Biel/Bienne is a town where German and French are equally spoken and situated directly at Lake Biel in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Whichever language it may be, French or German, your neighbour will be able to understand you. From nursery through to high school, there are bilingual classes.

Bilingualism, open-mindedness, hospitality, and a spirit of innovation are all part of life in the city of Biel/Bienne. The town is also the cradle of Swiss Watchmaking. Famous for watchmaking, and home to Rolex, Omega and Swatch among other famous makers.

Biel/Bienne’s delightful old town and its diverse surrounding area, featuring the Jura, Seeland and Lake Biel/Bienne, are just two of the many attractions that make it well worth a visit. The Neues Museum Biel and the Pasquart are two important museums near the lake. In addition, the NMB Biel/Bienne museum showcases the region’s architecture and presents fascinating information about the watchmaking and industrial city of Biel/Bienne.

The old town is the jewel in its crown, with its narrow streets, picturesque fountains, impressive guild houses, theatres, galleries and boutique stores selling specialities and curiosities – not to mention the restaurants, cafés and markets. In 2004, Biel was awarded the Wakker prize by the Swiss Heritage Society for its exemplary townscape protection.

How to get there

• By train

Biel/Bienne is connected to Berne by suburban rail (Bern S-Bahn), with 2 trains/hour (4 during peak) on line S3 (also S31 during peak), taking 30-35 min to Biel. There are also train connections to most other cities in Switzerland.  

• By car

3 highways are connecting Biel/Bienne with the rest of Switzerland.

• By boat

As Biel/Bienne is located at the end of Lake Biel, it can be reached by boat not only from other touristic lake villages, e.g. Ligerz, but also from towns on the Lake of Neuchatel, e.g. Neuchatel or the Lake of Murten, e.g. Murten

Public Transportation

The City has a highly efficient, clean and safe public transport system. It includes trams, buses, S-Bahn (local trains) and even boats for the lake and river. Tickets must be purchased from a ticket machine before boarding or from one of the ticket selling kiosks, except for the city bus, where the ticket machines are in the bus.