Experience in Bern, Switzerland by Leonie

What is it like to live in Bern? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Bern is a quiet, rather small town where it is easy to relax and to enjoy peaceful days. In summer it is highly recommendable to visit Bern because the weather is quite good and it's beautiful to be outside, enjoy the riverside or the view over the city.

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In autumn and winter the days might be rainy or snowy and it's cold outside. However, even then Bern is a nice place to stay because within less than an hour you can reach the mountains and ski regions.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Bern?

There are student parties every week on Thursday. All in all the party life in Bern is not that good as there is not always something going on so if you really wish to go for clubbing you might just want to visit Zurich or other bigger cities during the weekends.

There are no real campuses where the universities are located, however one can easily find places to study, grab drinks with friends or eat their meals. In winter there are a few festivities in the town and in summer everyone just meets up in the Marzili or other places nearby the Aare river and they stay there until late night swimming, sun bathing and having BBQs.

So summed up we could say the student lifestyle in Bern is not the most exciting one but on the other hand you for sure will find ways to spend your free time and to enjoy the atmosphere of the city.

How much does it cost to live in Bern?

Yes, it is quite expensive to live here but Bern is not the most expensive city of Switzerland.

Approximate prices:

• Meal in a restaurant - 20 CHF
• Coffee in a bar - 4 CHF
• Ticket for cinema - 15 CHF
• Entry fee for club - 12 CHF
• Drink in club - 6 CHF
• Bottle of water - 2 CHF

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Bern? Is there any advice you can give?

It might be difficult to find accomodation close to the university. However, if you keep in mind that the public transportation services are very good and everything is very well connected, it shouldn't be a huge problem to find an accomodation. It might be a good idea to just look for a place to stay in Bümpliz or Ostermundigen and not in the city itself.

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Also its highly reccommendable to have a look at websites such as students.ch or wgzimmer.ch if you are looking for a room in a shared flat.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

There are plenty of restaurants in the city and they offer various food. The italian cuisine is very popular, there are lots of italian restaurant or pizzerias.

Typical Swiss food is Fondue or Raclette, both of which are made with a lot of cheese. However, if you want to try typical Swiss food you must be aware that they are often overpaid in restaurant so a better option might be to eat them at a friends home.

There are some regional dishes which you might want to try as well: the Bärnerplatte from Bern, the Zürcher Gschnätzlets from Zurich and so on.

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What places would you recommend visiting in Bern?

In Bern itself I would defintely recommend to visit the following places:

• Rosengarten - a park or a garden with lots of flowers, trees and benches to relax. From up there you have one of the most beautiful views over the city.
• Gurten - in July there is a music festival. It's the "house- mountain" of Bern and it's defintely worth a visit.
• Reithalle - a house full of culture and music. Politicians are discussing whether or not it should be demolished and used for something.
• Marzili- is a outdoor pool, the pure life in summer months. Literally everyone is there so just join in!
• Tierpark Dählhölzli - Zoo (free entrance! ) Nice especially for families but if you like to visit flamingos, wolves and owls then why not give it a try?

Is it good to eat out in Bern? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

It's good to eat out in Bern just be aware that in the town centre the costs are high.

Personally I like the Tibits a lot, it's an international vegetarian restaurant and there are two of them in Bern in walking distance to the train station.

Also, if you like the indian cuisine try out "Tulsi" (Freiestrasse 65 next to the VonRoll-Areal) or "Okra" (Lorrainestrasse 9).

Italian restaurants aren't hard to find, a good one with wood stove pizzas is the "Ristorante Celina" (Spitalgasse 2).

Is the nightlife good in Bern? Where is good to go?

As mentioned above, the nightlife in Bern could be better. The Erasmus or student parties often take place in the Dû Théâtre or the Le Ciel club. Both are nice clubs but not that big.

Apart from these two nice places to spend a night are the Reithalle, the Rondel or the Turnhalle. If there is a great event or a party you can often buy tickets from the universities for a good price. Also check tillate.ch or usgang.ch to look for events coming soon.

What advice would you give future students heading to Bern?

The weather might not always be nice, brung good clothes.

Get information about how to get around easily and what ticket for public transportation is the one you need in order to get out and around the city. It is a very nice city but you will eventually want to explore the surroundings and getting around by train is by far the most convenient and easiest way.

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If your main goal is to party as much and as hard as possible, Bern might not be the best choice, I'm afraid.

However, the best advice I can give is to just smile and enjoy.