European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 04, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                View of the Bern s old District from Rose Garden Hill. By Leah Larkin staff writers Switzerland is where people go to ski climb mountains put Money in the Bank buy a watch eat cheese and chocolate. And to see bears. That is if they visit Bern the capital of the land of Mountain Beauty. Bears Are big in Bern. Real bears and Stone statues of bears stuffed bears and plastic bears bears on flags and bears of chocolate. You see them every where. Why not the big furry creature is the City s namesake. As the legend goes a dashing Duke Berchtold v of Zahringer founded the City and named it after the first animal killed in a local Hunt. The Best bears in Bern Are the genuine ones that live in the City s Bear pit. They seem to be the favorite tourist attraction. Crowds almost always surround the Large circular pit in the Park like area where the bears live. They watch papa Bear lug his massive Frame from one end of his Home to the other. They Are fascinated with the two teenagers of the Bear family who climb Trees. And they laugh and laugh at the babies and their  you think Kittens Are playful you ought to see Bear cubs. They Chase Birds Tumble with each other crawl under their Mother. They Are never still. Every moment is a new adventure a time Roget into trouble to slip and fall into their water Hole to fall backwards As they try to climb a tree to get Candy wrappers stuck on their nose. The Bernese bears Are Well fed nonetheless there is a Rumor that they have developed a fondness for the taste of British tourists. It s an inherited trait supposedly passed on from Bear generation to generation Ever since one of their ancestors enjoyed a dinner of a British cavalry officer who fell into the pit in 1861. The tragedy in fact strained relations Between England and Switzerland. The British blamed the is photos by Gus Schuettler 4 Bernese for not offering assistance to the poor sol Dier. Bern does have More than bears. The City of 150,000 is an example of authentic medieval quaintness and Charm. Its origins go Back to 1191 when it was founded for strategic reasons As a stronghold in a country torn with turbulence. Much of the City was destroyed by fire in 1405. It was rebuilt mostly of Sandstone and it s that medieval Structure that is preserved today. Just walk through the Center of the old town full of ancient fountains towers arcades and Sandstone Steps. The appearance is definitely Middle Ages. The most famous of the medieval monuments is the famed zit Glogger clock Tower built More than 400 years ago As an Experiment. It still works almost perfectly. The clock has several faces to Tell the Bernese not Only the time but the Day of the week the Date of the month the month the position of the Sun the phases of the Moon. It also puts on a show once each hour. Four minutes before the clock strikes the hour the entertainment begins with a Parade of mechanized characters including a Bell ringing Jester an armoured horseman a bearded father time and of course bears. Another old Structure Worth seeing is the Bern Cathedral a late gothic Church dating to 1421. If you would rather buy the old than look at it Bern is the place for you. It seems almost every other shop under the four Miles of arcades in the old town is an Antiques shop. The new is not neglected in Bern. Its train station which Cost Well Over $1 million and took 18 years to build is one of the most modern in Europe Complete with an underground shopping Center and restau rants. The Best View of Bern is from the City s Rose Garden on top of one of the surrounding Hills. From Here you can see How the River aare loops around the Cluster of red roofs which make up the heart of the City. And in the distance the grandeur of the Alps. The famed peaks of the Eiger the Monch and the Jungfrau Are there along with others. Somehow it seems right that the mighty Bear is the Symbol of the capital of this country where tall Strong Mountain reign. Swiss tourist office the Zygg ogre clock not Only tells time but puts on a happening every hour. Downtown Bern is a Haven for antique shoppers. Bern s ear pits Are big hits with tourists. Page 12 the stars and stripes sunday september 4,1977 this furry Little fellow looks like he might have to wait awhile before he can Scurry up the Bear pole. The stars and stripes Page 13