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Bern

Clock tower.

For whom the bell tolls

Every hour passers by gather underthe historic clock tower to watch itscharming mechanical figures cometo life. Four minutes before the strokeof the bell a cock crows, a proces-sion of musical bears sets off on itsrounds, and a jester mischievouslyrings in the new hour in advance.

Marzili lido.

 All in the Aare

In summer, the best thing in Bern isto go with the flow. Of the River Aare,to be precise. You change at thelegendary Marzili open-air lido (freeentry), walk upstream, and let thecurrent carry you back down again.The Marzili is one of the favouriterendezvous of the Bernese.

Federal Palace.

Epicentre of Swiss politics

The Federal Palace (Bundeshaus),with its trademark cupola, is theseat of Switzerland’s governmentand federal parliament. Constructionbegan in 1852 and was completedin 1902, with work by 38 artists.The busy Bundesplatz in front is thesetting for delightful water displaysin warmer months.

 The arcades.

Staying dry in the Old Town

Six kilometres of medieval arcadeslead through the romantic and bus-tling alleys of Bern’s Old Town, fromthe railway station via the Bundes-platz and down to the celebratedbear pits. All of which makes themone of the longest covered shoppingpromenades in the world.

 

Bern

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Rose garden.

 A fragrant oasis

223 varieties of roses, 200 differentirises, and 28 kinds of rhododen-dron: this may sound like a fairytalegarden, but its appearance is betterstill. Located high above the OldTown, this spacious park also offersglorious views of Bern’s medievalhouses and the river below.

Westside.

Shopping and living

In October 2008, Bern gained a new,world-class emblem: Westside, ashopping centre, leisure complexand pool-and-spa facility (Bernaqua,the largest in Switzerland) in one.The complex, designed by celebrat-ed architect Daniel Libeskind, is setin nature and forms a counterpointto the nearby Old Town.

Cathedral.

Stairway to heaven

Dominating the Old Town is the larg-est and most important late-medie-val sacred building in Switzerland,its portal decorated with world-fa-mous, exquisitely worked sandstonefigures. 344 steps lead to the towergallery, 64 metres up. The view overthe old town is terrific.

Einstein Museum.

Rendezvous with a genius

 A representation of the Milky Wayleads into the world of Albert Ein-stein. This is the largest exhibitionin the world devoted to the greatphysicist; as well as throwing lighton his ground-breaking theory ofrelativity, the Einstein Museum isa fascinating tribute to his life andtimes.

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Winter guests

Europe's birds feel right at home in Switzerland when the air turns cold.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of water fowl spend the winter in Switzerland. For the past 60 years, volunteers have counted them, with results that show how important Swiss waterways are as a refuge for these birds.

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Fall in love

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it." George Eliot

Yes, the days are shorter and you can't leave the house in a T-shirt, but just look at the kaleidoscopic countryside! Few countries do autumn as well as Switzerland. (All pictures: Keystone)