TL;DR: A 40-minute audio companion for the iconic Aare River float through the Swiss capital of Bern, from the Eichholz swimming area to the Marzili baths. Drift past the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, beneath 500-year-old bridges, past the Bear Park, and along the Bundeshaus where the Swiss parliament sits. The most uniquely Swiss urban swimming experience, enjoyed by thousands of Bernese on every warm day.
Float Overview
| Route | Eichholz -- Camping Eichholz -- Schonegg -- Schwellenmatteli -- Marzili |
| Distance | ~2.5 km |
| Duration | ~30-40 minutes (depending on current) |
| Water Temperature | 16-20°C in summer (July-August peak) |
| Current Speed | ~6-8 km/h (moderate) |
| Entry Point | Eichholz swimming area (tram 9 to Wabern, then walk) |
| Exit Point | Marzilibad (Marzili swimming baths, below Bundeshaus) |
| Best Time | Warm summer afternoons (June-August); water must be above 15°C |
Introduction
[Duration: 3 minutes | At the Eichholz entry point]
Welcome to the Aare -- and to what may be the most Swiss experience it is possible to have.
You are about to float down the Aare River through the heart of Bern, the Swiss capital. No boat, no kayak, no raft -- just you, your swimming gear, and the clean, cold, emerald-green current of one of the most beautiful urban rivers in Europe. You will drift for approximately 2.5 kilometers, passing beneath medieval bridges, alongside the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, past the Swiss parliament building, and through the social heart of Bernese summer life.
Aare swimming -- Aareschwumm or Aareboggle in Bernese German -- is not a tourist attraction. It is a way of life. On warm summer days, thousands of Bernese commuters, students, families, and office workers strip down to their swimsuits, stuff their clothes into the waterproof Aare bags that every Bernese person owns (called Wickelfisch -- fish wraps), and jump into the river for the float home. It is the ultimate commute. It is democratic, free, and profoundly civilized.
The Aare is fed by glaciers in the Bernese Oberland, which accounts for its remarkable clarity and its distinctive blue-green color. The water temperature in summer typically ranges from 16 to 20 degrees Celsius -- cold enough to be bracing, warm enough to be sustainable for a 30-minute float. The current runs at approximately 6 to 8 kilometers per hour, fast enough to carry you effortlessly but slow enough to feel relaxed.
Before you enter the water, some safety notes. The Aare is a real river with a real current. It is not a swimming pool. Always enter at designated entry points. Stay in the main current and away from bridge piers and weir structures. If you are not a confident swimmer, consider wearing a life vest (available at the Marzili baths) or using an inflatable device. Exit at the Marzili -- there is a clearly marked exit point with steps. Do not attempt to float beyond the Marzili, as there is a weir downstream.
Ready? Let us get in.
Segment 1: Eichholz to the River Bend
[Duration: 5 minutes | 0-8 minutes into the float]
The entry point at Eichholz is a broad, gravelly riverbank next to the Camping Eichholz campground. This is one of the most popular swimming spots in Bern, and on summer days the banks are covered with sunbathers, picnickers, and people preparing for their float.
As you enter the water, the first sensation is the temperature -- the Aare is brisk even in August. Give yourself a moment to adjust. Then let the current take you. The technique for Aare floating is simple: lie on your back, feet pointed downstream, and let the river do the work. Steer gently with your arms. There is no need to swim hard -- the current is your engine.
In this first section, the river flows through a relatively wide, park-like setting. On both sides, the banks are lined with grass, trees, and the occasional barbecue area. The Elfenau park, a large English-style landscape garden, extends along the right bank. The Elfenau was once the estate of the Russian-born Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna (born Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld), who lived here in the early 19th century. Today, it is a public park with ancient trees, meadows, and a small cafe.
The water beneath you is remarkably clean. The Aare at Bern has a water quality rating that permits swimming, and the city actively monitors conditions. The river's clarity allows you to see the gravel riverbed in the shallower sections, with stones polished smooth by centuries of current. Trout live in the Aare, and you may occasionally see fish darting beneath you.
