Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
The Mattelift is a simple elevator at Bern which you’ll find attached to the Münsterplattform close to the cathedral. It is part of public transport and connects the city center with the lower quarter Matte which was in old times a zone for the lower class and crafts like tannery. Locals call it the Senkeltram – a tramway going up and down on a lace.
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I still remember that day when I had some hours of layover at the airport of Zürich, Switzerland. I decided to have a short trip to the city center and entered a Euro banknote into a vending machine to buy a train ticket and what came out was not only a ticket but also some spare money in a strange currency, the Schwiizerfranke. Yes, Switzerland is in the center of the European Union but not part of it and for sure it has its own currency. How could I not have expected that?
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I’m always in for a sundowner with good views. Bern offers different high-class rooftop bars but if you want something special you should visit the PinkLime for a beer, some cocktails, or classic Apéro snacks. By the way: the Apéro is not only an important tradition in France, but also in Switzerland. You meet with friends to talk and your drinks are always served with small snacks (cheese, olives, bread, dried meat, …).
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One might wonder whether there is a need for this funicular: it is only 105 meters long and the difference in height is 32 meters making it the second-shortest funicular in Europe after the Uspinjača at Zagreb. It connects the upper city center (close to the parliament, the Bundeshaus) with the city quarter Marzili.
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High above Bern the Rosengarten is a beautiful place to relax. Some people might come for the four hundred types of roses planted there, others to sit in the sun or to play. The best of course is the amazing view on the old city center and the slope of the river Aare.
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The Wankdorfstadion at Bern, Switzerland is a modern soccer stadium and home to the club BSC Young Boys. It is located in the city quarter Wankdorf, was built in 2005 and today it is known under the name Stade de Suisse. 32,000 spectators can watch soccer matches there. But to be honest, the new stadium is not the reason to visit this place – it is rather the old stadium once standing there between 1925 and 2001.
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If you’re interested in art, you’ve probably already seen some works of Paul Klee who was born in 1879 in the region of Bern. His work spans different styles from expressionism via cubism to surrealism. In 2005 the Zentrum Paul Klee was opened which has gathered 40 % of his artworks and is therefore the most comprehensive exhibition about him.
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It’s well known that the heraldic animal of Bern is the bear. That’s hard to miss because it can be found everywhere on stuff relating to the city. Why is that? The legend says that the city was named by its founder Berthold V., the duke of Zähringen, after the first animal he has slain in the area. Still today a small number of bears are held in the city, and you can visit them east of the old city center at the river Aare.
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When visiting Bern there is no way around having a look at the Berner Münster, the beautiful Gothic-style cathedral in the heart of the city. It was built starting in 1421 on the grounds of a former smaller church in this location. Most impressive detail is the portal depicting the Last Judgment with 234 figures carved out of sandstone.
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Walking through the beautiful Kramgasse at Bern is liking walking through history. The street is 330 meters long and begins at the famous Zytglogge tower. It was created in 1191 and was the most important axis of the old city. Today it is a protected UNESCO world heritage site and mostly filled with shops, restaurants, and coffee bars.
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