Bern — Olympia Academy Code

Your journey to crack the "Code of the Olympia Academy" begins at Bern's Rathaus, a Swiss historical monument built between 1406 and 1417. This seat of the cantonal government at Rathausplatz 2, with its Renaissance facade and 16th-century clock tower, is your first anchor point. As an archivist, you examine the heraldic inscriptions and municipal symbols carved into the facade, key elements for the game's puzzles. This building, standing approximately 40 meters tall, testifies to the power of the city of Bern and its municipal administration, marking the official starting point of your outdoor escape game through the Old City.

Heading towards Kramgasse, Bern's main commercial artery since the 13th century, you advance in your investigation. This historic street, paved with limestone and lined with arcaded houses decorated with frescoes, offers a glimpse into the UNESCO World Heritage. At number 49, you discover the former residence of Albert Einstein, where he lived from 1902 to 1909. The Zytglogge, a clock tower built in 1191 as a fortification and transformed into an astronomical clock in the 16th century (1527-1530), stands proudly. Its original mechanism, designed by Kaspar Brunner, and its animated figures, visible from Kramgasse and Marktgasse, are silent witnesses to the passage of time in Bern.

Your walking tour then takes you to the Münsterplattform, a panoramic terrace built in 1834 in front of Bern Cathedral (Münster). Approximately 120 meters long and towering 30 meters above the Aare River, it offers breathtaking views of the Alps. This spot, accessible by 72 steps from Münstergasse, is a major tourist highlight. Bern Cathedral itself, whose construction began in 1421 and was completed in 1573, is a masterpiece of Swiss Late Gothic architecture. Its main spire, 100.6 meters high, was the tallest church in Switzerland at the time of its construction, and its 16th-century Renaissance stained-glass windows, including the series of the Ten Commandments, reveal crucial clues for your GPS treasure hunt.

The exploration continues towards Kornhausplatz and its communal granary, the Kornhaus. Built between 1711 and 1716, this Bernese Baroque building, with its symmetrical 60-meter facade and 2-meter thick walls, once served as the canton's grain storage, capable of holding 800 tons. Now a cultural center and restaurant, it represents a key stage in your thematic circuit. Not far from there, the Nydeggkirche, a Gothic church erected between 1494 and 1525 on the ruins of Nydegg Castle, and its 52-meter octagonal bell tower, are revealed. Located near the Bärenpark, the Bear Park, a heraldic symbol of the city of Bern since the 13th century, this church anchors your adventure in the history of Bern Switzerland tourism.

As you complete your interactive tour through Bern's Old City, you will have not only deciphered the "Code of the Olympia Academy" but also discovered the rich heritage of Bern. From the Bärenpark, a modern park inaugurated in 2009 housing three brown bears, to the heraldic motto "Ursus civium custos" – the bear guardian of the citizens – every monument and street tells a part of Bern's history. This route will have allowed you to appreciate the historical and cultural density of this Swiss city, making this outdoor escape game an in-depth discovery experience, far beyond typical tourist circuits.