| The Swiss capital, Bern, with a relatively small population of only 130,000, is an important city of diplomats and the site of many international organizations and meetings. It's one of the oldest and loveliest cities in Europe, with origins going back to the 12th century. Over the years the city landscape has been praised by many famous visitors, including Horace Walpole, who called it "the most Faire city." Dorothy, sister of William Wordsworth, gushed, "There is a beautiful order, solidity, gravity in this city. Berne has some exotic locales to offer to its visitors. One of the must visit sites in Berne is the City Center. Mainly medieval in architecture, the most spectacular attraction here is the Zytglogge, which is an elaborate clock tower with moving puppets. Next is the Munster, which is a 15th century Gothic cathedral. Apart from this, there is the old Town Hall, famous for its ancient sightsThe city of Berne houses plenty of museums, which explicitly represent its rich cultural, historical and imperial heritage. The Historical Museum of Bern is the second largest in Switzerland. The museum exhibits collections of history of Bern, from prehistory to the present, and other permanent exhibitions from Asia and Egypt. Bern offers an Arts and Crafts Market. The items being sold are truely lovely - water colour pictures, dolls, woodwork, knitwork, hand crafted games and toys, ceramic and clay work. The main shopping streets in Bern, Spital- and Marktgasse, are right in the centre of the Old Town of Bern. The malls. Wal- Mart, Target, J. C. Penney, Goody's and Belk's are the department store category choices. You'll find Berne Square there, one of the older shopping centers. Berne was recently updated and drew great shopping choices including newly re- located Dixon Shoes, the best choice for shoe shopping in town. Radio Shack and Big Lots are also there. There are a vast number of restaurants around the Old Town, offering all types of cuisine. The local cuisine is influenced by a combination of German, French and Italian cuisine, with a strong emphasis on German dishes. The most traditional Berne meals tend to be heavily centred on meat and potatoes. try a traditional cheese fondue. A typical Swiss fondue is made from Emmenthal and Gruyere, which is then melted in a pot with some wine. You eat it by dipping in dry crusty bread. Another Swiss- German favourite is rosti; consisting of grated potatoes fried and served with egg, ham or cheese. Switzerland is perhaps most famous for its chocolate, and a trip to Berne isn't complete without sampling some. |
