Bern (also
Berne - the official French and English spelling), the capital of Switzerland, is a small- to medium-sized city with a population of about 130,000. It sits on peninsula formed by the meandering turns of the river Aare. The remarkable design coherence of the Berne's old town has earned it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It features 4 miles of arcaded walkways along streets decked out with fountains and clock-towers.
The main language spoken in Berne is Bernese-German, one of the many Swiss-German dialects which all vary greatly not only from what the Swiss call
Hochdeutsch/High German, but also among each other. Because of these differences, even Germans are often not able to follow Swiss-German talking. Like all Swiss-German dialects, Bernese-German is only a spoken language. For writing, the standard German (
Hochdeutsch/High German) is used.
By popular demand among the Swiss (especially the young), Swiss-German is more and more often used as a written language in advertisements and personal communications as well, though as no particular spelling for the words exist, one can write whatever seems appropriate. In schools and Universities, children and students are taught only using standard German, so Swiss-Germans can understand their northern neighbors from Germany, if not the other way around.
English seems to be supplanting French as the favorite second language of the Bernese, but both are widely spoken, especially as the canton of Berne is a bilingual canton (German/French), and Berne itself is only about 12 kilometers from the nearest French-speaking village.
Understand
Berne was founded in 1191 by Duke Berthold V von Zähringen and was part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was made an free imperial city by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in 1218 after Berthold died without an heir.
In 1353 Berne joined the Swiss confederation. After several successful conquers, Berne became the largest independent city state north of the alps. It was occupied by French troops in 1798 during the French Revolutionary Wars, and was stripped of most of its territories. The city became the Swiss capital in 1848.
Get in
Berne is located in the center of Switzerland and is very well connected with the rest of the country.
By airplaneBerne's small international airport with direct flights from Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Munich and Vienna lies just a few kilometers south of the city. If you don't exit the plane as one of the first, you may suddently end up without a taxi when exiting the terminal as the few available have already been taken. But new taxis arrive usually within a few minutes. A taxi ride into the city is approx. CHF 30. Alternatively, the airport shuttle bus takes you to the railway station in the center of Bern for 14 CHF.
Berne is connected to Zurich Airport with half-hourly direct trains (less than 1.5 hours).
By trainBerne is on the main line of the
Swiss Federal Railway between Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich and is served twice per hour by express (
Inter-City) trains from the airports of each of these cities. Hourly express trains take you into all directions, including Basel, Fribourg, Lucerne, Brig and Interlaken.
For more information:
Swiss Federal Railway, telephone 0900-300-300 from within Switzerland or +41-900-300-300 from outside, provides a useful online travel planner which includes information about local bus and tram services as well as rail services and can plan your journey from any address to another.By carBerne is easily reachable with the national motorway network from all directions and has several exits from motorways A1, A12 and A6.
By busGet around
By footThe city Centre of Bern is easily accessible by foot. You can walk around the main shopping area and restaurants simply by walking. But if you are going to go outside of the city centre in areas like Guisanplatz, it's better to go by tram unless you want to be walking for 45 minutes.
By transitBerne has an excellent public transit system, with frequent local city services provided by trams, trolleybuses and buses, together with an S-Bahn rail system for longer journeys into the surrounding suburbs.
For more information:
Bernmobil, telephone 031 321 88 88, operates the local tram and bus services, and provides timetables and other information on its web site or by telephone.By carAs in most Swiss cities free parking space is rare and the paying ones in the city center are quite expensive. As the center is quite small and all of the major attractions are within a mile walking distance it's a good choice to park in a "park and ride" and take public transport to the center of town.
See
Berne is chock full of history and thus museums. It also has quite a bit of public art, all of which is marked on a walking map which is available from the tourist office in the train station for free.
