BärenPark Bern: the bears go into winter rest

Winter rest, not hibernation

The brown bears in the BärenPark usually begin their winter rest in October or November. It is not true hibernation: the bears wake up now and then, and their body temperature drops less than in animals that really hibernate. In spring they come out again.

Eating first

In autumn the bears get more meat and fish, plus sugary fruit and high-fat nuts. This is how they build the fat reserves they live on in winter.

Go now

The later in November, the more rarely the bears can be seen. If you still want to see them, go early in the month. The BärenPark is free and open every day around the clock.

• Address: Grosser Muristalden 4, 3006 Bern, next to the old bear pit at the Nydeggbrücke.
• Getting there: according to Tierpark Bern, bus 12 from Bern station to the stop “Bärenpark”.
• Step-free: an inclined lift connects the upper part of the park with the Aare, also free according to the Tierpark.

Bears in Bern for over 500 years

Bern has kept bears for over 500 years. The first pit was where Bärenplatz is today. The bears have lived at the Nydeggbrücke since 1857, in the Bärengraben. In October 2009 the BärenPark was added: around 6000 square metres of slope down to the Aare instead of just a pit.

The carnival bear sleeps too

On 11 November at 11.11 am a very different bear is locked up in the Old Town: the carnival bear in the Käfigturm. It stays there until the carnival.

Sources: Tierpark Bern, “BärenPark” and “Bern and bears”; Plattform J, 5 Nov 2023; Wikipedia (German), “Bärenpark Bern”; Bern Welcome (2025). Read in October 2026. The Tierpark's information always applies.