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With the dire state of the world, with wars breaking out left, right and center and crime rates rising in the most popular tourist destinations – Paris and London, we’re looking at you – we don’t really blame you for I feel worried about leaving your little corner of America.
Flying abroad has never been without risks, but it seems that way it’s a very different era for international travel.
Of course, some destinations are more neutral than others, and that is not the case not recently seen conflicts, but their level of security is maintained terribly high.
That is the case with BernA lesser-known city in the heart of Europe that still exists in its own microcosm of peace, protected from the Russian-Ukrainian war and the migrant crisis that is plaguing many urban centers.
Thanks to the newly launched Risk map 2025 from Safeture and Riskline we now know that Bern is the safest city destination in the world by 2025.
But wait… I thought Zurich was the capital of Switzerland?
We hate to break it to you and make you feel like you could use another year of school, but Zurich is not the capital of Switzerland.
That title is – more or less – claimed by the smaller, much more charming Bern, located in the Alps.
We say ‘a little’ because Switzerland, as a federation of cantons, has no official capital, with many of its institutions spread across the national territory, but Bern is traditionally considered the administrative center because it concentrates a number of them.
If you’ve never heard of Bern, which is the case for many, you should know that it is one of the most culturally rich areas in Europe. well preserved medieval settlements:
Bern is a storybook city that comes to life
The Altstadt (old town) is crisscrossed by cobbled alleyswhich leads to a picturesque Platz (German for square), where you’re likely to find an ornate fountain and a few relaxing cafes or an imposing cathedral.
Speaking of which, if you approach Bern on one of those scenic trains, the cathedral is probably the first landmark you see from a distance:
Its soaring tower makes it one of the largest in Switzerland, and the extensive collection of stained glass windows inside is not to be missed.
It’s one of them many historical sites spread throughout the UNESCO-listed centre, with other notable examples including the 12th-century Zytglogge, a bell tower that is probably Bern’s best-known attraction, and the creepy Ogre Fountain, which depicts the foul creature that devours children.
Cheerful.
Bern’s infamous fountain may be a rather unusual addition to a rather romantic, idyllic cityscape, but it’s probably the only disturbing sight you’ll come across:
That’s because Bern was recently mentioned the safest city not only in Europe, but in its entirety worldand is ahead of popular low-risk destinations such as Reykjavik in Iceland, Kyoto, Japan and even the somewhat sleepy micronation of Luxembourg.
How is Bern so safe?
According to the Risk map 2025in which destinations are classified according to their safety level, tourists going to Bern face the lowest possible risks.
The city is joined in the top 3 by Doha in Qatar and Melbourne in Australia.
To confirm these findings, estimates have been provided by Numbeo show that the level of crime in the Swiss de facto capital is ‘very low’with a figure of just 15.65 – in Paris, Europe’s top tourist destination, it is a whopping 62.03.
The research shows that Europe has faced ‘heightened’ risks recently, with several countries now placed at US State Department Level 2, such as France, Spain, Sweden and the UK, although Switzerland is still is always at level 1.
They attribute the deteriorating security situation in Europe to ongoing political unrest, increasing public demonstrations and even environmental risks: recently an entire city in southern Spain faced deadliest flood in decades.
Bern, on the other hand, has not experienced any natural disasters in recent times, it is rarely inflamed by protests, and because it is a smaller urban center, home to around 134,000 people, it does not suffer from the same problems of rapid urbanization, unregulated migration and ghettoization in larger European capitals.
In other words: it is the city where the chance that you will be pickpocketed is the smallest or robbed at knifepoint across the pond.
How do you get from America to idyllic, peaceful Bern?
Bern is beautiful and safe, and the breathtaking Swiss Alps back it up, but how do you even get there?
For a city that plays such a key role in the Swiss Federation, home to the Federal Palace of Switzerland, the World Trade Institute and more, you’d expect it to be served by a major international airport, right? Right…?
Although it is true that Bern has an airport, it is a very small one, mainly serving flights to sunny destinations in Europe in the summer.
Needless to say, you can’t fly there directly from the United States.
However, you can fly to Zurich from as many as 14 US airports or Geneva from 3 departure points: including some of the best-connected hubs in the United States, with JFK, Newark, Chicago, Washington-Dulles and Boston. just to name a few.
From Zurich, it is a short train ride of 1h11 to Bern, and be sure to book a window seat for the trip as you float through an enchanting mountain landscape.
Trains from Geneva take longer, with the shortest journey taking 1h45, but the road there is just as beautiful, with tracks running alongside serene Lake Geneva, one of Europe’s most beautiful lakeside destinations.
Zurich is of course the most convenient option, and you can always combine a trip to Bern with a stopover in the financial heart of Switzerland – just make sure you keep your wits about you and keep a close eye on your belongings.
Zurich is still very safe, but it is certainly not as peaceful as Bern.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
