Zytglogge. ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zytglogge. ree. The Clock Tower near the center of the old town, built around the turn of the 13th century, is a great thing to see. On the hour, every hour throughout the day, there is a stunning display of early animatronic technology. The locals are proud to tell you it's "the longest running act in show business". A few minutes before the hour, it begins with a little song and some drumming by a jester on top. On the hour, bears and an old bearded king get into the act. It's great for kids to see. The clock tells time too, as well as the month, day, sign of the zodiac and phase of the moon. There are guided tours inside the tower that will let you have a look at the clockwork while the show is displayed outside. It can be booked at the tourist office and is definitely worth it if you love mechanics.
.
Do
Bear Pits. pening hours: Summertime: 8AM - 5:30PM, Wintertime: 9AM - 4PM. ree. Berne is inseparably linked with bears. According to legend the city_fs founder, Duke Berchtold V von Zahringen, 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. Members of the RSPCA 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. The Bear Pits can be easily reached by bus number 12 from the railway station in Berne in direction Zentrum Paul Klee.
Gurten. ttp://www.gurtenpark.ch/. ree. The Gurten 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 [http://www.gurtenbahn.ch/], a panorama train that will bring you on top in just 5 minutes, round-trip tickets are CHF 9 for adults or CHF 4.50 for children (BernCard is valid), 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.
Rosengarten. ttp://www.berninfo.com/en/navpage.cfm?category=SightsBET&subcat=AttractionsBET&id=32451. 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. The Rosengarten can be easily reached by bus number 12 from the railway station in Berne in direction Zentrum Paul Klee.
SC Bern. The SCB is Berne's ice-hockey team. The stadium is the second largest in Europe and is regularly sold out, producing an impressive atmosphere in the arena. It is also mentionable that the SC Bern boasts the highest average attendance outside the NHL. To get there, just take Tram Nr. 9 towards Guisanplatz and get off at the terminal stop.
Swimming in the river Aare. On 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 Anlagen" to the Lorraine) or the "Bremgartenschlaufe" are only to be done by good swimmers accompanied by experienced locals.<br>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.
Tramdepot. ttp://www.altestramdepot.ch/htm/e_home.htm. Just next to the bear pits you'll find the tram depot, the old final station of Berne's first tramway. The building now houses the town's most popular brewpub, and the tourist office, with free shows on the city's history at regular intervals.
Events
Gurtenfestival. ttp://www.gurtenfestival.ch/. day pass CHF 75, 2 days 115, 3 days 155, 4 days 195. In July the Gurten hill is host for an open air festival with many national and international music acts. During these four days you will find a party crowd of up to 25'000 people on the hill day and night.
International Jazzfestival Bern. ttp://www.jazzfestivalbern.ch/html/home_e.htm. A jazz festival with international reputation is held in Berne every year since 1976.
Buskers Bern. ttp://www.buskersbern.ch/. Since a few years the annual street musician festival is taking place in the picturesque old town streets. You don't need to buy a ticket but are encouraged to buy a festival pin or give donations to the musicians which come from all around the world.
Learn
Berne is home to the prestigious University of Berne [http://www.unibe.ch/eng/] which currently enrolls approximately 13,000 students. In addition, the city has the University of Applied Science also known as Berner Fachhochschule. There are also many vocational schools and an office of the Goethe Institut.
Work
Buy
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 7PM from Monday to Friday, except on Thursdays they remain open untill 9PM. On Saturdays everything must close by 5PM. 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. arbergergasse 16-18. 41 (0)31 318 26 56. pen M,Tu,W,F 10AM-6:30PM, Th 10AM-9PM, and Sa 10AM-5PM. Unique toys and kitsch collectibles pack the walls of this cramped space.
Krompholz Music. pitalgasse 28. ust around the corner from the main train station. 41 (0)31 311 3489. nfo@krompholz.ch. ttp://www.krompholz.ch. pen Mon to Sat 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 folk.
Eat
Eating in Berne (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.
