OVERVIEW
Switzerland has a pretty capital city. Bern is a small city with many sights, most of them dating back to the 15-th century.
Bern is also known for its Bear Pits where you can see real bears - the city’s name derives from the German word for bear.
Sights include the 12th-century Clock Tower, the botanical gardens, the Kunstmuseum (Paul Klee), the Albert Einstein House and the arcades in the center where you can shop till you drop under the vaulted arcades.
UNESCO Worldheritage
With its time-honoured sandstone buildings, historic towers and unique fountains Bern is one of the finest examples of mediaeval civic architecture in Europe. The city’s appearance has remained virtually unchanged for centuries, earning Bern a place on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Thanks to this honour the city with its popular Bear Pits (the bear is Bern’s heraldic symbol) is on a par with Rome, the Egyptian pyramids and the Taj Mahal. Bern is also the seat of the Swiss government.
Covered promenade
Thanks to 6 kilometers of arcades, Bern boasts one of the longest covered shopping promenades in Europe. Under the arcades and on squares and side streets are dozens of restaurants and cafés where you can rest and refresh yourself. And on Tuesday and Saturday mornings this is where you’ll find colorful markets for fresh vegetables, flowers and meat.
Green space galore
The River Aare is Bern’s green artery: ideal for summer dips. The river snakes round the Old Town and offers plenty of room for recreation. Just a few minutes’ walk from the rail station you can stroll along the river bank under leafy trees, surrounded by Nature.
Lively diversity
Bern is not only a World Heritage Site but also embraces modern movements of architecture and design. The Museum of Fine Art houses the world’s largest collection of Paul Klee works. Einstein developed his special theory of relativity here in Bern, and Tobler created his world-famous Toblerone chocolate. Concert hall and municipal theatre are only a few steps apart. Besides this, a lively arts scene, modern dance performances and jazz concerts add up to a rich, world-class cultural life.
At the heart of Europe
Bern is easy and fast to reach. The city is near to major European centres as well as the Alps. So it’s an ideal point of departure for unforgettable excursions to Zermatt, Lucerne, the Jungfraujoch, Lake Geneva and lots more.
GETTING AROUND
Like all cities in Switzerland, Bern is easy to get around. The best way to explore the city is on foot. The old part of the city ist relatively small and there is no better way to get the feel of it. If you are not up to walking or the weather is not good, then there is an excellent network of buses and trams that criss-cross the city. Bern is an ideal base from which to explore the Bernese Oberland. The best way to do this is by train.
GETTING THERE
Air Connections Berne-Belp (9 km/6 miles) airport offers international connections (including Amsterdam, Brussels, Florence, Frankfurt, London, Munich, Vienna and Paris). Bus connections to the centre. There is a convenient, hourly train service ('Fly Rail') to Berne from Zurich and Geneva intercontinental airports (90 and 110 minutes respectively). These connections are included in the flight ticket (common rated). Also within easy reach is Basel airport.
These 4 airports enable every visitor easy and fast access to Berne; an advantage not to be underestimated.
Rail Connections From Berne the traveller has direct connections with the international rail network (Italy, France, Germany, Benelux, Scandinavia, Spain, the 'Chunnel'), including TGV (Paris), ICE (Frankfurt, Berlin), Pendolino-Cisalpino (Milano), Talgo (Barcelona), Euronight (Rom, Firenze), Tenda (Ventimiglia, Torino), EC Albert Einstein (Praha, Munich), EC Vauban (Bruxelles - Berne - Milano), EC Monteverdi (Venezia), EC Berner Oberland (Amsterdam), EC Matterhorn (Mannheim). Berne is the only capital with 3 different high-speed trains; TGV, ICE and Pendolino-Cisalpino.
Road Connections Berne, being an important motorway intersection point, has direct connections with the European E4 network. Connection routes southwards include the car trains through the Loetschberg and the Great St. Bernhard and Gotthard road tunnels.
Swiss Travel System The Swiss Travel System offers visitors from abroad convenient public transport connections to all destinations in Switzerland, whether for transfers from and to airports and border stations, or for individual trips to discover Switzerland (e.g. travel before or after congresses).
NOTICE
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