This Lesser Known European City Named The Safest Destination In The World
With the dire state of the world, with wars erupting left, proper, and heart and crime charges surging throughout all the preferred vacationer locations––Paris and London, we’re taking a look at you––we do not actually blame you for feeling anxious about leaving your little nook of America.
Flying overseas has by no means come with out dangers, nevertheless it appears as if it is a very totally different period for worldwide journey.
Naturally, some locations are more neutral than others, and never solely have they not seen battle lately, however their security ranges stay very excessive.
That’s the case with Bern, a lesser-known metropolis within the coronary heart of Europe that also exists in its personal microcosm of peace, shielded from the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict and the migrant disaster plaguing many city facilities.
Due to the newly launched Risk Map 2025 from Safeture and Riskline, we all know now that Bern has been named the most secure metropolis vacation spot on this planet for 2025.
However Wait… I Thought Zurich Was The Capital Of Switzerland?
We hate to interrupt it to you and make you are feeling like you possibly can do with one other 12 months at school, however Zurich is not Switzerland’s capital.
That title is claimed––form of––by the smaller, way more charming Bern, nestled within the Alps.
We are saying ‘form of’ as Switzerland, as a federation of cantons, doesn’t have an official capital, with a lot of its establishments scattered across the nationwide territory, however Bern has historically been thought-about the executive heart because it concentrates a number of of them.
In case you’ve by no means heard of Bern earlier than, which is the case for a lot of, it’s best to know it’s amongst Europe’s most culture-charged, and well-preserved medieval settlements:
Bern Is A Storybook City Come To Life
The Altstadt (Previous City) is criss-crossed by cobblestone-covered alleys, resulting in both a picturesque Platz (German for sq.), the place you are more likely to discover an ornate fountain and a laid-back cafe or two, or an imposing cathedral.
Talking of, for those who’re approaching Bern with one of those scenic trains, the cathedral is more likely to be the primary landmark you see from a distance:
Its hovering tower makes it one of many largest in Switzerland, and the expansive stained glass assortment inside is to not be missed.
It’s one in all many historic websites dotting the UNESCO-protected heart, with different noteworthy examples together with the Twelfth-century Zytglogge, a clock tower that is in all probability Bern’s best-known attraction, and the eerie Ogre Fountain, which depicts the foul creature devouring kids.
Cheery.
Bern’s notorious fountain could also be a slightly uncommon addition to a slightly romantic, idyllic townscape, however it’s in all probability the one unsettling sight you may come throughout:
That’s as a result of Bern was lately named the most secure metropolis not solely in Europe however in the entire world, charting forward of standard low-risk locations like Reykjavik in Iceland, Kyoto, Japan, and even the considerably sleepy micro-nation of Luxembourg.
How Is Bern So Secure?
In keeping with the Risk Map 2025, which categorizes locations considering their security ranges, vacationers going to Bern face the bottom attainable dangers.
The town is joined within the high 3 by Doha in Qatar and Melbourne in Australia.
Corroborating these findings, estimates supplied by Numbeo present that the extent of crime within the Swiss de facto capital is ‘very low’, with a charge of solely 15.65––in Paris, Europe’s high vacationer vacation spot, it is a staggering 62.03.
The analysis notes that Europe has been dealing with ‘elevated’ dangers lately, with a number of nations now positioned within the U.S. State Division’s Degree 2 itemizing, comparable to France, Spain, Sweden, and the UK, although Switzerland stays at Degree 1.
They attribute the worsening security state of affairs in Europe to ongoing political unrest, rising public demonstrations, and even environmental dangers: lately, a whole metropolis in southern Spain confronted its deadliest flood in a long time.
Bern, however, has had no latest pure disasters, it is hardly ever agitated by protesting, and as it’s a smaller city heart, residence to round 134,000 folks, it doesn’t undergo from the identical speedy urbanization points, unregulated migration, and ghettoization seen in bigger European capitals.
In other words, it’s the city where you’re least likely to get pickpocketed or robbed at knifepoint across the pond.
How To Get To Idyllic, Peaceful Bern From America
Bern is gorgeous and protected, and the breathtaking Swiss Alps backs it, however how do you get there within the first place?
For a metropolis that performs such a key function within the Swiss Federation, internet hosting the Federal Palace of Switzerland, the World Commerce Institute, and extra, you’d anticipate it to be served by a big worldwide airport, proper? Proper…?
Effectively, whereas it is true Bern has an aerodrome, it is a very small one, providing flights primarily to sunny locations in Europe throughout summer time.
Evidently, you’ll be able to’t fly straight there from the US.
You’ll be able to, nonetheless, fly into Zurich from as many as 14 U.S. airports or Geneva from 3 departure factors: amongst them, you’ve gotten among the States’ best-connected hubs, with JFK, Newark, Chicago, Washington-Dulles and Boston, to call just a few.
From Zurich, it is a brief 1h11 prepare experience to Bern, and you will wish to be sure you guide a window seat for the journey, as you may be gliding via some mesmerizing alpine surroundings.
Trains from Geneva take longer, with the shortest experience taking 1h45, however the way in which there may be simply as lovely, with tracks working alongside the serene Lake Geneva, one in all Europe’s prettiest lake destinations.
Zurich is, after all, essentially the most handy possibility, and you possibly can at all times couple a visit to Bern with a stopover in Switzerland’s monetary coronary heart––simply be sure you maintain your wits about you and a watchful eye in your belongings.
Zurich remains to be very protected, nevertheless it’s actually not as peaceable as Bern.
↓ Elevate Your Journey↓
Sign Up Now For Travel Off Path Premium! No advertisements, VIP Content material, Private Journey Concierge, Large Financial savings, Each day Offers, Members Discussion board & Extra!
✈️Join Our Travel Off Path Community Forum: The place vacationers unite, ask questions, share experiences and even discover like-minded journey buddies!
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LATEST POSTS
Enter your e-mail deal with to subscribe to Journey Off Path’s newest breaking journey information, straight to your inbox.
This text initially appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed listed here are the writer’s alone, not these of any financial institution, bank card issuer, resort, airline, or different entity. This content material has not been reviewed, permitted or in any other case endorsed by any of the entities included inside the put up.