Bern is the de-facto capital of Switzerland and has many interesting sights. There is the federal palace, the Bärengraben, several museums and the beautiful botanical gardens. A less-known attraction that is perfect for cloudy days is the Einstein Haus. In this house, Albert Einstein lived some years with his wife and son. Nowadays, the apartment in the center of Bern is open to the public as a modest museum about the genius.
From 1903 to 1905, Albert Einstein called an apartment on the Kramgasse in Bern their home. The street is located in the center of the Swiss city and is famous for its beautiful fountains, the Zytglogge clock, and its vaulted cellars under the buildings.
Nowadays, the apartment houses a small museum about the life of Einstein and his family.
Ideal for those knowing little about Einstein
First things first: the museum in the Einsteinhaus is not a full-day activity. The museum is divided into two floors and is relatively small. On the first floor, you can visit the living room of the family Einstein. Important to note that while the furniture is typical for the time they lived there, the pieces were never owned by the family. Think of it as a way to imagine their lives there in the 1900s, overlooking the Kramgasse in Bern from their windows.
One floor up, on the third floor of the building, there is an exposition room with informational displays. On these displays, you can read about the life of Albert Einstein. From his birth in Germany, his connection to Switzerland, and his first (and subsequent) major achievements. I found this part of the museum interesting, as I previously knew very little about the life of this physicist. The exhibition room however is quite small, which can give a cramped feeling when visiting at a busy time.
The informational display are all in both German and English, so international guests can also enjoy this exhibition.
Documentary film on Einstein
For the more visual learners, the museum has a movie room where they play a documentary about Einstein. The documentary is about 20 minutes and highlights all of the major happenings and accomplishments of Albert Einstein.
All in all, the museum is primarily interesting for those that simply want to learn a bit more about Albert Einstein. For admirers of the physicist that know much about his life already, this museum likely won’t give many new insights.
We spent about 45 minutes in the museum and had time to see everything. This might seem short, but it makes the Einstein Haus the perfect activity to combine with other attractions in Bern. The entrance fee to the museum is CHF 6, which is very affordable by Swiss standards. You can buy tickets to the museum on the 2nd floor of the building. You can only pay cash with Swiss Francs and Euros.
As the Einstein Haus is located in a historical building, the staircases are narrow and there is no lift available. That makes this museum only accessible to those that are comfortable with climbing (spiraling) narrow staircases.
The museum is open from the 1st of February until the 22nd of December 2022. For exact opening days and hours, it is best to check out the museum’s website.
EinsteinHaus Bern
Kramgasse 49
3011 Bern
Switzerland
Website
