Switzerland City Travel + Tourism Guide: Bern (Berne)
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 Bern
- capital of Switzerland
- population 122,000
- Old Town is UNESCO World Heritage Site
- located in thewooded valley of the Aare River
- relaxed, provincial feel
- Medieval cobbled streets and buildings survive
- Einstein, Hesse, Bakunin, Kropotkin all lived here for a time
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Bern doesn't feel like the capital city
of one of the most advanced nations on Earth. Instead, as you wander
the narrow streets of the historic Old Town, dotted with cool cafes
and chic boutiques, you'll find it more reminiscent of a very
hip, stylish market town.
The name Bern supposedly comes from a German word for bear, and
refers to an animal shot here by the town's founder. Nowadays
you'll spot bears all over town, for example in the names
of restaurants and towns, in the Bern flag, and of course in the
famous bearpits by the river.
The Bern bear, if there was one, was killed around the 1190s by
Berthold V who founded the city. Bern joined the fledgling Swiss
Confederation in 1353, and later brought Aargau and Vaud with it
through military might. Bern became the Swiss capital in 1848, largely
because it represented a compromise between the French choice of
Geneva and the German favourite Zurich.
Sights
Old Town
 Old
Town Bern's mediaeval Old Town with its jumbled red roofs and covered
walkways was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. It began
life in the 1190s when a town was founded by Berthold the V. The
location was chosen for its natural defences - the River Aare surrounds
it on three sides. On the fourth side a wall and watch tower was
built, that watch tower is now the clock tower.
Münster Cathedral - The Cathedral is one of the best
places for gorgeous views over the Old Town. The Cathedral itself
dates from the 15th century, and the spire is the tallest in Switzerland.
Above the main entrance is an interesting depiction of the Last
Judgement, with sinners being sent to hell and the others to heaven.
At the centre are Justice, and the Wise and Foolish Virgins.
Above them, with a sword and scales is the Archangel Michael. Among
the sinners being sent to hell is the Mayor of Zurich, and the Mayor
of Bern is going to heaven, but it's not easy to make out.
Entry to the Cathedral is free, but it's 4 SFr to go up the
tower, which is open all year round but closes early on Sundays
in the low season. From just behind the cathedral there's
a lift which takes you down to the Matte, a couple of streets down
by the river, at lower elevation than the rest of the town. The
cathedral is on Münsterplatz.
 Zytglogge
- The Clock Tower is one of the most popular sights in Bern. If
you know how to read it, it shows the time, date, phases of the
moon, and zodiac. The clock mechanism itself dates from 1530, the
tower it stands in was part of the original West Gate of the city.
Just before striking the hour, a succession of figures parade out,
including seven bears, a jester and a golden cockerel. Various local
myths link Albert Einstein's theory of relativity to the clock.
In one version Einstein was travelling on a tram away from the
clock when he realised that if he were travelling at the speed of
light, then the clock's time would have remained the same,
whilst his would have continued to move. The clock is just off Kornhausplatz.
Fountains - One of the ‘main streets' of the Old
Town is Marktgasse which, heading East becomes Kramgasse and Gerechtigkeitsgasse.
Along this street are 11 fountains, with statues depicting historical
and legendary figures. The most well known is on Kornhausplatz and
is of a child-eating-giant. Others include bears, heroes and wolves.
 Bundeshäus - The Houses of Parliament were built in
1902. When parliament is in session, you need a passport to be allowed
to watch from the public gallery. The rest of the time there are
free tours leaving every hour (9am-4pm Mon-Sat). Outside are 26
fountains- one for each of the Swiss cantons. The building is on
Bündesplatz, where Bündesgasse turns into Kochergasse.
Einstein Haus - The house where Einstein
lived whilst developing his Special Theory of Relativity (E=MC2
and all that). There's a flat decorated in the style of 1905, and
information about Einstein's life and theories. (Adults 6 SFR, concessions
4.50 SFr. Opening Times: 1/3/06 – 30/9/06 open daily 10am–5pm,
3/10/06 – 16/12/06 Tues-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat 10am-4pm, 17/12/06
– 2/1/07 closed, guided tours by appointment). Einstein-bern.ch
has more information in English. The house is No. 49 Kramgasse.
Bärengraben - The Bear pits. Carrying on with the
bear theme, just across the river from the East side of the Old
Town are a couple of bear pits. At the time of writing there were
three, who seemed content to swipe at bits of lettuce floating in
their pond, laze around, play fight, and occasionally sniff each
other's bums. Some people find this method of imprisonment cruel,
and there are suggestions that the bear pits might not be around
much longer. You can buy food to feed them from the office nearby.
