Bear Park (Bärengraben)

The Bear Park at the east end of the Old Town contains four European brown bears — Bern's living civic symbol — in a riverside enclosure where they can behave more naturally than in the old pits. The bears swim in the Aare, dig for roots, and in winter disappear into a purpose-built winter den. Access is free and the viewing areas along the terrace give good sightlines into the enclosure.

The original bear pits just below, circular concrete depressions dating from 1857, are preserved as a historical artefact but no longer contain animals. The contrast between the old pits and the new enclosure is itself instructive. The park connects to the Rose Garden (Rosengarten) via a steep path, with views back across the Aare to the Old Town.

things to do sight
A story
Bern has kept bears since at least 1513, when the city received a bear as war booty after defeating the Milanese at the Battle of Novara. The original bear pits — a concrete fighting-ring design — drew international animal welfare criticism in the 20th century. In 2009, after years of pressure, the city replaced them with a sloped riverside enclosure of over 6,000 square metres where the bears can swim, forage, and hibernate. The name Bern itself is generally held to derive from the German word for bear, though historians argue about this.