Segment 2: The Old Town Approach
[Duration: 6 minutes | 8-18 minutes into the float]
The river is beginning to curve to the left, and the landscape is changing. The open, park-like banks are giving way to steeper, forested slopes, and the city is closing in above you.
On the right bank, the hillside rises steeply, covered in trees. This is the Aargauerstalden, the wooded slope below the Old Town. The old city of Bern sits on a narrow peninsula formed by a loop of the Aare -- the river wraps almost completely around the Old Town, creating a natural defensive position that determined the city's location when Duke Berchtold V of Zahringen founded it in 1191.
Berchtold chose this site precisely because of the river loop. The Aare created a natural moat on three sides, and the only landward approach -- the narrow neck of the peninsula to the west -- could be defended with walls and gates. This geography made Bern virtually impregnable in the Middle Ages and is the reason the Old Town's medieval layout survives so intact today. The UNESCO inscription of Bern's Old Town in 1983 recognized this unique combination of natural geography and preserved medieval urbanism.
As you float, look up to the right. Through the trees, you may catch glimpses of the Old Town's buildings -- the sandstone facades, the arcaded walkways, the distinctive green copper rooftops. The Bern Munster -- the cathedral -- has the tallest church spire in Switzerland at 100.6 meters, and its Gothic tower may be visible above the tree line.
The water here deepens and the current may pick up slightly as the river narrows. Stay relaxed and centered in the flow.
Segment 3: Beneath the Bridges
[Duration: 8 minutes | 18-28 minutes into the float]
This is the heart of the float, and the most visually dramatic section.
The first bridge you pass under is the Dalmazibrucke, a stone arch bridge that carries traffic across the river at the eastern end of the Old Town. As you approach, notice how the water funnels slightly and the current quickens beneath the arch. This is normal -- the bridge narrows the river, accelerating the flow. Stay in the center of the main arch and you will pass through smoothly.
After the Dalmazibrucke, look to the right bank. The terraced park climbing the hillside is the Barengraben -- the Bear Park. Bern's name is derived from the German word for bear (Bar), and the city has kept bears as civic mascots since at least 1513. The current bear park, a modern, spacious enclosure with slopes, pools, and dens extending from the old bear pit down to the river's edge, was opened in 2009. If you are lucky, you may see one of the bears ambling along the riverbank above you as you float past.
The next bridge is the Nydeggbrucke, a grand stone bridge built in 1844 that spans the river at the eastern tip of the Old Town peninsula. The bridge stands approximately 25 meters above the water, and floating beneath it, looking up at the massive stone arches above, is a humbling experience. The Nydeggkirche -- one of Bern's oldest churches, dating to the 14th century -- stands at the bridge's western end.
As you round the tight bend below the Nydeggbrucke, the river swings from east to south, and the Old Town peninsula is now directly above you on the right. The cliff face here is steep, the sandstone walls of the old city rising vertically from the river. Look up and you will see the backs of the buildings that line the Junkerngasse -- one of Bern's finest streets -- and possibly the terrace walls of the Munsterplattform, the elevated platform behind the cathedral that offers the best views in Bern.
The next bridge is the Kirchenfeldbrucke, a steel arch bridge built in 1883 that connects the Old Town to the Kirchenfeld museum district. From the water, the bridge's graceful span is particularly elegant.
Segment 4: The Schwellenmatteli and Marzili
[Duration: 6 minutes | 28-36 minutes into the float]
You are now approaching the final stretch of the float, and it is the most scenic.
On the right bank, high above the river, the massive neoclassical building with the copper dome is the Bundeshaus -- the Federal Palace of Switzerland, where both chambers of the Swiss parliament meet. The Bundeshaus was built between 1894 and 1902 and sits on the edge of the Old Town peninsula, overlooking the river and the Alps beyond. From the water, looking up at the seat of Swiss democracy, there is something pleasingly democratic about the scene -- the parliament of the country, and below it, its citizens floating in the river.
Ahead of you, a small bar and restaurant terrace extends over the river on the right bank. This is the Schwellenmatteli, one of Bern's most popular riverside gathering spots. On summer evenings, the terrace fills with people drinking Bernese beer and watching the Aare floaters drift past. If someone waves at you from above, wave back. The Schwellenmatteli is an institution.
