About Bern

Bern City

The city of Bern was founded in the 12th century on a spur of land in a loop of the Aare river. The city developed from ist medieval core into one of the most important cities in Switzerland and nowadays its de facto capital. A big part of the Old Town has been preserved and declared UNESCO World Heritage in 1983. However, Neolithic pile dwellings and Roman villas even prove that the history of the region goes back even further than to medieval times.

5 reasons for Bern

  • Well-preserved Old Town, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983
  • Vivid university town with short walkways, Albert Einstein had his best ideas in Bern!
  • Over 25 top museums and cultural centers, e.g. the Bernisches Historisches Museum, Einstein Museum, Zentrum Paul Klee and Museum of Fine Arts
  • 6 km of covered medieval arcades – one of the longest shopping promenades in Europe
  • The largest BearPark located entirely within a city & free access to parts of the zoo along the Aare river

The city offers state-of-the-art facilities for congresses, seminars and evening events. Thanks to the historic charm of Bern and because of its proximity to the Swiss Lakes and Alps, an attractive social program with exciting leisure activities will complement the Annual Meeting.

Brave people will do as the locals and have a swim in the Aare river; however, due to the current, you should be a confident swimmer and not be afraid of cold water temperature!

Climate

Autumn is a great season to visit Switzerland since the weather is most likely to be cooperative. September usually has very pleasant temperatures, but visitors may also be prepared for rain. Temperatures oscillerate between 20° during day and 8° during night.

Currency

The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss franc (CHF). Merchants may accept Euros but are not obliged to do so. Change given back to the client will most likely be in Swiss francs.
Credit and debit cards are widely accepted.

Opening hours

Shops usually open from 10 am to 7 pm in the city center during week and from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturdays; supermarkets are open from 7 am to 7 pm on weekdays and from 7 am to 5 pm on Saturdays. Shops and supermarkets are closed on Sundays, except for the stores at the train station.





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