Efficient and ultra-civilised

Berne (or Bern, depending on which language you’re speaking) is, in common with many Swiss cities, a friendly, efficient and ultra-civilised place in which to spend some time. Perched beautifully on the banks of the River Aare, it’s full of pretty terraced streets, red-tiled roofs, genteel shopping arcades, well-kept gardens and beautiful fountains. No wonder the entire Old Town is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.

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Must see:
To get your bearings and set your watch, head straight for the Zytglogge (or ‘time bell’), a pristine medieval astronomical clock tower that, in this nation of horologists, is still in perfect working order. If you’re lucky, you can even catch a guided tour of it’s remarkable inner workings.

Must eat at:
For a fabulous view across the rooftops and beyond, head to Meridiano in the Allegro hotel for French cuisine with an Italian twist.

Must be there for:
In the middle of July, head up to the top of the Gurten, Berne’s local mountain, for the city’s annual music festival, the imaginatively named Gurtenfestival. Everyone from Scissor Sisters to David Gray and Basement Jaxx have played here in recent years.

Well-travelled tips:
· Visit the Einsteinhaus on Kramgasse to pay homage to the spot where the great man devised the Theory of Relativity while working at the local patent office.
· Take the local 106 metre long funicular and to catch a lift on the second shortest public railway in Europe.

Visa:
British citizens do not need a visa to visit Switzerland.

Duty free shopping:
Berne is outside of the EU so you can benefit from duty free prices on certain items purchased when travelling to Berne through our terminals. More information.