Berne is the capital city of Switzerland and was the location of the 1954 FIFA World Cup final. Along with Geneva, Basel and Zurich it is one of the country’s four UEFA EURO 2008™ venues. The city’s mayor Alexander Tschäppät cannot wait for the competition to begin and has issued a personal greeting for the fans preparing to come to the tournament.

Welcome to Berne. UEFA EURO 2008™ is expected to be a massive festival for the people of the city and our guests from all over Europe. We are hoping that everyone who comes to Berne will have a memorable time. We want to host a UEFA European Championship that first and foremost caters for the fans. For that reason we are working on a Berne Framework Programme. It’s still too early to divulge any of the details but you can be sure that we have some great plans in store.

On schedule
We started work on the project a long time ago and we are well on track to have it finished on schedule. Those responsible for the project have visited several of the German cities that staged games during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, as we aim to learn from previous tournaments to enrich the footballing experience for you, the fans. We have also started a slogan competition for UEFA EURO 2008™. The people of Berne have the opportunity to either vote for one of four pre-selected slogans or enter a suggestion of their own. So far we have received 1,500 entries for a possible slogan, which is a sign of how committed the people of Berne are to hosting matches.
Public viewing
Following the success of the World Cup in Germany, we have come to the conclusion that Berne should offer the public the opportunity to get together and watch the games on a giant screen in the city. We have decided that the Bundesplatz is the perfect place for such an event. Right now we cannot say exactly how many other locations will be available for public viewings but over the coming weeks and months, we will discuss our options with the relevant authorities and organisations.
Proud mayor
I am very proud and am looking forward to UEFA EURO 2008™ immensely. The World Cup in Germany was a major success which highlighted the amazing passion that football can generate. However, we all know that in the football world following on from success is often the hardest step. That is why thorough preparation is so crucial. The city of Berne is hoping to be the ideal host and we will do everything in our power to make those hopes a reality.

Berne’s city center is largely medieval and has been recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural World Heritage Site. Perhaps its most famous sight is the Zytglogge, an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets. It also has an impressive 15th century Gothic cathedral, the Münster, and a 15th century town hall. Thanks to 6 kilometers of arcades, the old town boasts one of the longest covered shopping promenades in Europe.

Since the 16th century, the city has had a bear pit (the Bärengraben), which can be visited off the far end of the Nydeggbrücke. The Federal Palace (Bundeshaus), dating from 1902, which houses the national parliament and part of the federal administration, can also be visited.

Einstein lived in an apartment at the Kramgasse 49, the site of the Einsteinhaus, from 1903 to 1905, the year in which the Annus Mirabilis Papers were published.

The Garden of Roses (Rosengarten), from where a scenic panorama view of the medieval city core can be enjoyed, is a well-kept Rosary on a hill, converted into a park from a former cemetery in 1913.

Berne’s most recent sight is the set of fountains in front of the Federal Palace. It was inaugurated on August 1, 2004.

Berne features many heritage sites of national significance.[1] Apart from the entire Old Town and many sites within it, these include the Bärengraben, the Gewerbeschule Bern (1937), the Eidgenössisches Archiv für Denkmalpflege, the Kirchenfeld mansion district (after 1881), the Thunplatzbrunnen, the Federal Mint building, the Federal Archives, the Swiss National Library, the Historical Museum (1894), Alpine Museum, Museum of Communication and Natural History Museum.

Berne lies in the Swiss plateau part of the Canton of Berne, somewhat west of the center of Switzerland. The landscape around Berne was formed by glaciers in the last ice age. The two mountains closest to Berne are the Gurten with a height of 858 meters and the Bantiger with a height of 947 meters. The site of the old observatory in Berne is the origin (600 000/200 000) of the CH1903 coordinate system, its international coordinates are 46°57′08.66″N, 7°26′22.50″E.

The city was originally built on a mountain engulfed by the river Aar but outgrew the natural boundaries of the river in the 19th century. The following bridges were built to allow the city to grow outside of the boundaries imposed by the river:

    * 1844 Nydeggbrücke (at the bottom, i.e. the East-End)
    * 1883 Kirchenfeldbrücke (at the South-side)
    * 1898 Kornhausbrücke (at the North-side)

The city is built on very uneven ground. There are several dozens of meters in height difference from the quarters down at the Aar (e.g. Matte, Marzili) to the higher ones (e.g. Kirchenfeld, Länggasse).