Bern Old Town & Arcades (UNESCO)
On Gingerguide's self-guided Bern audio tour, Bern Old Town & Arcades (UNESCO) is a stop worth about ~120 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~120 min
- Bern Bern guide
About Bern Old Town & Arcades (UNESCO)
Bern's medieval old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, features 6 km of continuous covered arcades (Lauben), one of the most extensive medieval arcade systems in Europe.
Bern's old town was founded in 1191 by Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen, on a narrow sandstone peninsula above a loop of the Aare river. The city was laid out in a remarkably systematic medieval grid that has been preserved almost intact to the present day. The most distinctive feature of the old town is its system of covered arcades, known as Lauben in Swiss German, which run along the ground floors of the buildings on both sides of the main streets, creating a continuous covered walkway stretching for approximately 6 kilometres through the city centre. This makes Bern's arcade system one of the longest in Europe, allowing residents and visitors to walk the entire length of the old town in any weather without getting wet. The old town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
Did you know? Bern's arcade system stretches for approximately 6 kilometres through the city centre, making it one of the longest systems of covered walkways in the world.
How much time do you need at Bern Old Town & Arcades (UNESCO)?
Around ~120 min works well for Bern Old Town & Arcades (UNESCO) — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Bern Old Town & Arcades (UNESCO)?
Yes — Bern Old Town & Arcades (UNESCO) made the cut as one of 22 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Bern. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Bern
Hear the story of Bern Old Town & Arcades (UNESCO)
Preview the Bern tour free in the Gingerguide app.