Berne has Swiss roots and rich tradition
Berne is a small Adams County town founded by Mennonite immigrants in 1852, named after the capital city of Switzerland. The community boasts strong Swiss heritage and a striking 160-foot replica of Bern's Zytglogge clock tower. While buyers may be charmed by the Swiss-inspired architecture and culture, many residents choose Berne for its quiet atmosphere and proximity to Fort Wayne. “What I love about Berne is that we have citizens who care about the city,” says Mayor Gregg Sprunger. “We have the clock tower and the plaza as a gathering place for people, and it’s just a nice and quiet place to live and raise a family. Some people leave for jobs elsewhere and come back later on in life when they retire because we have Swiss Village Retirement Community, which is very nice.”
Faith and tradition are at the heart of Berne’s welcoming atmosphere. The village has more than 20 churches, including the historic First Mennonite Church, which dates back to the town’s founding. The Gothic cathedral that stands today was built in 1912 and continues to serve families across the area. About a third of Adams County’s residents are Amish, which makes it the fifth-largest settlement in the country.
A variety of single-family home styles
Sidewalks and mature trees line Berne’s quiet residential streets. The village’s housing stock features homes built throughout the 1900s, and some even date back to the late 1800s. Berne has also seen a fair amount of new residential development with New Traditional builds in subdivisions. Buyers can find a variety of styles, including bungalow, National, Victorian, foursquare and ranch-style homes. The median single-family price is $200,000, slightly higher than Portland’s median of roughly $150,000. “There’s low inventory and high demand, and it’s like that all over our county and the surrounding counties,” Mayor Sprunger says.
Alpine-inspired storefronts and local shops line Main Street
Downtown Berne’s storefronts look like they were transported straight from the Alpine foothills with flower boxes, gingerbread trim and half-timbered facades. Even national brands like Subway and Dollar General sport Swiss-inspired architecture. Main Street is lined with local shops and services like Nora Gray Boutique, Kaup Pharmacy, LastingLite Emporium and Yager Furniture. Locals can grab a bite at restaurants like Fulton and Main, a contemporary American eatery, or Berne Dining, which serves up comforting diner fare. The Filling Station Coffee Haus and Alpine Rose Coffee Shoppe have caffeine covered, and groceries are available at Community Markets. Berne is known as the “Furniture Capital of Indiana” with five retailers and Smith Brothers of Berne, a manufacturer that employs more than 600 people.
Residents gather at Muensterberg Plaza
Muensterberg Plaza and Clock Tower is the centerpiece of Berne. It serves as a gathering space and recreational destination with walking paths, benches, quilted flower beds and an amphitheater. The village hosts free concerts at the plaza during the summer, and it's also the site of the annual Swiss Days festival. Lehman Park offers a shaded green space with a playground, picnic tables and ball fields. Pine Lake Waterpark is a few miles outside of town and draws thousands every summer. The small swimming lake has water slides, a zip line and a “jump tower” with high dive platforms. Residents and visitors alike visit the Swiss Heritage Village and Museum, and indoor and outdoor showcase of the area's Swiss history. The grounds sprawl across 26 acres and include a pre-Civil War homestead, a church, a schoolhouse and a doctor's office.
Berne’s Swiss Days celebrates culture with food and fun
What started as a simple sidewalk sale in the 1970s has transformed into Swiss Days, a multi-day celebration of Berne’s rich heritage. The last weekend of July is filled with vendors, food, polka dancing and games like the steintoss, a competition of strength where competitors throw giant boulders overhead to see who can throw it the farthest. The Tour de Swiss Bike Ride takes riders through 26 miles of scenic Adams County countryside, and the Swiss Heritage Village and Museum hosts free tours throughout the weekend.
College credit at South Adams Schools
South Adams Schools serves students and receives a B-plus rating from Niche. The district was formed in the 1960s after four area schools consolidated under the South Adams flag. Now, about 1,300 students attend South Adams Elementary, Middle and High schools all on one campus. High schoolers can participate in career and technical education programs, Advanced Placement classes and dual credit courses.
Drivers can commute to Fort Wayne
The area is car-dependent, but residents aren’t far from nearby towns and cities. It’s a 45-minute drive to Fort Wayne and Fort Wayne International Airport, and the Ohio border is only 10 minutes away. Bluffton and Decatur are within 20 minutes of town, the latter of which is also home to Adams Memorial Hospital.
Written By
Leslie Klosterman
