accommodation and food in Bern anyone?
 

Hi all

I'm hoping to travel to Bern (easy to get to from London and supposed to be beautiful) in early September for a 10-14 day break and wanted a recommendation for a nice, relaxing, quiet place to stay that won't break the bank.

I'd also like a recommendation for some nice places to eat. I'm vegetarian (but love good food and patisserie), but I'm assuming that, if I managed, miraculously, to survive amazingly well in France two years' back, Bern shoudn't be a problem.

Looking forward to hearing the suggestions.

Thanks in anticipation

Tim

Oh, Tim, you'll receive numerous replies here I'm sure. Some suggesting that you base elsewhere. I love Bern but have never stayed there, so I cannot offer practical contributions. (My four stays in the area have been in Leissigne on Thunnersee, Brienz, and Rivaz on Lac Leman.)

What I can say is that you will be in the absolute best place for rail daytrips. Over my four stays in those three locations, I visited wonderful towns and villages like Solothurn, Lausanne, Avenches, Fribourg, Murten, Chateau d'Oex, Gruyeres, Geneve, Montreux (and Chillon), Vevey, St. Saphorin, and the wonderful vineyard walks along the Lavaux shores of Leman.

September should be a delightful time of the year. I hope you have a wonderful break.
J.

Hi J,

Thanks so much for your reply. Always great to hear from other travellers. My GP tells me that I need fresh air and rest (even though I'm a fit and healthy 42!), hence my Swiss destination.

I'm not intending making this a whirlwind tour of Switzerland, though knowing what I'm like, I'll probably want to do as much as possible.

What's the weather like in September?

All best wishes

Tim

I spent one night in Bern last year and thought it was lovely. I would have loved to have spent more time there.

We stayed at the Hotel Belle Epoque, which which recommended to me by another poster, and we loved it- the rooms are attractive and comfortable, and the hotel breakfast is quite good.

http://www.belle-epoque.ch/

I'd stay in Vevey or Montreux instead and day trip to Bern.

Hello again, Tim.

Now that suze has begun the "stay somewhere smaller" crusade, I'll come back to agree with her. For fresh air and rest, you might consider splitting your time into two bases, maybe a village or town on Lac Leman (be sure to locate close to the vineyards of the lavaux--many walking paths through the hillside vineyards with views of the lake and mountains beyond), and another small place on the lakes of Brienz or Thun, or even a mountain village above.

All of the lake towns are well connected for rail daytrips to a huge list of targets, plus the possibility of numerous boatrides. If you purchase a Swiss Pass, the boats, trains, and busses are covered.

Again, I am very fond of Bern and find it to be a graceful old city of arcaded walks and charming painted fountains. However, for fresh air and rest, I would certainly opt for staying in a smaller place and visiting Bern by train. You will love Switzerland, Tim.

My more recent visits to the small Hotel Panorama in Gerra on Lago Maggiore near Locarno have saved my physical and mental health. Others here will share with you that the villages of the Engadine are the answer to your quest. For a first taste, though, I can think of no better solution than a combo of the lakes I mentioned at the top of this post (one french-speaking and one swiss/german).
J.

I agree with the posters who suggested to stay elsewhere, visit Bern as a side trip. We stayed in Bern but if I'd have preferred staying in a bigger city instead. In Bern we thought that the Goldener Schlussel was a good hotel.

tim2~ let us know what you decide.
all the best, suze

I stayed in Bern for a week in September of '05. I found it very centrally located for taking day trips.

I stayed here:
http://www.hotelnydeck.ch/pages/english.php

You can walk to the station and it is on a bus route.

Don't miss the Klee Museum.

Enjoy.

hi all

Thanks so much for all your kind replies. I'm slowly going off the idea now of staying in Bern, despite the attractiveness of the place. I knew that I'd end up being delightfully confused by everyone's suggestions.

My initial idea was to fly direct from London, and to avoid the extra hassle of taking another journey. Planes, trains and automobiles are not my thing, and I try to avoid them at all costs. Whoever said it is 'better to travel than to arrive' perhaps misunderstood the stressful nature of modern-day travel, even if Swiss rail links are supposedly the best in the world.