The exit point is now visible on the right bank. The Marzilibad -- the Marzili baths -- is a large, free, public swimming and sunbathing area directly below the Bundeshaus. Look for the steps and ladders on the right bank, marked with signs. When you see them, begin swimming toward the right side of the river. The exit can be busy on warm days, so be patient and considerate.
Climb out at the Marzili and you have completed the Aare float -- one of the most Swiss things you can do in Switzerland.
Segment 5: After the Float
[Duration: 5 minutes | On land at Marzili]
Welcome to the Marzili. You have just completed one of Bern's most cherished rituals.
The Marzilibad is Bern's most popular public swimming facility, and it is completely free. The complex includes the natural river swimming area (where you just exited), heated outdoor pools, a children's pool, changing facilities, and a large sunbathing lawn. On hot summer days, the Marzili can attract over 6,000 visitors. It has been a public bathing site since the early 19th century and is deeply woven into Bernese identity.
If you want to repeat the float -- and many people do, two or three times on a good day -- you can take tram 9 from Marzili back up to Eichholz and start again. The round trip takes about 15 minutes by tram, and then you are back in the water.
A few cultural notes about the Aare float. The Wickelfisch -- the waterproof bag shaped like a fish that Bernese people use to carry their clothes while floating -- was invented in Bern and has become a cult object. You can buy one at many shops in the city, and they are genuinely practical -- the bag floats behind you as you swim, keeping your clothes dry. The design is simple but ingenious: a waterproof fabric tube that closes with a roll-top seal, shaped so it tracks through the water without dragging.
The culture of Aare swimming is also deeply egalitarian. On any given afternoon, the river contains students, bankers, politicians, tourists, retirees, and children, all floating together in the same current, all equally at the mercy of the same water temperature. There is no VIP section on the Aare. The river treats everyone the same. It is, in a small way, a perfect expression of Swiss democratic values.
The Aare float has also generated its own subculture of rituals and traditions. Regulars have favorite entry and exit points, preferred current lines, and strong opinions about the best water conditions. Some bring inflatable rings or small floats; purists insist on swimming unaided. Groups of friends organize after-work floats that end with barbecues at the Marzili. And the first float of the season -- typically in late May or early June, when the water temperature first crosses the 15-degree threshold -- is a rite of passage, celebrated with the same enthusiasm that ski resorts greet opening day.
The city of Bern actively manages the river swimming experience, maintaining the entry and exit points, monitoring water quality and temperature (both are published daily online), and providing safety information in multiple languages. Warning flags at the entry points indicate conditions: green for safe, yellow for caution, red for dangerous. The current can strengthen significantly after heavy rain, and the river is closed to swimming when the Aare's flow rate exceeds safe levels.
One more thing: Bernese people do not just float the Aare for recreation. Many use it as genuine transportation. It is not unusual for someone to float from Eichholz to Marzili after work, dry off, change clothes, and walk home. The Aare commute is real, it is free, and it is carbon-neutral. In a country famous for its trains, the Aare may be Bern's most sustainable form of transit.
Closing
[Duration: 2 minutes]
Your Aare River float is complete, and you have experienced something that no museum, no mountain railway, and no restaurant can replicate -- the sensation of being carried by clean, cold, emerald-green water through the heart of a medieval capital, beneath 500-year-old bridges, past bears and parliament buildings, under the gaze of the Alps.
The Aare is Bern's greatest public space. It is free, it is open to everyone, and it connects the city to its landscape in the most direct way possible. Every Swiss city has its attractions, but only Bern has the Aare float.
If you are exploring Bern further, ch.tours offers an audio guide for the Bern UNESCO Old Town walk, covering the Zytglogge clock tower, the Munster, the arcaded streets, and the markets. The Old Town is directly above you -- just climb the steps from the Marzili to the Bundeshaus terrace and you are there.
Thank you for floating with us. Dry off, warm up, and enjoy the rest of your time in Bern.
Source: ch.tours | Audio Guide Script | Last updated: March 2026 | Data from Bern Tourismus (bern.com), MySwitzerland.com, Swisstopo, City of Bern (bern.ch)