Villas in Bernese Mittelland

Rüeggisberg and Oberbalm suit walkers in the Gantrisch hills, Wabern and Liebefeld suit a Bern city base, and Meikirch suits quiet farmland. The Bernese Mittelland is the rolling country around Bern, between the Jura foothills and the Alps. It is green and well connected rather than dramatic, and the high mountains of the Bernese Oberland are about an hour south.

Where

Villas: 22
From, per week: £506
Cheapest month: December
Nearest airports: Zurich is the usual airport, around an hour and a quarter to Bern by train or car. Geneva is around an hour and three quarters away. Bern's own airport at Belp has few scheduled flights. Flights from London to Zurich take around an hour and three quarters, and to Geneva around an hour and a half.

Where to stay in Bernese Mittelland

Rüeggisberg, Oberbalm, Zimmerwald and Mamishaus (Gantrisch foothills)

This hilly farmland south of Bern has more of our homes than anywhere else in the region. Rüeggisberg has the ruins of a Cluniac priory and views to the Bernese Alps, and Zimmerwald is home to the University of Bern's observatory. Mamishaus is near Schwarzenburg and the Schwarzwasser gorge. Above them, the Gantrisch nature park has walking trails, dark night skies and small ski lifts on the Gurnigel. Zurich airport is around an hour and a half away.

Best for: Walkers and families who want countryside and Bern within half an hour

Not for you if: You want to walk to shops and cafés: these are scattered farming villages.

Bern, Wabern and Liebefeld

Bern's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sits in a loop of the Aare, with long stone arcades, the Zytglogge clock tower and the bear park. In summer locals float down the river to the Marzili baths. Wabern is the start of the funicular up the Gurten, Bern's local hill, and Liebefeld is a quiet suburb in Köniz with trains into the centre. Zurich airport is around an hour and a quarter away by train or car.

Best for: City breaks and families who want trams, museums and river swimming

Not for you if: You want a garden and open views: city and suburban homes are compact.

Meikirch and Rosshäusern (north and west of Bern)

Meikirch is a farming village on the plateau north-west of Bern, around 20 minutes from the city, with cycle routes across the Frienisberg. Rosshäusern, in the Mühleberg area to the west, is close to the Wohlensee, a dammed stretch of the Aare used for rowing and walking. The walled lakeside town of Murten is around 20 minutes away. Zurich airport is around an hour and a half away.

Best for: Couples and cyclists who want quiet farmland and day trips to Murten

Not for you if: You want mountains on the doorstep: this is gentle, open country.

Walkringen (east of Bern)

Walkringen is a village in the hills east of Bern, around 20 minutes from the city centre by car, with a station on a local line. Paths lead up through farmland and woods with views to the Alps on clear days. The Emmental, with its show dairy and covered bridges, starts just to the east and has its own page. Zurich airport is around an hour and a quarter away.

Best for: Walkers who want rolling hills between Bern and the Emmental

Not for you if: You need a choice of homes: there is very little to pick from on this side of Bern.

When to go to Bernese Mittelland

May to September is the best time, for walking, cycling and swimming in the Aare, which is warm enough for most people from July. Summer weekends in Bern are lively, and the Gurten festival fills Wabern in mid-July. Autumn is good for walks, and the Zibelemärit onion market takes over Bern's old town in late November. Winter is grey and cold in the lowlands. The Gantrisch lifts open only when there is enough snow, so serious skiers base themselves in the Bernese Oberland.