Budget
Beaulieu. rlachstrasse 3. 41 (0)31 301 24 59. 41 (0)31 305 86 55. ttp://www.restaurantbeaulieu.ch. pen Mon to Thur 8AM - 11:30PM, Fri 8AM -00:30AM, Sat 10AM - 10PM . 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. ramgasse 49. 41 (0)31 318 28 28. aniel@pastamania.ch. 41 (0)31 318 28 29. ttp://www.pastamania.ch. pen Mon to Fri 9AM to 11:30PM, Sat 7:30AM to 3PM. HF 18-25 for the main dish. CHF 8-14 for appetizers.. Located in the same house as the ''Einsteinhaus'', this very small restaurant serves some very good pasta dishes.
Sous le Pont. 41 (0)31 306 69 55. lp@reitschule.ch. ttp://www.souslepont.ch. pen Tue to Fri 11:30AM to 2:30PM and 6PM to Midnight, Sat 7PM to Midnight, Sun 10AM to 4PM. A nice restaurant in the ''Reitschule'' complex which serves excellent dishes at affordable prices.
Wabere. erechtigkeitsgasse 68. 41 (0)31 311 42 58. 41 (0)31 312 20 67. 1AM to 11PM except Sun. HF 14-24. Excellent soups, a good rendering of Swiss standards, such as cheese fondue, and an decent number of veggie choices. Many items available in half portions.
Mid-range
Cafe Federal. arenplatz 31. 41 (0)31 311 16 24. ttp://www.entrecote.ch. Stylish, modern atmosphere and international cuisine. Situated in front of the Bundeshaus, its popularity amongst politicians during the "Session" is legendary. Specializes in Entrecotes (a kind of steak), but has other dishes, including vegetarian ones.
Kornhaus. ornhausplatz 18. 41 (0)31 327 72 70. 41 (0)31 327 72 71. ttp://www.kornhaus.org/kkeller.html. HF 26-45 for the main dish. CHF 9-14 for appetizers.. 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.
Schmiedstube. chmiedenplatz 5. 41 (0)31 311 34 61. ttp://www.schmiedstube.com. pen Mon to Sat 8:30AM - 11:30PM. German, French, Italian, English and Spanish spoken. This traditional Swiss restaurant is well known for its typical dishes, such as Roschti, Cordon Bleu, Alplermakkaronen. 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.
Vatter. arenplatz 2. ttp://www.vatter.ch. rocery: 9AM to 5PM, Restaurant: 10AM to 10PM daily. HF 8-20. 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. It serves excellent beer from the Locher Brewery in Appenzelland has a balcony overlooking Barenplatz.
Splurge
Bellevue Palace. ochergasse 3-5. 41 (0)31 320 45 45. 41 (0)31 47 43. ttp://www.bellevue-palace.ch. Berne's N__ 1 address. Stylish hotel and restaurant; has its price. Go there when the Parliament is in session, and you may very well see the president of Switzerland having lunch.
Drink
Many 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. 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. orrainestrasse 2. ust across Lorraine Bridge from the city center. 41 (0)31 332 23 38. .
Cafe Cairo. Another nice choice in the same area as Du Nord.
Kornhaus Cafe. ornhausplatz 18. 41 (0)31 327 72 70. Posh but nice and near the center.
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. ornhausplatz 14. 41 (0)31 311 64 86. 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.
Dampfzentrale. arzilistrasse 47. 41 (0)31 310 05 40. ttp://www.dampfzentrale.ch. In this former electricity facility you'll find an excellent restaurant and bar, along with lots of cultural pearls. They specialize in urban, jazzy, electronic music and dance performances. Definitely a gem!
PROGR_center for cultural production. aisenhausplatz 30/ Speichergasse 4. 41 (0)31 318 82 70. ttp://www.progr.ch/. 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 CafeBar Turnhalle is a real oasis. From September to June, they offer a cultural program with exhibitions of experimental and contemporary art, theater, performance, lectures and regular concerts on Sunday nights (jazz- connected, world women voices).
Reitschule. eubruckstrasse 8. 41 (0)31 306 69 69. ttp://www.reitschule.ch/. Next to the central train station is Berne's most important center for alternative culture. The huge brick building is visible from far, easy to recognize by its abundant graffiti art on the facade 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, metalheads or dj babu. The center as a whole is a unique experience and a must-see for anyone who has an interest in contemporary urban culture, but proceed with caution, as the square in front of the Reitschule is also home to one of Bern's open drug scenes, with dealers perpetually hanging around. There are occasional reports of people being beaten up or robbed.
