Brown bears
Among rocks and trees.
FrDr — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lauretta3654 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · ZarlokX — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Krol:k — CC BY-SA 3.0 · ZarlokX — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Bern Bear Park is an open enclosure for brown bears on a steep slope beside the Aare river, at the eastern end of Bern's Old City by the Nydegg Bridge, about 1 km from the Zytglogge clock tower in a straight line. The bear is the symbol of the city and canton and appears on their coats of arms. The first records of bears kept in the city date from 1513. The first bear pit stood on the square still called the Bärenplatz, or Bear Square, and the present pit, the fourth, opened in 1857. After complaints that the pit was too cramped, the larger Bear Park opened in 2009 on the sloping land between the old pit and the river, linked to it by a tunnel. The site is run by the city's Dählhölzli Zoo, and the old pit is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. The bears climb among rocks and trees, wade into small pools and sometimes sit on the riverbank. From the paths above, the red roofs of the Old City line the opposite bank and the turquoise Aare flows below. Visitors watch from the paths around the enclosure, and in winter the bears may stay out of sight while they rest. A small inclined lift has linked the old pit with the riverbank since 2015, and a restaurant and old brewery stand by the bridge.
Among rocks and trees.
A national heritage site.
Across to the Old City.
By the Nydegg Bridge, east end of the Old City, Bern
They may stay out of sight while they rest.
On foot from the Old City across the Nydegg Bridge.
