Sunrise and sunset in Switzerland

Average length of day in Bern

The following graph shows the times of sunrise and sunset over the course of the year. The duration of twilight can be seen at the top and bottom edges. The vertical offset between March and October shows the effect of daylight saving time, when the time is set one hour ahead.
      sunshine duration       twilight phase

Sunrise and sunset in the most important cities of Switzerland

The cities are ordered by their geographic position from east to west, so in an approximate direction of the sun's course. Since the orbit around the sun is elliptical, sunrise or sunset never happen on a whole longitude at the same time. All data given for June 2nd., localtime in Switzerland


Due to the high mountain location in the Alps, sunrise and sunset are often not visible from the valleys as they would be on the open sea or in relatively flat areas. Instead, the sun hides behind the mountain peaks. This, however, results in far more varied and sometimes breathtaking sights, as long as the morning sun itself is still hidden, but its light is already shining out from between the alpine peaks. Thus, some areas of the valleys are still in semi-darkness, while the slopes are already shining. Together with the slowly dissipating early morning fog, spectacular and in some places colorful panoramas are created that cannot be seen in the lowlands.

Skiers lucky enough to still be high on the mountains at sunset (most lifts close at 5 p.m.) can experience an equally exciting sunset over the valleys and peaks. The evening redness shines through the more distant peaks. With the right position and view, the different weather patterns can be seen in the play of the sun in the distance.

In the valleys, the sunset is much less spectacular. Here, too, slopes and mountain faces are bathed in golden-red light. However, due to the lack of a horizon and the limited visibility, the sunset is over much faster than elsewhere. The narrower the valley, the earlier darkness sets in and dusk is largely absent.

Alpenglow

This special light atmosphere is also called alpenglow. Due to the low sun, the light appears redder than during the day and only the higher illuminated field slopes and snowy landscapes stand out next to the still dark areas. The reddish light often creates the impression of a glow in the eye of the beholder. Another light effect occurs on particularly steep mountain slopes: Due to the reflection of the light on the steep mountain face, the opposite slope appears in a diffuse scattered light, which at first seems unnatural and thus special to the human brain. The steeper the mountain face illuminated by the sun, the narrower the illuminated area on the opposite side.

Sunrise and sunset by month (Bern)

Where does the sun rise in Switzerland?

The sun always rises in the east, everywhere and regardless of the country or continent. The easternmost city in Switzerland is Scuol in the greater region of Eastern. There, the sun rises at 5:26 am and sets at 9:07 pm these days. The latest sunset is currently experienced in the west in the city of Chancy (Lake Geneva region) at 21:22.

Duration of the sunset

The distance from the equator and the path of the sun determines not only the time of sunrise and sunset. The farther a country is from the equator, the more oblique the sun's path is to the horizon, causing sunset to last for a different duration. Bern lies on the 47th degree of northern latitude and is therefore very far away from the equator. While a sunset near the equator lasts only about 20 minutes, in Switzerland, this period averages 41 minutes. In June, it's about 46 minutes in Bern, while in December it's 36 minutes.

International cities for comparison