We would like to spend a couple of days in Bern before heading up the mountain to Wengen (?)or similar town. What are the best day trips from Bern? Thank you, Geri

Have you considered Lucerne instead of Bern? It would be my choice. As day trips consider Schaffhausen, Stein-Am-Rhein, Lucerne, maybe even the Black Forrest.

How about Murten, Biel, Neuchatel, or even Gruyeres? I believe Ursula said there is a nice castle at Grandson.

Bern is centrally located in Switzerland. If you are travelling by train, a terrific day trip, as Geoff stated, would be Luzern (Lucerne to us). If you will be there in the winter, and enjoy skiing, there's a mountain close by that the locals go to -- I don't remember the correct spelling, but phonetically it's "Wirrehorn". Maybe someone else can help me on the spelling.<BR>Shannon

I am not sure if you will find time to make daytrips from Bern, if you stay there only 3 days. You should reserve two days for Bern and the sights around the city (Elfenau, Gurten) at least. And there are still two small castles (Jegenstorf, Landshut) a few km away … <BR><BR>Anyway, if you do not intend to stay a couple of days there I recommend to make an excursion to Lake Geneva. Go by train to Vevey, take the bus No 1 (direction Villeneuve, bus stop in front of the train station) to castle Chillon. Visit the castle (a must) and take the bus back to Montreux, where you should walk along the lake promenade (blooming flowers, palm trees) and have a coffee in the garden caf&eacute; of Hotel Eden au Lac. Maybe you have enough time for a boat trip Montreux-Vevey. From there back by train to Bern.<BR><BR>Some people will probably recommend to make excursions to Fribourg and Murten, but I think these towns are quite similar (in architecture) to Bern.<BR><BR>Another trip I can recommend from personal experience is to take the train to Biel and to do a boat trip on Lake Biel. You will see the vineyards at the sunny slopes of the Jura mountains, quaint villages and should leave the boat at St. Peters’ Island to have lunch at Hostellerie J. J. Rousseau. (the philosopher Rousseau lived there for a while; you can see his room). Walk (1 hour) to the picturesque town Erlach or take a boat to any village. You can easily get back to Bern by train/bus.<BR><BR>Ingo<BR><BR>P.S. Wiriehorn is the correct spelling.