That said, any suggestions for staying in Vevey or Montreaux, or, indeed, anywhere else, much appreciated.Montreaux, by the way, according to some people and certain guide books, indicate that Montreaux can be expensive. Is that true?

I'm assuming that these places are easily reachable by train from Bern? I'd also love some restaurant recommendations (I may have mentioned that I'm a gourmet vegetarian).

Many thanks

All best

Tim

Hi tim2,

As much as I like Lac Leman and the towns of Vevey and Montreux, I think you owe it to yourself to see the high Alps -- since you'll be so close (Lac Leman is more tropical with mountains some distance away).

The mountain villages of the Berner Oberland are quite close to Bern. You can stay in a car-free village like Wengen or Mürren, for instance, and immerse yourself in the Heidi atmosphere of chalets, massive peaks, and greengreengreen expanses. You can research these sites for photos and ideas of activities:

www.wengen.com
www.wengen.ch
www.muerren.ch

You can research all the train schedules at the Swiss rail site,

www.rail.ch

Have fun!

s

tim,

Hard to know where to direct you as you don't mention your interests besides veg. food.

There a many lovely areas with hiking, lake views, mountain views etc based on your desired activities.

Bern is a nice Swiss city convenient to many places.

You will find the transport in Switzerland really is quite wonderful and convenient and you will enjoy the train rides should you choose to venture forth.

There is plenty of wonderful pasta in Switzerland should you not find a veg. restaurant and many, many restaurants will offer a daily veg. entree.

gruezi

Hi Gruezi

Thanks so much for your e-mail. The Swiss trip, as my original e-mail made clear, is to provide me with a relaxing, peaceful and stress-free bereak away from my work (classical musician/writer)and to get away from London.

I have been to Switzerland before, but it was a long time ago, and it was only when a good friend suggested Berne that I decided to go.

I thrive on all things cultural here in London and elsewhere, so just knowing that there are things to do if I feel the need, would be just fine. My main intentions are to eat well, breathe some fresh air and relax as I watch the world go by. Of course, very happy to wander from one art gallery to another, but sometimes I just like to switch off as much of what I do professionally is centred around this.

Ideally, I'd love a nice place to stay (that won't break the bank) as my base would be ideal, and I can then decide what I'd like to do from there. I don't like to plan too much in advance, except accommodation-wise, and then just let the weather and my state of mind take things from there.

All best

Tim

ps What's the weather like in early September?

Oh, and of course I love walking, mountain views and lakes etc. I do get plenty of exercise here in London, so don't want to start hiking up too many mountains...at least, not this time.

Tim

Hi, Tim. Take a look at bnb.ch and go to the section that includes Lausanne and Lac Leman. There are a couple of tiny towns tucked along the shore in the vineyards that might have places in your budget. I stayed in a two-star (very basic) accommodation above an excellent restaurant. It's the Auberge du Rivaz in Rivaz. In Cully, there's the fancier Major Davel.

But, you know, if you really do want to avoid trains, then stick to your original plan. The bnb site might even show some lovely options for Berne. J.

By the way, for a gracious old city with lake and mountain views, and lovely neighborhood strolls, you might consider Lausanne. Could it be as convenient to reach from London as Bern?

Hi J

Thanks so much for your suggestions.

All best

Tim

Seems as if everybody has his/her own favourite town.

Here some aspects to consider:

- Bern is a lovely mid-sized town, with a medieval old town and quite a few museums and cultural sights. (BTW, I have eaten in a café right on the Kornhausmarkt with a lot of vegetarian options).

- Luzern is the quintessential Swiss town, unbelievably picturesque and located at a lake/river, maybe a good place for your health. Lots of opportunities for boat trips and cable car rides up into the mountains (the cable car station for the Pilatus mountain is practically within town).

Both Bern and Luzern have excellent train connections from Zürich airport and to other destinations. Daytrips are really easy from these towns.

- Lake Geneva will be a little bit warmer in September (maybe even hot). Montreux is an old-fashioned lakeside resort with traditional grand hotels, but somewhat faded glory. The town itsself has not much to offer, besides Chateau de Chillon (which is a little out of town).

