8 Bern highlights in March

A getaway at a charming hotel is usually perfect for spending some relaxed quality time with each other. Not so for Silvia and Gustav, though, a separated couple that meets up in a hotel in the French Alps. The two are the main characters in the entertaining play “Toulouse”, a production by the theatre company Theater an der Effingerstrasse. What’s special about this play is its setting: it doesn’t take place on a stage, but in different hotel rooms in the Bern area. The audience gets to experience the performance up close while enjoying a three-course menu. There are still tickets available for the entertaining event on three dates in March: on 1 March at the Hirschen Eggiwil and on 6 and 7 March at the Stadthaus in Burgdorf.

Colourful costumes, Guggenmusik, and heaps of confetti: the fifth season is here! Traditionally, the Berner Fasnacht – which, by the way, is the third largest in the country after Basel and Lucerne –begins with the “Bärebefreiig” (liberation of the bear). This year, this will take place on 6 March. The symbolic bear is locked up in the Käfigturm (Prison Tower) for hibernation on 11 November and then loudly awoken and liberated 111 days later, marking the beginning of carnival. The Guggenmusik bands, theatre ensembles and costume groups will be parading the streets until Saturday, 8 March, bringing joy to spectators of all ages. If you prefer something quieter, but equally entertaining, we recommend visiting one of the many Schnitzelbank (satirical verses) events in Bern’s vaulted cellars and restaurants. What are you waiting for? Change into your costume, put on your dancing shoes, and off you go!

The same procedure as every year: Once again, the town of Burgdorf is dedicating an entire weekend to the beverage made from hops, malt and water. The legendary (craft) beer festival Let it Beer will be taking place on 21 and 22 March in Burgdorf’s Markthalle. Prepare your taste buds, as regional and even a few international breweries will be presenting their best, newest, and most unique beers! Be it purist classics or innovative craft creations, Let it Beer has it all. Over 30 breweries will be present, along with twelve food stands to help you “bödele” (eating something so the alcohol doesn’t affect you too quickly, literally: make a floor) and enjoy the beer festival to the fullest. The culinary options range from Argentinian empanadas to Greek specialities to Middle Eastern hummus and beyond.

Impressive installations, art and history galore, and plenty of Oohs and Aahs: it’s the Night of the Museums in Bern! This year, it will be taking place on 21 March, once again offering a tightly packed, highly diverse programme that will leave you spoilt for choice. What will it be? A visit to the Zytglogge (Clock Tower) with its priceless view of the old town by night and exciting facts and figures about the city’s famous monument? A game of Bingo to win heirlooms at the Berner Generationenhaus (Bern House of Generations)? Marvelling at the mobile planetarium at the Bernisches Historisches Museum? Moving to the beat at the legendary silent disco in the Museum Quarter? By the way: the quickest way to get tickets is by stopping by the Tourist Information at Bern railway station, which will be open until 8 p.m. on the day of the event.

On 22 March, exactly 100 days before the opening match of the 2025 European Championship, Wankdorf Stadium and the people at Berner Ballzauber are celebrating women’s football with the countdown event “100 Days to go” and the YB Kids Day. The event begins at 10 a.m. with an indoor juniors tournament, followed by a diverse programme in and around the stadium that includes child-friendly activities, the possibility of winning tickets to the four Euro matches in Bern, and a networking event. At 5 p.m., it’s time for the final women’s match before the playoffs: Bern’s YB against Zurich’s GC. By the way: you can get up to three kids’ tickets for free with the purchase of your ticket.

In Bern, we are literally surrounded by it: the cool, refreshing, vital element that is water. The River Aare winds itself around the city, numerous rivers flow through the region, and the city’s fountains provide clean, fresh drinking water. Often taken for granted, the blue element deserves to be honoured on World Water Day on 22 March. How about a stroll along the Aare with your friends or a family trip to the Mutzenbachfall waterfall in the Oberaargau? And don’t forget to stay hydrated with the new City Bottle Bern. The sustainable, reusable water bottle made from sugarcane with the skyline of the federal city lets us carry a piece of Bern wherever we go. Bern in your heart, City Bottle in your backpack!

From 25 March to 31 May, Marians Jazzroom will be celebrating half a century of world-class concerts with the 50^th anniversary edition of its legendary International Jazzfestival. It is one of the oldest festivals of its kind in Europe, bringing countless visitors to the federal city each year. From B. B. King and Fats Domino to Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James, many of the most famous names in jazz and blues have graced the stages at Marians Jazzroom over the years. Time to see it for yourself and lose yourself in husky voices and saxophone solos coming from the stage. How about attending the exclusive performance of Sugaray Rayford, for example, one of the most spectacular blues, R&B and soul singers of our time?

Do as the famous bears at Bern’s BearPark do: come out of hibernation, get active and enjoy the outdoors! Running is a great way to start. There are plenty of different routes for every taste and fitness level in Bern, be it through the UNESCO-listed old town, along the banks of the River Aare, through Bern’s forests, or trail running on the Gurten with a view of the federal city. If you’re lacking motivation, we all know that a group activity can work wonders. Find or put together a running group and off you go! After all, the Grand-Prix (Bern marathon) and the Frauenlauf (Swiss Women’s Race) are just around the corner.