Silo Bar. uhlenplatz 11. 41 (0)31 311 54 12. ttp://www.silobar.ch. Also in the Matte, this is 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).
Wasserwerk Club"Wasserwerkgasse 5 directions=". ttp://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.
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.
Budget
Landhaus. otel-Restaurant Landhaus. ear the bear pit. 41 (0)31 331 41 66. andhaus@spectraweb.ch. 41 (0)31 332 69 04. ttp://www.landhausbern.ch. eception is open until 10. HF 90-160. A cute, friendly, and well-kept place with a good restaurant and bar downstairs. (''If they are fully booked ask to crash in the TV room, CHF 34'')
Berne backpackers - Hotel Glocke. athausgasse 75. 41 (0)31 311 37 71. nfor@bernbackpackers.com. 41 (0)31 311 10 08. ttp://www.bernbackpackers.com. rices from CHF 31.- per person, per night. 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.
Youth Hostel. eihergasse 4. 41 (0)31 311 63 16. ttp://www.jugendherberge.ch. 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, the security is lacking though, and theft is common in the dorms, given the area the hostel is located in.
Mid-range
Astoria Swiss Quality Hotel. ieglerstrasse 66. ttp://www.swissqualityhotels.com/Hotels/switzerland/Bern/Astoria/index.asp?_lang=en. Tastefully renovated 3*-hotel with a friendly and informal atmosphere, close to the city centre on the _gEigerplatz_h (motorway exit _gBerne Forsthaus_h). Awarded Swiss Tourism_fs 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.
Bern**** Swiss Quality Hotel. eughausgasse 9, CH-3011. 66. 5. otelbern@hotelbern.ch. 41 (0)31 329 22 99. Charming hotel in the city center of Bern, only 600m from the main station away and 10km from the airport Bern Belp. Single room from 245CHF, double room from 280CHF (rates from february 2009). <br />www.hotelbern.ch www.SwissQualityHotels.com
Kreuz. eughausgasse 41, CH-3011. 66. 5. nfo@hotelkreuz-bern.ch. 41 (0)31 329 95 96. Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Located 500m from the railway station directly in the city center. Single room from 144CHF, double room from 208CHF (rates from low season 2009).<br />www.hotelkreuz-bern.ch www.SwissQualityHotels.com
Metropole. eughausgasse 26, CH-3000. 66. 5. nfo@hotelmetropole.ch. 41 (0)31 329 94 95. Member of Swiss Quality Hotels International. Located 600m from the railway station directly in the city center. Single room from 132CHF, double room from 184CHF (rates of 2009).<br />www.hotelmetropole.ch www.SwissQualityHotels.com
Splurge
Bellevue Palace. ochergasse 3 - 5. 41 (0)31 320 45 45. ttp://www.bellevue-palace.ch. oubles from CHF 350 per night, presidential suite from CHF 2500 a night.. 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.
Hotel Bern. eughausgasse 9. +41 (0)31 329 22 22. 41 (0)31 329 22 99. ttp://www.hotelbern.ch/hotelbern.html?&L=2. oubles start at CHF 180.. 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.
Contact
Stay safe
Berne is a very safe place with nearly no violent crime. However, as it is the capital of Switzerland, it sees political demonstrations every few weeks on a variety of subjects, occasionally leading to police intervention.
The central railway station often hosts drunks and vagrants at night, which is a nuisance but in general not dangerous.
Recently there has been a slight increase in violence from young people.
There have been problems with police assuming that any Black, East European, or Arab person without an ID card or passport is an illegal immigrant, and treating them accordingly. So keep your ID-cards or passports with you.
The surroundings of the ''Reitschule'' on the outskirts of downtown, are notorious for drug dealers and even violence.
Cope
Get out
Berne is an ideal gateway to the Bernese Highlands. You can make day trips to many famous and/or beautiful locations, like Spiez, Interlaken, Grindelwald, Jungfraujoch or Gstaad.
Bienne
Interlaken
Thun