To get there from the Old Town, go along Gerechtigkeitsgasse, and
follow it straight over the bridge when it becomes Nydeggasse. The
pits are just over the bridge, to right.
Rosengarten - On the hill above the bear pits is the Rose
Garden, which affords more sumptuous views of the Old Town. The
garden's very pretty at the right time of year, and used to be a
cemetery.
Bern Show - A multimedia display in the Tourist Office
next to the bear pits. It describes itself as 'history in 3D'. Opening
times are the same as the Tourist Office. The show is free, unless
you wish to reserve it for a group.
Museums And Galleries
Zentrum Paul Klee - The Paul Klee Centre is dedicated to
Bern-born modern artist Paul Klee (1879-1940). He belonged to no
particular artistic movement, but is often mentioned in the same
breath as the Blue Rider Group. The museum has thousands of examples
of his work, but only the space to show a small proportion at any
one time. Take tram 12 from Kornhausplatz to Zentrum Paul Klee (Adult/Concession/Child
14/12/6 SFr, 10am-5pm, closed Monday, open late Thursday).
Historisches Museum Bern - The History Museum's excellent
special exhibition to celebrate 100 years since Einstein published
his Theory of Relativity was still going strong in November 2007.
Among the permanent exhibitions are European treasures dating back
to the Stone Age, and a renowned collection of silverware. Other
exhibitions cover Asia, Oceania and Native Americana. It's South
of the Old Town, over the river, by Helvetiaplatz. You can take
lines 3, 5, and 19 to the museum from Zytglogge/Kornhausplatz (Adult/concession
13/8 SFr, open 10am-5pm Tues-Sun, closes 8pm Weds). www.bhm.ch
The interactive Einstein exhibits are not to be missed and present
a fascinating insight in to the man and his times.
Kunstmuseum Bern - The Museum of Fine Art is one of the
oldest and most important art museums in Switzerland. Coverage includes
Swiss painters, as well as works by Manet, Cezanne, Pissarro, Renoir,
van Gogh, Pollock and Rothko. For information on temporary exhibitions,
see www.kunstmuseumbern.ch. The museum is a short walk from the
main railway station, on Hodlerstrasse, and accessible on tram/bus
numbers 3,5,9,11 and 12 (Open 10am-5pm Weds-Sun. 10am-9pm Tues).
Other Sites
Gurten - Gurten is a hill 3km south of the city centre,
with great views of Bern from the top. You take tram 9 from the
railway station to the Gurtenbahn stop, and from there either hike
up the ‘mountain' (about one hour), or hop on to the funicular
railway to the top (return/single 9/5 SFr, kids half price). If
the ride up took it out of you, despair not, there's a restaurant
at the top and an adventure playground for the kids.Tierpark Dählhölzli
The Zoo. Time for more bears. The zoo has over 200 types of animals,
including the requisite big cats, sharks, sea lions etc, and also
a vivarium, where you can see the animals in their ‘natural
environment'. Open daily, adults 8 SFr, kids half price, under six
years old free. Take no. 19 from the train station to Tierpark.
Swimming - What better on a sweltering summer's day in
Bern than to cool off in the Aare River? The river itself moves
fast and is only recommended for confident swimmers. The Marzili
pools are closest. Get there by taking line 30 from Zytglogge/Kornhausplatz
to Marzilistrasse. Others include Lorrainebad (Uferweg).
Festivals
Bern is host to various festivals and events.
April/May
The Jazz Festival takes place from, the 2007 event is still
in the planning stages.
June
The Berner Tanztage is a celebration of dance from throughout
the world. The 2007 event will run from 6th-23rd March.
The Schweizes Frauenlauf is Europe's largest women's marathon,
with 13,000 competitors. The 2007 event is scheduled for 10 June.
July
The Gurtenfestival is an outdoor rock and pop festival.
2007's event takes place on 19th-22nd July and expects 40-50,000
revellers.
August
Buskers Street Music Festival. The focus is on the emerging,
the small scale, the original. Performances include music, variety
shows and comedy. The 2007 event is scheduled for 9th-11th August.
November
The Bern Onion Market has been taking place on the fourth
Monday of November since longer ago than anyone cares to remember.
Farmers bring 50 tons of onions and garlic into the city to sell,
but these days it's as much about the street parties and carnival
atmosphere as anything else. Revellers attempt to stuff confetti
inside your clothes and there is all-day wine and beer drinking
at the street side stalls.
