single landmark.