What is the Bern outdoor escape game?
The Bern outdoor escape game is an escape room taken into the street: the puzzles are hidden among the landmarks of the old town and you work on them from your phone. Reckon with about 2 hours, 40 minutes of which is walking, and the 3.5 km route links 10 stops inside the loop of the Aare.
Puzzles are waiting at the Käfigturm, at the Federal Palace with its green dome, at the armoured bear of the Zähringerbrunnen, at the late Gothic Rathaus, at Bern Minster with the tallest church tower in Switzerland and at the Historical Museum that also holds the Einstein Museum. No story ties them together, and three levels of hints are on call. The arcaded main streets make Bern comfortable for this, because much of the route runs under cover.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 40 min · 3.5 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese
What you do on the escape game
Solve
A puzzle sits at every attraction and gives way to observation and logic. No knowledge of Swiss history is needed.
Study the detail
Fountain figures, clock faces, coats of arms and dates above the arcades hold what a puzzle asks for.
Walk
40 minutes of walking spread over 3.5 km, from the station end of the old town down to the Aare, with Google Maps guiding you.
Set the pace
No countdown runs. Use a hint when you want one, break under the arcades and continue later or another day.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who it suits
Friends
Each puzzle gives the group something to argue over on the way to the next fountain.
Couples
A shared challenge along one long street and down to the river, with no timer in the way.
Team building
Teams of up to 5, each player on their own phone, which suits a team day out in the capital.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- Best started in daylight, so you can see the details the puzzles ask about.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
Puzzle route: from the Heiliggeistkirche to the Einstein Museum
10 stops · about 40 min walking · start: Heiliggeistkirche · finish: Bern Historical Museum and Einstein Museum
Spitalgasse sets the game going: the first puzzle stands at the Heiliggeistkirche by the main station, and the Käfigturm is next. A short loop takes in the Federal Palace and the Stadttheater on Kornhausplatz before the route settles into the arcades, where the Zähringerbrunnen on Kramgasse and the Rathaus hold puzzles of their own. Downhill lies the Nydeggkirche above the Aare; back uphill stands Bern Minster. The last puzzle is across the Kirchenfeld Bridge, at the Historical Museum that houses the Einstein Museum. Reorder the stops in the app if you like, and no ticket is needed anywhere.
Open the route map ↗
1HeiliggeistkircheStart
The Church of the Holy Spirit stands right beside Bern's main railway station and was built between 1726 and 1729. It is one of the largest Protestant baroque churches in Switzerland, with a bright, hall-like interior. Its sandstone façade faces Spitalgasse, where the long main street of the old town begins.
2Käfigturm
The Käfigturm, or Prison Tower, marks the western edge of Bern after the town grew in the 13th century. The present tower was built in the 17th century and served as a prison until the late 19th century, which explains its name, cage tower. Look up at the clock and the small bell turret on its roof.
3Federal Palace
The Federal Palace, completed in 1902 to designs by Hans Wilhelm Auer, houses the Swiss parliament and the Federal Council. Its green dome rises high above the Aare valley. On the Bundesplatz in front of it, 26 water jets spring from the paving, one for each Swiss canton.
4Stadttheater Bern
Bern's municipal theatre opened in 1903 on Kornhausplatz and stages opera, drama and dance. Its neo-baroque façade with columns and sculptures faces the square. Next to it stands the Kornhaus, the city's former granary, now used for events and dining.
5Bern Old Town
Founded in 1191 by Duke Berthold V of Zähringen on a loop of the river Aare, Bern's old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. Its sandstone houses line streets with around 6 kilometres of covered arcades, the Lauben. Look down for the cellar doors opening onto the pavement, many of them now shops and bars.
6Zähringerbrunnen
This fountain on Kramgasse was set up in 1535 in honour of Berthold V of Zähringen, the founder of Bern. Its figure is a bear in full armour holding a banner and a shield. At its feet a little bear cub is eating grapes.
7Rathaus
Bern's Town Hall was built between 1406 and 1417 in late Gothic style and is still the seat of both the cantonal and the city parliament. Look at the covered double staircase leading up to the entrance, a typical feature of late Gothic town halls.
8Nydeggkirche
The Nydeggkirche stands on the site of Nydegg Castle, the Zähringer fortress from which the town was founded. The church dates from the late Middle Ages and overlooks the Nydegg Bridge over the Aare. From here it is only a short walk across the river to the Bear Park.
9Bern Minster
Bern Minster, the city's great late Gothic church, was begun in 1421, but its tower was only completed in 1893. At just over 100 metres, it is the tallest church tower in Switzerland. Above the main portal, the Last Judgement is carved in stone with more than 200 figures.
10Bern Historical Museum and Einstein MuseumFinish
The Bern Historical Museum fills a castle-like building from the 1890s on Helvetiaplatz, just across the Kirchenfeld Bridge from the old town. It is one of the largest history museums in Switzerland and also houses the Einstein Museum. Albert Einstein lived in Bern from 1902 to 1909 and published his special theory of relativity here in 1905.
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André (verified owner) –
Agréable façon de visiter la vieille ville de Berne. Dommage qu’on ne dispose pas de l’historique en version parlée de manière à pouvoir en prendre connaissance tout en marchant.
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
L?sung ?bers App gut gel?st und Tour durch Bern sehr sch?n. R?tsel aus unserer Sicht schwach.
France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Activit?s tr?s sympa. Pourrait ?tre mieux organis? au niveau des trajets plusieurs aller retour
Spain –
Collected on GetYourGuide
la ciudad de Berna es hermosa y este juego interactivo nos permiti? conocer puntos muy atractivos de la ciudad adem?s de divertirnos felicidades lo recomiendo ampliamente
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Tolle, Zeit ?bersichtliche Aktivit?t die mit Teenager super geeignet ist ????
Miko?aj– Poland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Wycieczka bardzo ciekawa jednak kolejno?? informacji pomi?dzy punktami wycieczki by?a nie do ko?ca dobrze u?o?ona, przez co zwiedzaj?cy dowiaduj? si? po czasie, ?e co? ciekawego min?li.