Tourist Offices
The Tourist Office where the Bern Show is located is just by the
bear pits, and opens 9am-6pm June-September, and 10am-4pm March-May
& October, and only Fri-Sun 11am-4pm over the winter months.
Another Tourist Office is located in the SBB railway station and
is open 9am-8.30pm daily Jun-Sep and 9am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 10-5pm
Sun Oct-May (Tel: 031 328 1212).
Image of AltStadt and Fountains in Bundesplatz courtesy of the
official website of Bern Tourism www.berninfo.com
Getting There
Air
Bern-Belp airport has direct flights to most major European cities.
There is a shuttle bus which is timed to coincide with flight arrivals
& departures. It leaves from the railway station, takes about
20 minutes, and costs 15 SFr. There are also direct and speedy rail
connections to the larger intercontinental airports at Geneva
and Zurich.
Train
Bern railway station is about 1km West of the Old Town centre.
Regular services go to almost every where in Switzerland, and European
destinations including the Cisalpino service from Milan (4 hours).
Bus
There are postbus services to other larger towns in Switzerland
and outlying villages. The local bus service is usful to reach the
outlying Paul Klee Center - take bus #12.
Getting around
The centre is not very big. All of the sights in the Old Town
are within easy walking distance of each other, and this is probably
the best way to enjoy them.
Buses & Trams
There are buses and trams, which operate in a joint, integrated
system. The railway station is the main hub.
If you look on the front of the ticket machine where you get on,
you can find most stops from a list, and by the name of the stop
either a number or the letters KS. KS stands for ‘Kurzstrecke',
(a short journey), the numbers represent the number of zones. Just
choose the corresponding ticket. A kurzstrecke ticket is 1.90 SFr,
the next one up is 3.20 SFr. A day ticket costs 12 SFr. Moonliner
night buses operate Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights departing
from the main square outside Bern station.
Bike
You can hire bikes, including children's bikes, and also skateboards
and electric bikes, thanks to an initiative called Bern Rollt
(Bern rolls). Get your wheels by the station or on Zeughausgasse.
You'll need to show ID and leave a deposit of 20 SFr. The only slight
drawback of this admirable scheme is that you will be carrying a
(not too garish) McDonald's advert around all day.
Rent
A Car With Holiday Autos
Rent
A Car With Sixt
Featured Hotels
Alexander
Hotel - 3 Star, pleasant hotel located near the Swiss Trade
Fair and Basel Congress Centers.
Business
Hotel Waldhorn - spotlessly clean, good breakfasts and free
internet access for guests in the lobby. Jump on tram #9 to get
to the Stade de Suisse.
Book Accommodation in Bern
Hotels
in Switzerland - Accommodation Online - hotels throughout Switzerland
Hotels
in Switzerland - Bookings - hotels throughout Switzerland
Hotels
in Basel - Hotel.de - hotels in Bern
Hostels
in Switzerland - Hostelworld.com - cheap accommodation throughout
Switzerland
Hotels
in Switzerland - HotelsSwitzerland - hotels in all locations
Hotels
in Switzerland - Precision Reservations - hotels in all locations
Eating
There are plenty of places to eat in the Old Town, though prices
tend to be high. For cheaper meals head towards the station and
the cafes and restuarants of Barenplatz and Waisenhausplatz. The
Altes Tramdepot next to the Barengraben is a converted tram depot
with high ceilings, good views down to the river and it brews its
own beer. The cafe next door to the Historisches Museum has
sandwiches, soups, beer and good coffee.
List your restaurant here.
Drinking
Central Bern can get pretty lively as the weekend with young drinkers,
can in hand, milling in the Old Town and in the station complex.
The anarchic Reithalle is worth a visit to escape the drunken Saturday
night fever street scene. The Reithalle is surrounded by people
in various stages of narcotic oblivion outside but it's peaceful
and quiet inside. There's a cinema, bar/cafe and concert venue.
Look out for the huge grafitti daubed on the walls near the railway
bridge just west of Lorrainbrucke.
List your bar, cafe or club here.
Internet Cafes
List your internet cafe here for FREE!
 Football
Teams
Berner Sport Club Young Boys to give them their full name were
founded in 1898. The club's glory days were in the 1950s when the
team in yellow and black twice won the Swiss Cup and won four consecutive
Swiss titles from 1957-60. BSC Young Boys play their home games
at the Stade
de Suisse, a stadium built after the previous ground on the
site, the Wankdorf Stadium, was demolished in 2001 and looking more
like a hypermarket than a football stadium. The former Wankdorf
Stadium was famous as the venue of the 1954 World Cup final.
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