Berne
Spectacularly located on a peninsula formed by a river bend, calm Berne will become a cauldron of noise and color. (Getty Images)
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In normal circumstances, Switzerland's capital city is a place of immense placidity and calm, where the only raised voices are those occasionally heard in the national parliament. Yet all that is set to change this summer.
Holland will play all three of their group games in Berne and the raucous ranks of the Oranje army, plus fans from other Group C teams, France, Italy and Romania, will turn this elegant, picturesque city into a cauldron of noise and color.
Spectacularly located on a narrow peninsula formed by a bend in the river Aare, Berne does not particularly have a feel of the cosmopolitan capital. Self-serving social posers are few and far between. The people are arguably the friendliest in the country. And even the cuisine is unpretentious, based on sauerkraut, meat and potatoes.
Visitors to Berne can only marvel at its beauty. The imposing Bundeshaus (Swiss Federation), the fascinating cobblestone streets, sandstone streets, painted fountains and long-covered arcades cut into virtually every building in the Old Town. These medieval walkways are not only pleasing on the eye, as they have a real practical purpose of enabling pedestrians to go from one end of the city to the other without feeling a drop of rain. Locals call such strolls lauben (arcading).
Euro 2008 organizers aim to complement Berne's status as a World Landmark City with a warm welcome to football followers. The base camp for Dutch fans and others will be in the two Fan Zones in the city center. One on Bundesplatz by the Parliament, where 22,000 will be entertained, fed and watered while watching all the championship thrills and spills. The second is only a few hundred yards to the north on Waisenhausplatz with room for 8,000 revelers.
The setting for tournament's main events, such as Holland vs. France and Holland vs. Italy, the 31,783-capacity Stade de Suisse was built between 2001 and 2005 on the site of the old Wankdorf Stadium, where West Germany famously tore up the formbook to beat overwhelming favorites Hungary in the 1954 World Cup Final.
The new arena has its strong points, notably its comfort, accessibility, food concessions and the solar panels in the roof to supply all its energy needs. But supporters of more advanced years still persist that it does not have the charm and atmosphere of its predecessor. They may have another opinion come June.
The Stade de Suisse can be reached in three minutes on one of the frequent S Bahn trains from the city center to Wankdorf station close to the stadium (Lines S1, S2, S3, S4 or S44). Alternatively hop on Bus 28 from the town center, getting off at Wankdorfplatz, or tram 40 or 41 to Wankdorf Centre.
Like everywhere else in Switzerland, Berne's public transport system – its S Bahn suburban trains, trams and buses – is a cut above the norm. Single tickets cost 2 Swiss francs, while a Berne Card, which offers unlimited travel locally and free admission to museums, is available for 20 francs for 24 hours or 31 francs for two days. Buy tickets from the automatic dispenser at stops.
The city's main railway station (Hauptbahnhof) is a huge complex, complete with numerous shops and services and can be found a short walk to the northwest of the Parliament.
Culinary specialities include the Bernerplatte – pork, tongue, ribs, bacon and sausage heaped onto a pole of sauerkraut and surrounded by boiled potatoes. It's always delicious, but don't go for it unless you've worked up an appetite. Another carnivorous highlight is Gshnatzlets, which is fried veal, beef or pork.
Good news for fans of the Squadra Azzurri is that Italian restaurants abound here, one of the best being Lorenzini on Marktgasse Passage. Bills at Spaghetti Factor on Kornhausplatz come cheaper, but its pasta still hits the spot.
Barenplatz to the north of the Parliament hosts a wide range of cafes and restaurants, many offering value-for-money set lunches. The same square also has a daily fruit and vegetable market and is a good spot for evening bar hopping. A fine local brew is Felsenau, especially its "Barner Muntschi."
For mainstream shopping head for Marktgasse and Spitalgasse, the latter home to the excellent Globus department store and the wonderful Abegglen chocolate store.
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