Bundeshaus (House of Parlaments), Bundesplatz 3 (Yes, really! Number 1 and 2 are banks...). Representive Building dominating the Square. Constructed by the end of 19th century. Guided tour (free) if no "session" (held 4 times a year). During session only access to the spectators ranks. Website of the parliament : Guided tours of the Federal Parliament Building The house is temporarily under construction now. The guided tour will be open again during summer 2008.Einsteinhaus, Kramgasse 49, +41 31 312 00 91 (webmaster@einstein-bern.ch, fax: +41 31 312 00 41). 10am to 5pm (4pm Saturdays) March to October, 1pm to 5pm (Noon to 4pm Saturdays) March and February. Albert Einstein rented this small flat with his wife during his years working at the Swiss patent office. Their first child, Hans Albert, and the special and general theories of relativity were born here, where Einstein's writing desk overlooked the busy street and its lovely clock-tower. There are numerous photos and original documents from Einstein's life, work, and speeches. 6/4.5 CHF Adults/Students. http://www.einstein-bern.chInvasion of Berne >> successful! As you explore, you may notice these small alien graffiti mosaics. GAME NOT OVER was declared by the anonymous Parisian artist "Invader" in 1998. Since then, space invaders have been reappearing on the walls, bridges and roofs of cities across the world, most famously on the Hollywood sign and in several locations in the Louvre. Two additional Swiss cities have been invaded: Geneva and Lausanne. Those with 10 EUR, a longer visit, and a weird sense of humor might consider ordering a map and doing the space invader tour. http://www.space-invaders.comThe Clock Tower. Near the center of the old town. On the hour, every hour throughout the day. (Be five minutes early as it starts before the hour!) A stunning display of early animatronic technology and as the locals are proud to tell you "the longest running act in showbusiness". At a few minutes before the hour, it begins with a little song and some flapping from the cock then some drumming by the jester up top. At the hour the bears and the old bearded king get into the act. OK, it's probably a good thing to take kids to see. It tells time too! (And the month, day, sign of the zodiac and phase of the moon). Free. There are guided tours inside the tower that will let you have a look at the clockwork whilst the show is displayed outside. To be booked at the tourist office and defiently worth it if you love mechanics.Museum of Fine Arts Known for its Klee collection.Bern Historical Museum Swiss Alpine Museum Do
Gurten The Gurten (http://www.gurtenpark.ch/) is a lovely hill just outside the city. It features a park and great view over the city on one side and a nice panorama of the Bernese alps on the other. The park is visited heavily by locals to play ball, to barbecue or to just lie in the sun. Tourists are not an unusual sight, though this little attraction is missed by most of the many that visit the city. Hiking paths lead in all directions and you will almost certainly stumble across some cows when walking around. A wooden look-out tower allows an even better panorama than that you would already have. If you get hungry or thirsty, a good budget restaurant service and self-service provides you with all you need. Families with children should not miss the cool playground. The Gurten can be easily reached with tram number 9 from the railway station in Berne in direction Wabern. Exit the tram at station Gurtenbahn and walk a few steps up the hill. Then take the Gurtenbahn, a panorama train that will bring you on top in just 5 minutes (http://www.gurtenbahn.ch/, round-trip tickets are CHF 9 for adults or CHF 4.50 for children, departure usually every 20 minutes depending on daytime). A club called up-town features various cultural events on weekends and once a year in summer national, European and a few international music stars (among others Alanis Morisette, Skin, Moloko and Jimmy Cliff in 2003) visit it for the Gurtenfestival, an open-air music festival (http://www.gurtenfestival.ch/english.html). Gurten is a must see for everybody visiting the city for longer than a day. Except transportation and restaurant, everything is free.Bear Pits Berne is inseparably linked with bears. According to legend the city’s founder, Duke Berchtold V von Zähringen, named the city after the first animal to be caught here. The saga lives on in the form of the real-live bears in the Bear Pits and the heraldic bear in the Bernese coat of arms. Opening hours: Summertime: 08.00 - 17.30, Wintertime: 09.00 - 16.00, everything is free. Members of the RSPA might find the pits quite depressing. The good news are that they will be enlarged within the years to come. The bears will even have the possibility to go for a swim in the river.Just next to the bear pits you'll find the "Tramdepot", the old final station of Berne's first tramway. The building now houses the tourist office (free shows on the cities history in regular intervals) and the towns most popular brewpub.Rosengarten Little park with a splendid view over the old town. Situated close to the bear pits (follow the path that goes up the hill opposite the bear-pit-roundabout. Quite popular (and populated) during lunchtime.Swimming in the river Aare In hot summer days, let yourself drift for some kilometers in the river Aare. Good (and safe) stretches are between the Kornhausbridge and the public pool of the Lorraine (old fashioned swimming pool just next to the river) and between the Eichholz and the public pool of the Marzili. Other stretches such as swimming the bend around the old town (starting at the "Englische Garten" to the Lorraine) or the "Bremgartenschlaufe" are only to be done by good swimmers accompaigned by experienced locals.
