A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Bern vs. Bressanone for Attractions, Food, Old Town, and Families

Should you visit Bern or Bressanone?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Bern or Bressanone? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Bern

Bern is a beautiful, cultural, and historic city. With stunning beauty, it attracts visitors from all around. Other popular activities here include shopping, museums, and nightlife.

Bressanone

Bressanone is a charming, quaint, and picturesque town. This is a great small town that is just waiting to be explored. This is also a very beautiful destination which attracts plenty of visitors. It's also known for food, hiking, and shopping.

Bern and Bressanone: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Bern or Bressanone?

Visitors will usually find more to do in Bressanone than Bern, as it offers more sights, attractions, and activities. Bressanone is better known for its food, hiking, and small town charm, while Bern is more popular for its museums, nightlife, and shopping. Bern is well known for its well-preserved old town and its reputation as the home of the Lindt chocolate factory. Bressanone is well known for its charming old town and its idyllic setting. Also, Bressanone is famous for The Bressanone/Brixen Cathedral.

How is Bern different from Bressanone?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Bressanone and Bern. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Bern or Bressanone?

Bern is a great destination for its museums and landmarks. Also, Bressanone is still popular, but not quite as popular for its historical sights.

You'll find a good number of museums and monuments packed into Bern. The city is filled with architecture and charming character. While you're in town make sure you visit the Einstein Museum, the Clock Tower, and the Bern Cathedral.

Bressanone is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. Most visitors simply enjoy soaking up the town's atmosphere, but sights around town include The Royal Palace, the cathedral, and Franzenfeste Fortress.

Is the Food Better in Bern or Bressanone? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Bressanone is a well-known place for its local cuisine and restaurants. Also, Bern is not as famous, but is still a good city to visit for its restaurants.

With its innovative style combined with traditional elements, Bressanone makes for a great culinary experience. Despite its small size, there are many family run restaurants that make use of ingredients from local farms. The town also hosts a few culinary festivals throughout the year.

Bern has a delicious restaurant scene that relies on local flavors. The city has cozy cafes, high end fine dining, traditional eateries, and modern venues.

Is Bern or Bressanone Better for Nightlife?

Bern is a city with good options for its evening party scene. However, Bressanone is a town with minimal options for nightlife.

Bern has an active nightlife scene for those who seek it out. There are bars, Irish pubs, and clubs around town.

Bressanone doesn't have the most active nightlife scene. It's a small town with some quaint bars and pubs where you can enjoy a beer and chat with other visitors.

Is Bern or Bressanone Better for its Old Town?

It's fun to wander around the excellent old towns in both Bern and Bressanone.

Many visitors explore the old town while visiting Bern. The charming old town is filled with quaint alleys and sandstone buildings. It's a compact area that flows down a hill to the River Aare.

There is a nice variety of sights in the old town of Bressanone. The cathedral and beautiful old buildings make this a charming place to explore.

Is Bern or Bressanone Better for Hiking?

Bressanone is a well-known place for the nearby hiking options. However, Bern is not a hiking destination.

Bressanone is a popular spot for hiking. There's a huge variety of hikes in the surrounding countryside. You can walk alongside the river, head into the foothills, or explore the nearby vineyards.

Bern is not a hiking destination.

Is the Shopping Better in Bern or Bressanone?

Bern is a great destination for its shopping areas. Also, Bressanone is still popular, but not quite as popular for shopping.

Browsing through shops is a popular activity in Bern. The old town is filled with boutique shops and unique markets. The main shopping streets are Spitalgasse and Marktgasse and popular items to buy include jewelry, art, and watches.

Plenty of visitors enjoy shopping while in Bressanone. The medieval streets are lined with family-owned shops, boutique clothing stores, and other unique local shopping opportunities.

Is Bern or Bressanone Better for Families?

Bern is a great destination for its family-friendly activities. However, Bressanone is a town with minimal options for its kid-friendly activities.

