Bern

I went to Bern on my way to Geneva because it was very conveniently located and a quick Eurrail trip away. I was very happy that I took the time to do so. The one word that immediately comes into my head when I think of Bern was charming. It was simply a beautiful, magnificent city which was rich on charm. When you go to Bern you feel like you are stepping back 500 years in history. The town is sort of built into a peninsula. There are cobblestone streets and old world architecture and all old buildings - nothing new or modern here. There is not even a whole lot of traffic or cars so you can really maintain that old-world image and feeling of the city. In fact in the old town no traffic is allowed at all.

The culture of the city further supports this old world atomphere. It is a relatively small city and people really take the small town atmosphere seriously. Everything is sort of a laid back, comfortable, relaxed, and friendly pace. You get the feeling that everyone is friendly and everyone knows everyone yet is still welcoming to tourists. And the views are simply beautiful. Like I said it's built into a peninsula, but you also get views of the Alps and the River Aaere and the woods below. So you can walk around the town and catch a glimpse of these mountains and old world thatched roofs and feel like you have stepped back into history. And this is what I would recommend doing in Bern - just walk around and breath in the life of the city. Maybe stop in at some of the shops - especially in the Olde Towne where the cars are not allowed and where they have a really unique collection of shops and things. If you are interested in politics you can see the Swiss Parliament, which is located here. But the most important thing to do is walk around and experience the city.

Quick Tips:

It is a small city so there's not a ton to do. There are lots of cute cafes which you can enjoy and a few small shops but not the most exciting nightlife or anything like that. So don't plan a ton of time there. It's also expensive.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking is the best way to get around by far. There are parts of the city (beautiful parts) where driving isn't' even allowed so make sure you plan to walk.

I was super disappointed with this hotel - if you even really want to call it a hotel. It calls itself one, and thus I was fooled when I booked my room ahead of time through a booking agent. However, when I got there, it really felt more as though it were a hostel or something along those lines. The rooms were small and not fancily decorated at all and they lacked any warmth or charm. They had single beds -not even double beds- and the beds were just kind of lined up in the room with little regard to placing them carefully or order.

The hotel was clean enough I guess although not super clean - especially since they allow pets in and this seems very improper for a hotel to do (although maybe it's more acceptable in Europe). The staff was moderately friendly and spoke decent English but they didn't seem to want to go out of their way to offer us any guidance or anything on what were good places to go or see or eat.

As far as amenities in the hotel, there were none. There was no wireless Internet access, no gym, no nothing really. There was not a room service menu and although they did say they had a continental breakfast, it basically amounted to black coffee and a croissant. Which was fine, but just not exactly what I had hoped for or expected.
Overall, this was a cheap hotel and you got what you paid for when you stayed here. But I looked around at other places I saw while walking around the city and I think I could have done much better for my money. There were many places that seemed cuter, or more charming, or seemed to better capture the feel of the city, and I really wish that we had not booked in advance and that we had just stayed in one of those.