BTW: Entrance to public pools is free of charge. This makes it a good idea to choose a swim that ends at a public pool so you can have a shower afterwards.SC Bern - Professional ice-hockey team. Excellent atmosphere at games. The Stadium is the second largest in Europe and regularly sold outBuy
As with most other cities in Switzerland, store opening and closing hours in Berne are strictly regulated but were slightly relaxed on 1st January 2007. All stores, including grocers must close by 8:00 pm from Monday to Friday. Once a week they are allowed to stay open until 10:00 pm, but on Saturdays everything must close by 5:00 pm. The stores are closed on Sundays. Stores inside the railway station are allowed longer opening times. Both major supermarket chains Migros and Coop have a store inside the station so you'll be able to get relatively cheap groceries even on Sundays.
Rathausgasse and the streets parallel to it have any number of cute shops
with an amazing range of handicraft and luxury goods. This is not the normal range of
swiss souvenir stuff, but really interesting things. There are a couple of
worthy examples below, but the real pleasure is in spending a few hours (or
days) exploring the arcades and vitrines.
Yamatuti, Rathausgasse 53. +41 31 318 26 56. Opens at 1:00pm on Mondays,10:00am on Saturdays, and 11:00am during the rest of the week. Unique toys
and kitch collectibles pack the walls of this cramped space.
Krompholz Music, Spitalgasse 28 (Just around the corner from the main train station.), +41 31 311 3489 (info@krompholz.ch). Monday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm. The thing that makes this shop special is its HUGE collection of sheet music and English language music instruction materials. Pretty good CD section with lots of Swiss artists (both pop and folclore). http://www.krompholz.chEat
Eating in Bern (or almost anywhere in Switzerland for that matter) can be an expensive proposition for foreign tourists. Be sure to "shop around" before deciding on a restaurant as many cater to said foreign tourists (especially those serving traditional Swiss food) and have inflated their prices accordingly. Most Bernese natives prefer Italian, Asian, or other non-local cuisine so finding a traditional Swiss restaurant with acceptable prices can often be a a daunting experience. Be patient and you will persevere without breaking the bank.
BudgetWäbere, Gerechtigkeitsgasse 68, +41 31 311 42 58 (fax: +41 31 312 20 67). 11am to 11pm except Sunday. Excellent soups, a good rendering of Swiss standards, such as cheese fondue, and an decent number of veggie choices. 14-24 CHF (many items available in half portions). Beaulieu, Erlachstrasse 3, +41 (0)31 301 24 59. Old-fashioned restaurant serving traditional Swiss and Bernese cuisine at very affordable prices. Popular amongst students due to its situation close to the university; equally popular amongst the local workers. Definitely not a tourist restaurant - go here if you want to meet the Bernese amongst themselves. Pastamania, Kramgasse 49, +41 31 318 28 28 (fax: +41 31 318 28 29). Located in the same house as the Einsteinhaus, this very small restaurant serves some very good pasta dishes. 18-25CHF for the main dish. 8-14Chf for appetizers.Sous le Pont A nice restaurant in the Reitschule complex which serves excellent dishes at affordable prices.Manora, Bubenbergplatz 5A +41 31 311 37 55, closing at 10pm. It's probably the cheapest restaurant in town, of course self-serving. There's a Salad bar and most dishes will be prepared directly on your order. Students get a 10% reduction. Manora has been shut since the beginning of 2006 with a sign saying Opening after renovations.Mid-rangeCafé Fédéral, Bärenplatz 31, tel. +41 (0)31 311 16 24, http://www.entrecote.ch . Stylish, modern atmosphere and international cuisine. Situated in front of the Bundeshaus, its popularity amongst politicians during the "Session" is legendary. Specialises in Entrecôtes (a kind of steak), but has other dishes, including vegetarian ones. Vatter, Bärenplatz 2, grocery: 9am to 5pm, restaurant: 10am to 10pm daily. Vatter is the largest of the several organic groceries in the old town, and has its own restaurant upstairs as well if you don't feel like cooking, or lack the facilities. 8-20 Chf. http://www.vatter.ch It serves excellent beer from the Locher Brewery in Appenzelland has a balcony overlooking Bärenplatz.Kornhaus, Kornhausplatz 18, +41 31 327 72 70 (fax: +41 31 327 72 71). The room alone is worth a stop at this fabulously appointed mostly Italian restaurant. As one might guess from the name, the building was originally built for grain storage, but now features fresco paintings of traditional swiss scenes, events from local history, and related characters. 26-45Chf for the main dish. 9-14Chf for appetizers.Schmiedstube, Schmiedenplatz 5, tel: +41 (0)31 311 34 61. http://www.schmiedstube.com Open from Monday to Saturday 8.30 - 23.30. Sunday closed. German, French, Italian, English and Spanish spoken. This traditional Swiss restaurant is well known for its typical dishes, such as Röschti, Cordon Bleu, Älplermakkaronen. Its location in the heart of Berne (300 ft from the clock tower "Zytglogge") makes it an ideal resting stop while you're enjoying the city of Berne.SplurgeBellevue Palace, Kochergasse 3-5, Phone +41 (0)31 320 45 45, Fax +41 (0)31 47 43; http://www.bellevue-palace.ch - Berne's N° 1 address. Stylish hotel and restaurant; has its price. Go there during the "Session", and you may very well see the president of Switzerland having lunch.Drink
