Burgdorf (literally ‘castle village’) is split into the Upper and Lower towns. The natural highlight of the Oberstadt is the 12th-century Schloss Burgdorf.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Zentrum Paul Klee
10.37 MILES
Bern’s answer to the Guggenheim, Renzo Piano’s architecturally bold, 150m-long wave-like edifice houses an exhibition space that showcases rotating works…
Berner Altstadt
11.38 MILES
Bern’s flag-bedecked medieval centre has 6km of covered arcades and cellar shops and bars descending from the streets. After a devastating fire in 1405,…
Cathédrale St Nicolas de Fribourg
27.95 MILES
Before entering this brooding 13th-century Gothic cathedral, contemplate the main portal with its 15th-century sculptured portrayal of the Last Judgment…
Schloss Thun
20.39 MILES
Sitting on a hilltop and looking proudly back on 900 years of history, Schloss Thun is the castle of your wildest fairy-tale dreams, crowned by a riot of…
Münster
11.22 MILES
Bern’s 15th-century Gothic cathedral boasts Switzerland’s loftiest spire (100m); climb the 344-step spiral staircase for vertiginous views. Coming down,…
Thun Altstadt
20.42 MILES
It’s a pleasure to wander Thun’s attractive riverfront Old Town, where plazas and lanes are punctuated by 15th- and 16th-century townhouses. A stroll…
Harder Kulm
27.54 MILES
For far-reaching views to the 4000m giants, take the eight-minute funicular ride to 1322m Harder Kulm. Many hiking paths begin here, and the vertigo-free…
Rothorn Bahn
28.41 MILES
This is the only steam-powered cogwheel train still operating in Switzerland, climbing up to Rothorn at 2350m, from where you can set out on hikes or…
Nearby Mittelland attractions
1. Museum Schloss Burgdorf
0.03 MILES
This robust 12th-century castle could be straight out of a book with its drawbridge, thick stone walls and trio of museums focusing on castle history,…
2. Franz Gertsch Museum
0.26 MILES
The works of Switzerland’s foremost photo-realist painter steal the show at the Franz Gertsch Museum.
3. Burgdorf Unterstadt
0.35 MILES
In the new Lower Town, the works of Switzerland’s foremost photo-realist painter steal the show at the Franz Gertsch Museum.
4. Emmentaler Schaukäserei
5.02 MILES
Watch Emmental cheese being made into 95kg wheels and taste it at the Emmental Open Cheese Dairy in Affoltern. Short videos explain the modern production…
5. Kindermuseum Creaviva
10.34 MILES
Inside the Zentrum Paul Klee, the fun-packed Kindermuseum Creaviva lets kids experiment with hands-on art exhibits or create original artwork with the…
6. Zentrum Paul Klee
10.37 MILES
Bern’s answer to the Guggenheim, Renzo Piano’s architecturally bold, 150m-long wave-like edifice houses an exhibition space that showcases rotating works…
7. BärenPark
10.91 MILES
A popular etymological theory is that Bern got its name from the bear (Bär in German), when the city’s founder, Berthold V, duke of Zähringen, snagged one…
8. University Botanical Garden
11.22 MILES
A flight of steps leads from the northern end of Lorrainebrücke to the University Botanical Garden, a riverside garden with plenty of green specimens to…