Bike Ride Around Bern

Monday was a holiday here in Switzerland -- don't ask me which one, all I know is I didn't have to go to work and Pam was off from class. With all the traveling we have done recently we both decided it would be nice to spend the day in Bern for a change. We had read somewhere that the city provides free bike rentals at the train station during the summer, so we decided to check it out. Sure enough, all we needed was a $20 refundable deposit and a photo ID and we were on our way. Such a great deal!

We rode our bikes from the station to Bern's Gothic cathedral in Old Town. We have been there before, but this time we decided to go inside and take a tour. I'm glad we did; it was so pristine. I have been seen many European cathedrals in my day, but there was something special about this one. I'm not sure why, but it truly felt like a sanctuary to me. We learned from our audio guide that Bern was a rapid convert to the Reformation and most of the church's treasures were destroyed in the 16th century, although some notable pieces survived such as the spectacular portal sculpture of the Last Judgement, choir stalls, and several gorgeous stained-glass windows. Construction on the cathedral started in 1421 and lasted until 1893, if you can believe that! The company in charge of construction must be the same one that handled our internet connection. :)

Anyway, after the audio tour we climbed the cathedral tower -- reportedly the highest in Switzerland -- for some spectacular views over Old Town, and what felt like the rest of the country. (See video). We could see storm clouds rolling in off in the distance, so we quickly descended and headed for the Altes Tramdepot microbrewery to wait out the storm. My friend Marco had recommended the place, which is located right next to the bear pits. The food was delicious, and the views overlooking the river across from Old Town were great.

The rain stopped just as we left the restaurant. Great timing. We headed out of the city to the south, through TierPark, and then looped back around to the station where we returned the bikes.  The whole trip took only about four hours, but we covered a lot of ground and saw a lot.  We will have to do the free bike thing again with visitors.  It was so much fun!