Berne
Official UEFA football Euro 2008 website -
Berne
Matches - Monday 9 June, 20.45 - Group C : Holland v Italy Friday 13 June, 20.45 - Group C : Holland v France Tuesday 17 June, 20.45 - Group C : Holland v Romania
Tickets - Fair play if you've managed to bag yourself a ticket via the official UEFA ticketing website. For the rest of us it'll be the usual hanging around train stations, haggling with touts for overpriced, unwanted corporate cast-offs. The main train station is located to the west side of the Old Town. Keep an eye out for scousers in tracksuits. Stadium - The hilariously named Stade de Suisse Wankdorf has a capacity of 32,000 and is situated a mile or so north-east of the Old Town. Buses run direct to the stadium from the main train station every five minutes on matchdays. Special trains also make the short five minute journey. Ultra Culture - BSC Young Boys are one of Switzerland's better known clubs and pull crowds of around 17,000 to Das Wankdorf. The ultras are known as the Ostkurve.
THE CITY
Overview - With its UNESCO protected medieval Old Town enclosed on three sides by a tight bend in the River Aire, Berne feels more like a market town than a capital city. Renowned for its nightlife, it also has a fantastic urban Summer beach scene centred around the free swimming pools and river in the Marzili parkland below the parliament. Airport & Transfers - Bern-Belp Airport - 3.5 miles south-east of Bern, linked by scheduled shuttle buses costing CHF14. Taxi's take 20mins and cost CHF50. Nightlife - Despite its size, Berne has a thriving nightlife scene, with countless bars and clubs to get in amongst in the Old Town. There are also plenty of bars in front of the parliament building. Shopping - Main shopping thoroughfares are Spitalgasse and Marktgasse in the heart of the Old Town.
Further reading -
The Rough Guide to Switzerland - Edition 3
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