I wish I could show you how awesome Bernaqua was with original photos, but (1) photography is not…read moreallowed (2) all of your belongings go into free lockers upon entry, so I didn't have my phone handy, and (3) it's a water park, so it's probably best to keep your phone in a safe place anyway.
We visited on a weeknight during late November as a free benefit of staying next door at the Holiday Inn Westside, and wow, were we impressed! Our family of 3 water-loving Merpeople (2 adults and 1 eleven-year-old boy) has been to plenty of U.S. water parks and Bernaqua ranks at or near the top. Even after being exhausted following a day of touring Old Town Bern, we had a blast during our evening at Bernaqua.
There are 4 fun & different waterslides (for ages 8-10 and up), a younger children's splash & play area, a sauna http://www.westside.ch/en-GB/sauna.aspx, a saltwater float & relax room, and 18 different pools with various temperatures and other entertaining features (such as rotating fountains & massage zones). Not sure what it may be like during a crowded time, but for us, the place was hardly inhabited except during the first hour when we walked in on a water aerobics class in the front pool. Even the outdoor pool and lazy river area were kept at a comfortable temperature so that we could use it even as the outdoor weather was approaching freezing. We really got a kick out of how many different experiences could be had in this place in a brief 2.5 hour visit.
We went down each slide several times and all concluded that the Black Hole (which is dark inside except for a few colored lights) was our favorite. Beware of the red & open-topped Whitewater Canyon (ages 10 and up), as that one gets a bit rough; you'll definitely be swirled around a few times.
For before/after the wet fun, there is also a cafe with kid-friendly options and a very nice shower and dressing room area with almost everything one could need to get ready to return outdoors (including hair dryers). You can even schedule a massage, scrub, and Roman/Irish (hot & cold) bath sequence.
If you are a guest at Holiday Inn, you'll be given a waterproof tote bag full of towels and your Bernaqua wristbands (which will give you entry to the park) at the front desk to the hotel. Please note that hotel guests get only 3 hours free, but that should be plenty of time if you are visiting during a non-crowded time like a week night.
More info here:
http://www.westside.ch/bernaqua
https://www.bernaqua.ch/de-CH/Infos/Oeffnungszeiten
