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Practicalities
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Bern's main
train station
is at the western end of the old centre; cross Bahnhofplatz and turn left to reach Spitalgasse. The
tourist office
is in the station (June-Sept daily 9am-8.30pm; Oct-May Mon-Sat 9am-6.30pm, Sun 10am-5pm; tel 031/328 12 12,
www.bernetourism.ch
), plus a desk at the BA¤rengraben (daily 9/10am-4/6pm). The riverside
HI hostel
, Weihergasse 4 (tel 031/311 63 16,
www.jugibern.ch
; A?10-15/$16-24), is below the Bundeshaus; the quality SB
Landhaus
, Altenbergstrasse 4 (tel 031/331 41 66,
www.backpacker.ch
; A?10-15/$16-24), and
Glocke
, very central at Rathausgasse 75 (tel 031/311 37 71; A?10-15/$16-24), both have dorms and rooms.
Eichholz
A
campsite
, Strandweg 49 (tel 031/961 26 02; closed Oct-March), is a fifteen-minute tram ride (#9) towards Wabern. For
eating
,
Manora
, just off Bahnhofplatz, has filling cheap food, and the popular
Reitschule
, a dilapidated squat-cum-arts centre beside the tracks northeast of the station, offers a Sfr5 meal daily along with its cheap beer and liberal dope-smoking policy. Cosy
Brasserie Lorraine
, Quartiergasse 17, has a top Sunday brunch;
CafA© Bubenberg Vegi
, Bubenbergplatz 8 upstairs, quality veggie menus for Sfr15;
Anker
tavern, Kornhausplatz 16, serves fondue and
RA¶sti
; and the old Toblerone factory at LA¤nggassstrasse 49a (bus #12), now absorbed by the university, has a lively student cafA© at the back. There's no shortage of good
cafA©/bars
, including plenty ringing BA¤renplatz;
CafA© des PyrA©nA©es
, a jovial hangout on Kornhausplatz for artists, alcoholics and others with loud voices;
Drei Eidgenossen
, Rathausgasse 69; traditional
KlA¶tzlikeller
, Gerechtigkeitsgasse 62; or the colourful
Art'CafA©
, Gurtengasse 3. The
Reitschule
and
Dampfzentrale
, Marzilistrasse 47, are the two premier venues for
live music
and dance;
U1
, Junkerngasse 1, is a DJ-bar in an old-town cellar;
ISC
, NeubrA?ckstrasse 10, is a student gig venue.
Listings
are in
Berner Woche
, the Thursday supplement to
Der Bund
newspaper, free from many cinemas; the free fortnightly
Bern aktuell
has information and some listings. Bern hosts a carnival in February, a major jazz festival in May and a huge open-air rock event in July. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Switzerland,
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