The Bernese will tell you that Nightlife in Berne is not exactly what you might call spectacular, but they're probably comparing it to Zurich or Paris. In truth, Berne beats
most U.S. cities. There are quite a few good spots to hang out at.
For a drink or two, there's a wide choice of bars all over town. However, you might be disappointed with most central options as they tend to be annoyingly conventional, though there are an ample number of exceptions:
Du Nord just across Lorraine Bridge from the city center. Café Cairo Another nice choice in the same area as Du Nord. Kornhaus Café Closer to the center is the posh but nice Kornhaus Cafe.Kornhausbar Located in the basement, one floor over the restaurant. It serves the best drinks in Berne, but is always crowded with overdressed people. Cuba with Latin-influenced Cuba Bar next door. Most of the towns cooler bars are located around the main clubbing venues though. In the ancient Matte neighborhood, which is well worth a daytime visit too, you'll find nightlife options for almost every taste. The best of them is
Wasserwerk Club (www.wasserwerk.ch) This is one of Berne's traditional clubbing and concert venues for urban music. It actually features two parts. Sportwerk The very welcoming, smaller "Sportwerk", which is open all week and free of charge, offers drinks, music, pool, snooker, darts, table soccer and flipper games as well as sport events on TV in a laid back, greenish atmosphere. The bigger part of the club, the actual "Wasserwerk" is open on weekends and features excellent djs and live concerts.Silo Bar Also in the Matte you'll find Silo Bar, a popular student hangout and disco. Admission is free and the place gets really packed on weekend nights. A nice place if you don't mind the sound (a mix of mainstream hits).Dampfzentrale Close to this area there's another good option, the Dampfzentrale. In this former electricity facility you'll find an excellent restaurant and bar, along with lots of cultural pearls. Dampfzentrale specializes in urban, jazzy, electronic music and dance performances. Definitely a gem!Reitschule Next to the central train station is Berne's most important center for alternative culture. The Reitschule. The huge brick building is visible from far, easy to recognize by its abundant graffiti art on the façade and roof. Reitschule has the status of an autonomous cultural center, which means in firm language that it's a no-police zone. This of course gives it a bit of an anarchist touch, a touch of "anything goes". And indeed, anything does go: Reitschule features a theater, a cinema, a women's room and two concert/dancing venues, all dedicated entirely to alternative culture. Recent concerts included rjd2, metalheadz or dj babu. Reitschule as a whole is a unique experience and a must-see for anyone who has an interest in contemporary urban culture. Check their program at www.reitschule.ch WARNING: The square in front of the Reithalle is also the home of Bern's open drug scene. During the daytime when there are no events, it is more than likely you will find the square populated with some drug dealers and junkies. They're harmless to you if you don't bother them though, and police have recently started patrolling the area more intensely, so this problem is diminishing.PROGR_center for cultural production Close to the Reithalle and even closer to the city center, you will find the PROGR. More than 100 artists, dancers, actors and musician have their studios here. It's large courtyard with the CaféBar Turnhalle is a real oasis. From september to june, the PROGR offers a culturel program with exhibitions of experimental and contemporary art, theatre, performance, lectures and regular concerts on sundaynight (jazz- connected, world women voices). Adress: Waisenhausplatz 30/ Speichergasse 4. For detailed information and program, have a look under www.progr.ch and www.bee-flat.ch (concerts on sunday)Sleep
The main train station has a tourist office on the west side on the ground floor. They'll try to help you find a hotel room, if you arrive without booking. However, it
is better to book ahead if you can, as Berne is a capital city; the budget hotels do tend to fill up on the weekends.