Bern is known to be a very family-friendly place to visit. This charming town has riverside parks and pools, a zoo, a waterpark, and kid-friendly museums that the whole family can enjoy. You can also visit nearby Gurten, a mountain with tobogganing, concerts, and a mini ski resort.

For families, Bressanone is not always the best place to visit. It's a great town to take a lunch break. The kids will enjoy wandering the alley-like streets. There's a river through town and great views of the Alps.

Is Bern or Bressanone Better for Couples?

With fun activities for couples, both Bern and Bressanone make for a excellent place to visit.

Bern is a very popular place to visit for couples. With charming restaurants, a beautiful rose garden, and nice hotels and spas, this town makes a beautiful romantic getaway.

Bressanone makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. This charming town is seeped in romance. The quaint streets and surrounding mountain setting make this an idyllic place to take a romantic trip.

Is Bern or Bressanone Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Bern is a great destination for backpackers. Also, Bressanone is still popular, but not quite as popular for backpackers and budget travelers.

Bern is a very popular city for backpackers and budget travelers. Like most of Switzerland, prices are a bit high, but there are some hostels and free activities that backpackers and budget travelers can enjoy.

Plenty of backpackers visit Bressanone. There's a couple of hostels and cheaper guesthouses in town, so backpackers can enjoy a few days in this picturesque alpine town.

Is Bern or Bressanone Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Bern is a great destination for its public transit. Also, Bressanone is still popular, but not quite as popular for times when you don't have a car.

Many visitors use the public transit system in Bern. There are trams and buses that run around town.

While Bressanone offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. There are trains and buses throughout the region.

Is Bern or Bressanone a more walkable city?

Bern and Bressanone both are excellent when exploring on foot.

Bern is very walkable. It's fun to explore the old town on foot. It is compact enough to that you can see all of the highlights in a few hours.

Bressanone is a very walkable city. The town is compact and small enough to explore on foot.

For even more information, also check out Is Bern Worth Visiting? and Is Bressanone Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Bressanone or Bern?

How long in Bern or Bressanone?

You'll be able to find lots of things to do in Bern or Bressanone to fill your time. Many travelers usually spend more of their time in Bern than Bressanone because of the number of activities and things to do in the area. Usually, 1-3 days is a good amount of time for Bern, and 1-2 days is enough time in Bressanone.

Families should spend more time in Bern than Bressanone. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in Bern, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in Bern than Bressanone. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Bern that are great for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Bern than Bressanone if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in Bern.

One day in Bern or Bressanone?

With museums and nightlife around the cultural city of Bern, there's plenty to do. Anyone can find something fun to do here. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. While some people choose to spend more or less time in Bern, one day is sufficent for most.

Bressanone is a small town where visitors enjoy the museums and food. Hiking can easily take up a good amount of your time here, too. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. One day is usually enough time to experience most activities.

A weekend in Bern or Bressanone?

With nightlife and food around the destination of Bern, there's plenty to do. Most visitors spend time around the old town while in the area. It offers something for everyone. Many people spend a weekend here. In a weekend, you should have a good grasp of this city.

Bressanone is a fun place to experience. If you have a weekend, this is a great place to go. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. A weekend is often enough time to do most activities. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

Five days in Bern or Bressanone?

Bern, a popular city, is full of activities for travelers. Visiting the old town is also a must. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

Bressanone is a small town, so you can explore the area with less time. This town offers something for everyone. Many visitors also spend a good bit of time hiking. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

A week in Bern or Bressanone?

Bern is a popular place that is full of things to see and experience. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

Because Bressanone is a small town, it's easy to explore in a short amount of time. Make sure you spend some time hiking while you're in the area. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel. One week is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Switzerland, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Switzerland, The Best Bicycle Tours in Italy, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Italy.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bern and Bressanone, we can see that Bern is more expensive. And not only is Bressanone much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Bressanone would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bressanone and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Bern would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bern than you might in Bressanone.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Bern Expensive? and Is Bressanone Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Bern or Bressanone?

Bern has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Bressanone. When comparing the sizes of Bern and Bressanone, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.