We loved this hotel right above the old town of Bern:
Hotel Landhaus; Altenbergstrasse 4+6; 3013 Bern, Switzerland; Phone: 031 331 4166 (very inexpensive!)
The report on our trip is posted as Trip Report # 1204, Zig and Georgia's Trip of Gifts, on the slowtrav.com website. A good read!

Georgia

Hi all

Thanks so much for joining my much-debated Swiss holiday conundrum. I'm now even more amused, bemused and confused by all the replies. The plot thickens.

Initially I thought of Bern, but now my mind is wandering...

Any further thoughts on Luzern too, including restaurants and accommodation. All much appreciated.

It seems as if I will have to take an even longer rest period to take in all your wonderful recommendations.

Thanks so much

Tim

tim2:


Of all the things we've learned about your pleasant dilemma, this is #1:

You have a very wise GP..heed his/her prescription, and go on from there. All will be restful and well. Good health!

stu T.

Tim,

Given you like art and also want some scenery and rest I think Luzern is a better base. With poor weather you have the Rosengart collection and the Contemporary Art Museum and I think Picasso if it is open again. There are some nice city walks and if you like glaciers a really fun and amazing museum about glaciers. There are some beautiful churches and some stunning Swiss squares with beautifully painted buildings. You can stroll on the historic covered bridges and have a long, long lunch or coffee on the river.

From Luzern it is a lovely boat ride to many destinations including the old glass factory and museum in Hergiswil, lunch on the lake in Vitznau and a ride up Mt. Rigi, Mt. Pilatus, Montreaux, the Chillon Castle and much more...

Bern has its charms, but with 2 weeks you will find more to do from Luzern I think.

gruezi

Luzern:

We had a wonderful meal in the restaurant of Hotel des Balances, Weinmarkt (innovative cuisine). The Hotel des Balances also looks very good as a place to stay (we stayed at a very good rate in Grand Hotel National which was a splurge - we used www.hrs.de).

Otherwise, Luzern is very compact. When walking through town, you will see lots of restaurants where you can read the menus before walking in or making a reservation.

Make Luzern your base. The train to Bern takes 60 min (direct train) and to Zürich 46 min (direct). It is very easy to ride the train. www.sbb.ch

You know, Tim, I don't think you've said what your mode of transportation will be from London to Switzerland.

I keep coming back to your original opening paragraph. I think you'll have to be careful not to forget your desire for a "relaxing, quiet place" while you are tempted here by tourist meccas. Lucerne is gorgeous, without a doubt, but it is not quiet or particularly relaxing IMO. (and I love the Rosengart) For that you would have to stay in one of its neighboring lakeside towns.

J.

Hi J

Thanks for this. Yes, was thinking that Luzern might be very busy. I'm intending to fly to Switzerland from city airport, either to Bern as originally thought, or to Zurich if I head for Luz, whether I chose to stay in city centre or not.

All best

Tim

I sort of thought you intended to fly directly to Bern. You might like to take a look at this page at the bnb.ch site:

http://www.bnb.ch/index.php?p=liste_membres

It shows three bed and breakfast accommodations in Bern; the first and the third look very nice. Of course, they are likely to be a bit away from the train station, but the idea of a neighborhood place seems very restful to me.

After looking at those, you can click on the map at the top of the page to take you to the list that includes Lausanne. Surely you have a map of Switzerland by now, yes?

I hope you are enjoying your decision-making process. It is fun for those of us who can participate vicariously. J.

Did anyone mention the weather in September? We were there last September and the weather was wonderful -- just one day of rain, temperature warm to moderately cool (light sweater weather) in Lucerne and Bern, cooler on the mountains but still not as cold as I had imagined. But take layers as weather is always variable.

