Bern: 8 places to recommend to your guests in the Old Town

Because Bern's Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, is perfect for a guide of local spots: almost everything is walkable, and guests staying there look for where to eat, where to get a coffee and what to see within a few streets.

So we created an example property, "Bern City Apartment", a fictional apartment in the centre. The guide is real: it's the one you can open from our home page, with eight places in four categories.

Two places with different moods are enough: an institution for a Bernese dinner, and a more relaxed spot with a view.

• Della Casa: a Bernese institution since 1892, known for its friendly atmosphere and traditional cooking. Our tip: "A classic in the old town: remember to book in the evening."
• Altes Tramdepot: a craft brewery in a former tram depot, with a terrace overlooking the Old Town and the Aare. Right opposite the bear park, it pairs well with a visit there.

Notice where the personal tip sits: it's the first thing guests read. A time to know or a booking to make, said in one sentence, saves them a closed door or a full restaurant.

• Café Einstein: a historic café in the building where Albert Einstein lived, spread over two cosy floors. It goes well with a visit to the Einstein House, in the same building.
• Friend or Foe Specialty Coffee: for speciality coffee lovers. Our tip: "You choose your coffee and your extraction method: a break that makes a difference."

A historic café and a speciality coffee shop make a good pair: the first appeals to every guest, the second to those looking for a place they wouldn't find on their own.

• The Zytglogge: the 13th-century clock tower, with an astronomical clock whose figures come to life just before every hour. Suggest arriving five minutes before the hour.
• The cathedral (Münster): a 15th-century Gothic cathedral with the tallest spire in Switzerland. The tower's 344 steps lead to a panorama over the city and the Alps.
• The Zentrum Paul Klee: a museum designed by Renzo Piano, home to the world's largest collection of works by Paul Klee. It's a little out of the centre: tell guests to take the bus, line 12 goes there.

These three sights cover different moods: a five-minute curiosity, a climb that earns its view, and a museum for half a day or a rainy afternoon.

The Bärenpark, the bear park, on the banks of the Aare: the bears, the city's emblem, live in a large sloping park with free access. The Nydegg bridge gives a fine view over the park and the Old Town.

For a stroll between two places, the Old Town's arcades, around six kilometres in total, let guests wander under cover, even in the rain.

A walking route that links most of the places, to suggest as it is to guests who only have a morning or an afternoon.

1. The Zytglogge, five minutes before the hour, to see the figures come to life.
2. The cathedral, a few streets away, to climb the tower if the weather is clear.
3. Café Einstein, on the way, for a break and the Einstein House in the same building.
4. The bear park, walking down through the Old Town to the Aare and the Nydegg bridge.
5. Altes Tramdepot, right opposite, to finish on the terrace.

With children, reverse the order: start with the bears, and keep the cathedral tower for the end, warning that the 344 steps take a bit of breath. The Zentrum Paul Klee stands apart: plan it for another half day, or for a rainy day.

First, the Bern Ticket: from the first night in accommodation in the city of Bern, every guest aged 6 and over travels free on buses, trams and trains in zones 100 and 101, including the Gurten and Marzili funiculars. On arrival day, the booking confirmation works as a ticket to the accommodation. Our guide to guest cards in Switzerland explains how to hand it over.

Then, an idea for rainy days: the Zentrum Paul Klee, the cathedral or the arcades. Our article on what to recommend when it rains has more ideas.

• One personal sentence per place: why you like it, and what guests should know.
• A practical tip when it matters: book ahead, arrive before the hour, take the bus.
• Two featured places, no more: in our example, Della Casa and the Zytglogge.
• Places hidden out of season, then shown again, rather than deleted.

Every step of building this guide, with screenshots, is in our step-by-step guide to creating a local recommendations guide. And if you host in Switzerland, the page on the digital welcome book made in Switzerland explains how the guide handles four languages.