BudgetLandhaus, Hotel-Restaurant Landhaus (near the bear pit), +41 31 331 41 66 (landhaus@spectraweb.ch, fax: +41 31 332 69 04). Reception is open until 10. A cute, friendly, and well-kept place with a good restaurant and bar downstairs. 90-160 Chf (If they are fully booked ask to crash in the TV room, 34 Chf). http://www.landhausbern.chBern backpackers - Hotel Glocke, . Rathausgasse 75. +41 31 311 37 71, fax: +41 31 311 10 08, e-mail: infor@bernbackpackers.com. A member of Swiss Backpackers Association, and Located in the center of the old town this highly favored backpacker's hotel is only a 10 or 15 min. walk from the central train station they have Internet, games and laundry facilities, solid security and no more than six beds in a room. There are also kitchen facilities, a big common room with TV, a pool table, games, movies at night, and gift shop. Prices from Sfr 31.- per person, per night.Youth Hostel, www.jugendherberge.ch, Weihergasse 4. +41 31 311 63 16, 187 beds in all, consisting of two, four, five and six-bed rooms and two group rooms, one with eighteen and one with 20 beds. Shower and WC on each floor.Mid-rangeAstoria Swiss Quality Hotel, , Zieglerstrasse 66, CH-3007 Bern (Bern), Tastefully renovated 3*-hotel with a friendly and informal atmosphere, close to the city centre on the “Eigerplatz” (motorway exit “Bern Forsthaus”). Awarded Swiss Tourism’s Quality Award I, the hotel has 62 spacious and comfortable rooms, a restaurant with bar, conference rooms, w-lan and parking for cars and coaches.SplurgeBellevue Palace, Kochergasse 3 - 5. +41 31 320 45 45 This five star hotel provides exquisite rooms and amazingly attentive service. It is situated right next to the Federal Council building, which is appropriate, as it belongs to the state and frequently houses visiting dignitaries and heads of state. The bathrooms alone make this place worth the price, if you can afford it. There is a public bar with tons of old world charm (and a dress code - no shorts, no trainers) on the ground floor, which is usually nice for a quiet drink. Doubles from 350 Chf per night, presidential suite from 2500 Chf a night. http://www.bellevue-palace.chHotel Bern, Zeughausgasse 9, +41 31 329 22 22, fax: +41 31 329 22 99. A good value nearing the upper end the Hotel Bern has a great location, near perfect service and impeccable rooms for somewhat less money than the five star options. The hotel mainly caters to business travelers, which means that they are more likely to be booked up during the week, and more likely to give you a deal on the weekend. Ask for room 508, not just because it's named for the only Swiss astronaut to date, but also because it has a lovely bay window with a view of the cathedral and of course of neighboring rooftops, offering an especially nice view when it snows. Doubles start at 180 Chf.Stay safe
Berne is a very safe place with nearly no violent crime.
But as it is the capital of Switzerland, it features frequent political demonstrations on a variety of subjects every few weeks, seldom leading to some police intervention.
The central railway station often hosts some not terribly dangerous, but sometimes irritating drunks, punks, and homeless at night.
Get out
BienneInterlakenThun
The city of
Berne bɜːn](UK), (US)] ( [[b̥ɛrn, Berne bɛʀn, Berna ˈbɛrna, Romansh:
Berna ˈbɛrnə, Bernese German:
Bärn b̥æːrn), is the "Bundesstadt" ("federal city",
de facto capital) of Switzerland and, with 140,000 people, is the fourth most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich, Geneva and Basel).
Most of Berne's residents speak German, or more specifically, Bernese German, which is a high-Alemannic dialect. The Canton of Berne has a French-speaking part. Very few people still speak the Mattenenglisch, a language game used in the former workers' quarter of
Matte, but several words have found their way into Bernese German.