I'm not a vegetarian but I survived a gluten-free diet by eating tons of raclette -- cheese and potatoes -- available just about everywhere and delicious. Can't help on ideas for more upscale vegetarian dining.

tim,

If you are coming from London, I don't think you will find Zurich, Bern or Luzern particularly busy esp. in early September. Luzern is a small, completely walkable city, with a river and lake and mountain views to chill things out. I've been there many times (although not in the middle of summer) and it never seems too crowded or busy to me. But I don't find Zurich very busy either. To us it seems like more of a big town than a city - and again very walkable with the lake to give it a nice relaxing feeling.

Personally, I would head to somewhere more scenic and bucolic for at least a part of your stay just because Switzerland has such outstanding scenery, but as a base any of the 3 cities will be fine. I am less inclined to recommend Lausanne because I just don't find it that walkable and beyond the old town, less charming and interesting, but I'm sure there are those who will disagree.

If you get to Zurich, not far from the train station is Hiltl a really wonderful vegetarian restaurant. In fact, it is just a really good restaurant all around. There is self-serve takeaway downstairs and seated table service dining upstairs.

gruezi

Hi all,

Thanks so much for all your on-going replies. I'm now even more stressed over where to go - probably need an even longer holiday now!

For some reason, flights from London to Bern seem more expensive than flights elsewhere, though perhaps this has something to do with Bern being a tiny airport.

As for a map of Switzerland, the answer is actually 'no'. Not a proper map as such, but the one Rough Guide book I do have, gives me all I need, I think.

Very happy with raclette anywhere or pasta, or cheese... If I survived France 2 years' ago, which was amazing thanks to recommendations here, I'm sure I'll survive Switzerland.

Taking your votes now:

Bern?
Luzern?
Zurich?

And on-going travel from there?

Warmest wishes from hot and humid London

Tim

Just one's person's opinion, you understand, but I would choose Luzern because I just like its ambience best, although we enjoyed Bern too. Zurich would be my last choice. Other posters can offer tips on transportation connections from Luzern, but it's my understanding that train connections are good to most places you would want to visit such as Interlaken/Bernese Oberland.

Firstly, it does not matter if you fly into Bern or Zürich. Switzerland is so small and has such a good train system!

Secondly, when you really want to spend 10-14 days at one place then you might consider this:

- Bern is a charming, mid-sized town. You can easily spend three or four days there. Then it will become boring. You can make daytrips into the mountains, to the lakes, to Zürich.

- Zürich is a larger city, with more options to spend your time there. Maybe after five days it starts to get boring. You can make daytrips from Zürich, but they will take a little bit more time.

- Luzern is a very small town, but charming, with some options for rainy days. From Luzern, you have direct access to two mountains (Pilatus and Rigi), you can make very relaxing boat trips, you have scenery AND you can make daytrips into every direction.

- Smaller towns (like Mürren) which are directly in the mountains are quiet and good bases for hiking, but after a few rainy days you wish you were in a proper town.

IMO, Luzern would be the best option for you. Or you change your base during your stay, e.g. 3 days Zürich, 4 days Luzern, 3 days Bern.

I agree with traveler...

I actually prefer Zurich to Bern unlike crckrw but each has its charms.

Really, after London, they will all feel like small towns to tim2!

You'll be fine wherever you land and you can move if you decide you are bored.

Switzerland is by nature pretty low-key.

gruezi

I keep thinking back to your desire for a restful two weeks and your lack of fondness for trains.

That means we should be careful about raving about the number of daytrips possible. I'm guilty of that, Tim. I love Swiss trains. How do you feel about boats?

For a restful vacation, please limit your bases to two places (if indeed you are now thinking of a split).

I think I'll bow out now of the discussion about which places those should be. The towns I find restful are always very small. While I love Zurich, Bern, and Lucerne (gorgeous small cities with contrasting architecture, ambience, and museums), I prefer to hang my hat in tiny places. Best wishes as you make your decision. I hope you'll come back here with a new thread when you return to tell us how it worked out. J.

HI all

Thanks so much. Still deliberating. I believe Switzerland is now very expensive, but then if you've been living in London for as long as I have you probably get used to it.

Will of course keep you informed of my decisions, and am now gearing up for a change of scenery especially as the London weather has taken a real change for the worse.

Thanks so much for all you kind notes.

Best wishes

Tim