Permanent Tourist

The Schwellenmätteli (literal translation “swell meadows” – swell as in waves) is a restaurant built on the banks of the Aare river, beneath the Kirchenfeld bridge and the old city of Bern. The restaurant comprises three main buildings, one of which features an open lounge terrace directly over the churning waters of the river as it passes through the city’s modern sluice gates. Adjacent to the restaurant, in the middle of the weir complex, is a statue of the city’s trademark bear.