Berne also functions as the capital of the Canton of Berne, the second most populous of Switzerland's cantons.
Illustrious Bernese include the reformer Albrecht von Haller, the poet Albert Bitzius and the painters Hans Fries, Ferdinand Hodler and Paul Klee. The German-born physicist Albert Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while employed as a clerk at the Berne patent office.
A culturally important person was Mani Matter, a songwriter performing in Bernese German.
History
Duke Berthold V of Zähringen founded the city on the River Aare in 1191 and allegedly named it after a bear (
Bär in German) he had killed. It was made an Imperial Free City by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in 1218 after Berthold died without an heir. In 1353 Berne joined the young Swiss Confederation, becoming a leading member of the new state. It invaded and conquered Aargau in 1415 and Vaud in 1536, as well as other smaller territories, thereby becoming the largest city-state north of the Alps. It was occupied by French troops in 1798 during the French Revolutionary Wars, when it was stripped of most of its territories. In 1831 the city became the capital of the Canton of Berne and in 1848 it additionally became the Swiss capital.
The city grew out towards the west of the boundaries of the peninsula formed by the river Aar. Initially, the
Zytglogge tower marked the western boundary of the city from 1191 until 1256, when the
Käfigturm took over this role until 1345, which, in turn, was then succeeded by the
Christoffelturm (located close to today's train station) until 1622. During the time of the Thirty Years' War two new fortifications, the so-called big and small
Schanze (entrenchment), were built to protect the whole area of the peninsula. The protection by these edifices was sufficient for the prosperous growth of the city of Berne up to the 19th century.
A number of congresses of the socialist First and Second Internationals were held in Berne, particularly during World War One when Switzerland was neutral. (See Berne International.)
Geography
Berne lies in the Swiss plateau part of the Canton of Berne, somewhat west of the center of Switzerland. The landscape around Berne was formed by glaciers in the last ice age. The two mountains closest to Berne are the Gurten with a height of 858 meters and the Bantiger with a height of 947 meters. The site of the old observatory in Berne is the origin (600 000/200 000) of the CH1903 coordinate system, its international coordinates are .
The city was originally built on a mountain engulfed by the sea Aar but outgrew the natural boundaries of the river Aare in the 19th century. The following bridges were built to allow the city to grow outside of the boundaries imposed by the river:
1844 Nydeggbrücke (at the bottom, i.e. the East-End)1883 Kirchenfeldbrücke (at the South-side)1898 Kornhausbrücke (at the North-side) The city is built on very uneven ground. There are several dozens of meters in height difference from the quarters down at the Aare (e.g. Matte, Marzili) to the higher ones (e.g. Kirchenfeld, Länggasse).
Politics
Berne is governed by an 80-member legislative council (
Stadtrat) and a 5-member executive council (
Gemeinderat).
As of 2005, the representatives of the Social Democratic Party and of the three Green parties hold a majority in both councils (3 to 2 and 43 to 37, respectively). For this reason, it is they, collectively referred to as "Red-Green-Center" (
Rot-Grün-Mitte), who mostly determine City policy, although no formal coalition agreement exists and, under the system of direct democracy that prevails in Switzerland, most important issues are settled by general referendum. The other major political parties of Berne are the Free Democratic Party (
FDP, free-market liberal) and the Swiss People's Party (
SVP, nationalist, conservative).
The office of mayor (
Stadtpräsident), as a
primus inter pares (First among equals) in the executive council, is mostly representative. As of 2005, the mayor of Berne is Alexander Tschäppät of the Social Democrats.
Main sights
Berne's city center is largely medieval and has been recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural World Heritage Site. Perhaps its most famous sight is the
Zytglogge, an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets. It also has an impressive 15th century Gothic cathedral, the
Münster, and a 15th century town hall. Thanks to 6 kilometers of arcades, the old town boasts one of the longest covered shopping promenades in Europe.
Since the 16th century, the city has had a bear pit (the
Bärengraben), which can be visited off the far end of the Nydeggbrücke. The Federal Building (
Bundeshaus), dating from 1902, which houses Parliament and part of the federal administration, can also be visited at opening hours.
The Garden of Roses (
Rosengarten), from where a scenic panorama view of the medieval city core can be enjoyed, is a well-kept Rosary on a hill, converted into a park from a former cemetery in 1913.
