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Travel > BernSwitzerland has some of the most progressive attitudes to homosexuality in the world and their forthcoming gay marriage legislation was actually voted in by referendum! This is just the way the Swiss do politics, making them unique worldwide and proving that the majority of their citizens believe in equal rights for gays and lesbians. From a travel & tourism perspective this information speaks for itself! Earlier this year I attended Switzerland’s Gay & Lesbian Travel Symposium hosted by MySwitzerland Tourist Authority. The enchanting Swiss capital, Bern, is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a medieval townscape of elegant arcades, colourful fountains, towers, cobbled alleys and fairy-tale houses. It's easy to explore and easy to fall in love with. This is no mere period piece however - the city boasts some stunning contemporary architecture, and buzzes with restaurants, bars, clubs, theatres and galleries. With great food, fine shopping and top-notch art, this is Switzerland's best-kept secret.  Stone bridges cross the River Aare, which flows with aqua blue-ice coloured water from the springtime mountain thaw. Bern has 6km of covered shopping promenades; the tiny shops by the Gothic Münster were the most exciting; a curious mix of antique shops and trendy boutiques, specializing in hats or shoes, delicatessens with cabinets bursting with cheese varieties and an abundance of chocolate shops with elaborate window displays which could melt even the strongest willpower. Virtually everywhere is gay-friendly and there are no shortage of restaurants, cafes and bars in which to eat and drink. Du Nord restaurant in the Lorraine area of the city had the best atmosphere and one of our evenings we took advantage of the amazing deal to be had at Anderland; a gay community space where the locals put together a fabulous home-stlyle menu on a Wednesday night and only charge for the costs & ingredients! We spent an evening in the Frauenhaus, a women’s space, linked to a shelter project which has a great DJ, fabulous acoustics and comfy sofas for intelligent conversation and I believe there is a lesbian disco at Gaskessel, every 3rd Friday of the month. Just a short tram ride from the city centre is the not-to-be-missed modern architectural structure of the Zentrum Paul Klee which rivals the stunning collections of his work on display and masterpieces of contemporary artists as well as a huge auditorium for music and performance. Bern has a total of 28 museums and galleries to suit every interest from the Theatrical  Costume Gallery to Einstein’s former residence or the University's Botanical Gardens. Bern is a fabulous city to base a touring holiday of the Swiss countryside, not only is Zurich less than an hour away there are breathtaking mountain ranges and forests on the doorstep. Do as the Swiss do and invest in a Swiss Pass, not only including entry to over 400 museums across the country it provides unlimited first class rail and bus travel on the most efficient travel network in the world. The Swiss Pass will often allow half price funicular railway or cable car rides too. I stayed at La Pergola, a lesbian managed, modern, practical and affordable hotel offering a great location a short distance by foot or tram from Bern old town.  Hotel Allegro is more expensive but more stylish & also gay managed; there is a modern Chinese restaurant, terrace with fabulous views used for banquets in the summer and a state of the art health centre. The Allegro penthouse suites have to be seen to be believed! Lesbians will feel welcome in Bern whether enjoying a short-stay or as part of a multi-centre destination, especially if you enjoy outdoor activities; Switzerland is ideal for honeymoons; all Swiss cities have magnificent mountain backdrops and grand turquoise lakes on their doorstep. The summer is hot but with fresh breezes and the skiing in winter is second to none. Switzerland makes a huge investment in gay and lesbian tourism and takes pride in its informative website www.myswitzerland.com and handy little booklet ‘It’s only natural’. Details of all the venues and hotels mentioned with weblinks can be found on the MySwitzerland gay micro-site, navigated from the home page. |
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