Saturday had more rain; but, we were hopeful that luck might come our way with a few breaks in the weather. Off we went for the 1 1/2 hour drive to Bern, the nation’s capital, and supposedly one of the most beautiful towns in Switzerland. (Although Bern is properly Swiss, we are not sure we totally agree with its “most beautiful town” reputation). We arrived and it was pouring down buckets; but, we still had hope! After a very bad lunch (so far we are batting pretty poorly on Swiss restaurants), we finally found the flag-bedecked “Old Town” (aka Alstadt). Bern is indeed very crowded and very touristy; but still retains that wonderful Swiss charm and character. The city is noted for its fondue and Toblerone chocolate (our favorite) was created in Bern. Bern’s name has been historically linked to “bears” and it is the symbol of the city. We read that one existing legend says that the city’s founder, a duke, named Bern after the first animal hunted and killed in the area. (There does exist a bear pit in the city which we did not visit.)
The perfectly preserved medieval street plan, with it numerous and famous protected, 2.6 miles of covered walkways (arcades), street fountains and doughty towers persuaded UNESCO to deem Bern a World Heritage Site. The views, both of the Old Town’s clustered roofs and the majestic Alps on the horizon are simply lovely. The area is delightful with many small shops (& H&M!), some of which are very specialized (antique books, buttons, etc.). On many of the cobblestone streets, the only intruder is an occasional bus or tram. Both of these vehicles are electric and very quiet. They snuck up on us a few times before they sounded their horns-yikes!
In the afternoon, the rain finally subsided and it became sunny and quite warm. The Albania vs. Switzerland soccer game was playing so the bars were hopping and loud. The streets contain a number of interesting statues and are loaded with fountains. These adorable old statues with their fountains are very colorful and unique to the city. There is actually a statue of a man eating babies-very weird. Apparently, the statue represents a figure who is supposed to scare disobedient children! At the Old Town gate, there is the Zytglogge Tower-the city’s clock tower. We watched this very attractive clock performing its “modest” show hourly with barely moving figures. The tower opens up to the Kramgasse which is the main street in Old Town and is mostly a walking street that goes down to the river. Bern is one of the few cities in Switzerland that doesn’t have a lake but it does have the impossibly blue Aare River.