Probably the newest attraction of Berne is the set of fountains in front of the Bundeshaus. It was inaugurated on August 1, 2004, the Swiss national day.
Culture
Berne is rich of cultural offerings for every taste.
TheatersCity Theater Schlachthaus-theater Tojo Theater The Theater on the Effinger-Street Narrenpack Theater Bern Theater SzeneMovie theatersBerne has several dozens of movie theaters. As is customary in Switzerland, movies are generally shown in their original language (e.g., English) with subtitling in German and French. Only a small number of screenings are dubbed in German. Program information is available through e.g. the
Cineman website.
Queersicht - Queer Filmfestival, annually held second week of November.NightlifeReithalle - the old riding school of Bern, now a meeting place for the alternative scene, with concerts, parties, flea market and much moreWasserwerk - a night-club close to the river Aare with lots of concerts and partiesBierhübeli - a concert and party clubMarians Jazzroom - jazz club, where also the International Jazz Festival takes placeISC - the International Students Club, open for everybodydead-end - a club for the late ones, opens at midnightGaskessel Mahogany Hall Dampfzentrale The Bernese Symphony Orchestra MuseumsMuseum of Arts Art-Hall Museum of Communication Psychiatry Museum Historic Museum Natural History Museum Collection of Antiques Alpine Museum Einstein House Marksmen Museum Zentrum Paul Klee FestivalsGurtenfestival BernerInternationales Jazzfestival BernTaktlos-FestivalQueersicht - Queer Filmfestival, annually held second week of November.National Reach Around FestivalBuskers festivalZaffaraya festivalFairsZibelemärit - The Zibelemärit (onion market) is an annual fair held on the fourth Monday in November.Sport
The football team BSC Young Boys is based in Berne.
SC Bern is the major ice hockey team of Berne who play at the Bern Arena.
Education and science
Berne has a University, a University of Applied Science and several vocational schools.
UniversityThe University is spread over several buildings which are mainly located in the
Länggasse quarter. In 2005 there were around 13,000 students registered . It consists of the following faculties:
Old Catholic and Protestant TheologyLawEconomics and Social SciencesMedicineVeterinary MedicineHumanitiesScienceHuman SciencesUniversity of Applied Science (Fachhochschule)Currently (2005) there are around 5,000 students registered to the University of Applied Science Bern. It consists of the following faculties:
Technique and Computer ScienceArchitecture, Construction and WoodEconomics, Administration and Social WorkArtsAgricultureSportsVocational schoolsMany vocational schools are present in Bern. Some of them are the following:
Gewerblich-Industrielle Berufsschule Bern Schule für Gestaltung Bern Wirtschafts- und Kaderschule KV Bern Berufsschule für Verwaltung Bern BFF BERN, Berufs,- Fach- und Fortbildungsschule Lehrwerkstätten der Stadt Bern Berufsschule für Pflege Am Altenberg Hotel Handelsschulen Wirtschaftsmittelschule Bern Other schoolsAcademy of Music College for Music and Arts Transport
StreetsBerne is well connected to other cities by several highways (A1, A12, A6).
Public transportThe public transport works well in Bern, with tram and bus lines which connect the different parts of the City. Bern Rail Station connects the City to the national and international train network. Notable is a cable railway which leads from the
Marzili quarter to the
Bundeshaus. This railway is, with a length of 106 m, the shortest public cable railway in Europe. Several bridges connect the old parts of the city with the newer quarters outside of the peninsula.
Air trafficBerne is served by Berne Airport, located outside the city near the village of Belp. The regional airport, colloquially called
Bern-Belp or
Belpmoos, is connected to several Swiss and European cities.
Miscellaneous
The Universal Postal Union is situated in Bern.Berne (as "Bern") was featured as one of the scenarios in the original SimCity video gameWell-known anarchist Mikhail Bakunin died in Berne in 1876.For a list celebrities are natives of the city or canton of Bern, see :Category:People from Bern|List of Natives of Bern.The city of New Bern, North Carolina in the USA is named after Berne, having been founded in 1710 by Christoph von Graffenried, a minor Swiss noble from Berne that attempted to setup Swiss settlement in the New World.External links
City of BernGIS City of BerneBerne Public Transportation Website (BernMobil)Berne City Photo BlogCityHunter Bern
