Stade de Suisse Wankdorf stadium (capacity 32,000)
- the original stadium was the venue of the 1954 World Cup final,
was demolished in 2001 and rebuilt, opening again in July 2005.
Home to BSC Young Boys.
Berne, whose Stade de Suisse Wankdorf will host matches
at UEFA EURO 2008™, is the federal capital of Switzerland, and is
situated in the west-central part of the country on the River Aare. The
city is also the capital of the canton of Berne, the second most populous
of Switzerland's cantons.
1191 founding
Berne was founded as a military post in 1191. It became part of the Swiss
confederation in 1353, and became the Swiss capital in 1848. The city
is a thriving administrative, university and industrial centre, which
also hosts the Swiss parliament building, the Bundeshaus. It is the seat
of a number of international organisations, including the Universal Postal
Union, and its manufactures include precision instruments, textiles, machinery,
chemical and pharmaceutical products, and chocolate. Berne's beauty and
standing has also seen it named as a UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Tourist attraction
A pleasant city which is extremely popular with tourists, Berne city is
mainly medieval in architecture, with an outstanding 15th-century cathedral
and a 15th-century town hall. A famous visiting point for tourists is
the Zytglogge, a medieval clock tower with moving puppets. In addition,
tourists flock to the Berne bear pit – which exists in accordance
with Berne's century-long association with bears.
Popular pastimes
Berne is a regular destination for visitors from throughout the world,
not only because of its own attractions, but also because of its proximity
to the Bernese Oberland and the famous Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau Alpine
mountains. Walking and winter sports are vastly popular pastimes.
Proud city
Berne is proud to be a part of the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship.
Its local football team, BSC Young Boys, is one of the most famous clubs
in Switzerland, and the city's ice-hockey team – SC Bern, attracts
among the biggest crowds in Europe to its home games.
