When in Bern
Bern's location in the centre of Switzerland makes it a wonderful location for exploring the rest of the country, be it the Alps, the Bernese Oberland, Lake Geneva, the Jura or the Swiss interior. However, visitors will surely also want to spend a day or two exploring this charming city to, especially the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that is the Old Town.
A walking tour in the Old Town is a delight and you will come across many beguiling sites as you potter around. The Clock Tower (Zeitglockenturm) dates back to the 12th century, although the ornate clock seen on its front today was introduced in 1530.
Nearby you will find the French Church, which is the city's oldest surviving place of worship. Built in the late 13th century, it was originally part of the Dominican Monastery but has since housed Protestants and Huguenot refugees.
Visitors will be unable to avoid the city's fountains, of which there are over 100. Some 11 of them still contain the 16th century statues, each of which has a story to tell.
The Botanical Gardens, on the north side of the river are also well worth a stroll around. The gardens house an enormous selection of Alpine plants as well as offerings from other continents. There are also a number of large greenhouses where special exhibitions take place.
At 49 Kramgasse, it is possible to see where Albert Einstein, who once worked as a patent clerk in the city, published his theory of relativity in 1905. Visitors can look around the large apartment, which has been in some cases preserved and in others, returned to its original state.
Those wishing to fly in to Bern have a number of options. Direct flights to Bern-Belp are regular and the airport is just a 20-minute bus ride in to the centre of town. Alternatively, from Zurich airport, direct trains head in to both Bern, stopping at the main station, and the city's airport and take around an hour and a quarter. Geneva's airport is further away, but again it offers fine train links to both the airport and the city.
Visitors arriving by train from outside the country are also wonderfully served, with high speed services descending on Bern from France, Germany and Italy and there are slightly slower, but nevertheless still efficient services on less populated routes.
Once settled in the city, tourists will enjoy the simplicity of the tram and bus systems, which fan out in all directions from the main train station. Buy your tickets from the automatic machines next to all stops. Moonliner night buses do a roaring trade from Thursday to Saturday. The city also operates the fantastic Bern Rolls scheme. On the production of an ID card and a small deposit, visitors can cycle around the city for free. Electric bikes and scooters are also available.
|
Introduction
