Gurten

The Gurten rises to 858 metres on the southern edge of Bern, close enough that the funicular from the tram terminus takes about five minutes - which makes it the city's default escape, used for walking, sledging and for simply sitting on the meadow with the Bernese Alps on the horizon. The summit has a park, a viewing tower 25 metres high, a small railway for children and a hotel, and the site of the medieval castle of Aegerten lies about a kilometre south-east. Each July the Gurtenfestival puts stages on the plateau for four days of music, drawing tens of thousands up the hill; it has run since 1977 and is one of the established Swiss open-airs. Paul Klee is buried in Bern below, and the Zentrum Paul Klee sits on the far side of the city.

Highlights

• Five minutes from a tram stop - the funicular to a real hilltop.
• The Alps on the horizon - the Bernese chain from the summit meadow.
• The Gurtenfestival - four days of music each July since 1977.
• A park and viewing tower - the summit's permanent facilities.

When to go

All year; July for the festival. Half a day.

Good to know

The summit is developed with restaurant and hotel rather than wild. Festival weekend closes normal access and fills the funicular. Haze often hides the Alps in summer. It is busy on fine weekends year round.

Nearby

Bern's old town is below; the Gantrisch park is further south.

Key facts