Shopping in Bern: Arcades and Boutiques Guide

Where Shopping in Bern Happens

The arcades are original and date back to medieval times, and they wrap the whole Old Town rather than forming a single dedicated shopping street. That means shopping is woven into the same lanes visitors walk for the clock tower, the fountains and the sandstone facades. Treat the arcades as a loop rather than a linear strip, and you will cover most of the interesting shops in one pass.

Bern Tourism describes the upper part of the Old City as the place for international chains such as Zara, Mango and The Body Shop. The practical upshot is that you can split a shopping walk into two halves: chains and familiar labels at the upper end, smaller owner-run shops as you drop toward Kramgasse and the streets around the Rathaus.

Kramgasse and the Lower Old Town

Kramgasse is where you find the highest concentration of interesting boutiques and independent shops, all tucked under the arcades within a few minutes of the Zytglogge. Because the street runs in a single line, it rewards slow walking rather than a checklist: most of the good finds sit between the clock tower and the river end of the old center.

If you want the arcades explained street by street before you set off, a self guided walking tour of the old center pairs naturally with a browsing afternoon, since the shopping streets and the sightseeing streets are the same streets.

Marktgasse and the Upper Old Town

Marktgasse sits on the other side of the Zytglogge and carries a higher concentration of high-street and international brands than Kramgasse. If you are replacing a worn item or want a familiar label, start here rather than in the boutique lanes, where stock is smaller and prices reflect one-off design.

What to Buy in Bern

Swiss chocolate is the easiest purchase to justify: Läderach on Spitalgasse sells its thick chocolate slabs in a wide range of flavors, lets you build your own combination from pre-packed bags, and runs on-site chocolate-making classes. It is a reliable stop for gifts that survive the trip home, and the shop sits inside the arcade circuit rather than requiring a detour.

For Swiss-made crafts, Heimatwerk on Kramgasse stocks a curated selection of handmade items designed by Swiss artisans and produced in ateliers, which makes it a strong stop for one-of-a-kind souvenirs close to the clock tower. If chocolate is your main mission rather than crafts, compare the shops before you commit your luggage space.

Boutique Picks Inside the Arcades

The Art of Scent on Rathausgasse is a perfume atelier where you can blend a personal scent through a consultation with the perfumer, choosing from shelves of apothecary jars and testing combinations before a formula is mixed for you. It is the kind of stop that eats an hour but produces something you cannot buy elsewhere, so treat it as a destination rather than a quick browse.

Iljos Cucina on Münstergasse covers homewares, from colorful espresso cups to soft furnishings and hand-painted children's tableware, and the shop offers gift wrapping. That makes it a practical stop if you need a present for someone at home rather than another item for your own suitcase.

Concept and Fashion Stores

Grieder on Waisenhausplatz spreads designer accessories and women's fashion over roughly 1,000 square meters, mixing big international names with pieces from Swiss designers. Fizzen on Ryffligässchen takes the opposite approach, leaning quirky and fashion-forward with accessories and lifestyle products for the young at heart.

Aerni on Aarbergergasse combines a clothing shop, spa, bar and hairdresser under one roof, which makes it the most unusual stop on a browsing circuit and a sensible anchor if one person in your group would rather not shop.

Shopping Hours and Sunday Closing

Most shops in Bern close on Sunday, and opening times vary between shops and between days of the week. For most shops the pattern runs roughly 9am to 8pm or 9pm Monday to Wednesday, 9am to 9pm Thursday, 9am to 7pm or 8pm Friday, and 8am to 5pm Saturday. Treat that as a planning guide and check the individual shop for the day you plan to visit.

Because Sunday is largely a retail-free day, use it for the parts of the city that do not depend on shops: the Münster tower, the riverside paths and the free sights around the old center.

Arcades Versus Shopping Centers

The trade-off is straightforward. The Old Town arcades give you Swiss crafts, one-off boutiques and historic streets in one walk, but the shops are small and stock is limited; larger shopping centers outside the center, including Westside, Welle7 and Wankdorf Center, offer a different, more conventional mall experience. If your priority is a specific brand or a bigger range, the centers are the sensible choice; if you want souvenirs and atmosphere, stay inside the arcades.

A Practical Half-Day Shopping Route

Start at the Zytglogge, walk Kramgasse toward the river for Heimatwerk and the independent boutiques, then double back through Münstergasse for Iljos Cucina and the perfume atelier on Rathausgasse. Finish on Marktgasse and Spitalgasse for chains and Läderach chocolate, so the meltable purchases are the last stop before you head back. Allow three to four hours at an easy pace, longer if you book a perfume consultation.

If you would rather browse a different Swiss city's shops for comparison, our shopping in basel guide covers the same questions of arcades, chains and Sunday closing. Sightseeing that is not retail fits around the same walk, and museums are a good wet-weather substitute on a closed day.

Money and Timing Notes

Bern is an expensive shopping city, so set a budget before you enter the arcades and decide in advance whether your splurge is chocolate, a Swiss-made craft piece or a perfume blend. None of these come cheap, and the small boutiques rarely carry the discount cycles that bigger chains run.

For US, UK and Canadian shoppers, the practical timing rule is the same: shop Monday to Saturday, keep Sunday for sights, and leave meltable chocolate until the end of the day. Card payment is the norm in Swiss shops, but carrying a little cash costs nothing and covers the occasional small counter.

Plan Your Visit

Bern's shopping is strongest when you treat the arcades as a single walk: chains and chocolate toward Marktgasse and Spitalgasse, crafts and boutiques along Kramgasse and the lanes below the clock tower. Build the day around Monday to Saturday, and keep Sunday for the Münster, the river and the free sights.