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Berne

Although Berne (German: Bern) is the seat of most of the institutions of the Swiss Confederation, The remarkable design coherence of Berne's old town has earned it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It has 6.4 km (4 miles) of arcaded walkways along streets decked out with fountains and clock-towers.

In 2018, it had a population of about 134,000 in the city, and roughly 420,000 in the urban agglomeration. It sits on a peninsula formed by the meandering turns of the river Aare.

Understand
Berne was founded in 1191 by Duke Berthold V von Zähringen and was part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was made a free imperial city by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in 1218 after Berthold died without an heir.

In 1353 Berne joined the Swiss Confederation. After conquering several rivals, Berne became the largest independent city-state north of the Alps. It was occupied by French troops in 1798 during the French Revolutionary Wars, and was stripped of a large part of its territory. The city became the Swiss capital in 1848.

Bern was one of the eight host cities in the 2008 European Football Championships.

Bern hosted EuroGames in 2023 - the biggest annual LGBT+ sports event in Europe.

Tourist information

 * There are Tourist Information Centres outside the main railway station, and in the Old Tram Depot next to the Bear Pit.
 * There are Tourist Information Centres outside the main railway station, and in the Old Tram Depot next to the Bear Pit.

Talk
The main language spoken in Berne is (Bernese-)Swiss-German, a Swiss dialect of the Alemannic language. Swiss-German is mostly a spoken language, but also used in text messages, etc. In official publications and announcements, Standard German is used.

English seems to be supplanting French as the favourite second language of the Bernese, even though the canton of Berne is a bilingual German and French-speaking canton. However, many people you encounter as a tourist will be able to speak both so it's certainly worth a try.

Get in
Situated in the middle of Switzerland, Berne is easy to reach from all parts of the country.

By plane

To reach the city take Bus 334 or 160 to Belp railway station (10 min). Frequent S-bahn local trains connect Belp to Bern's main station, 40 min altogether. The bus runs every 30 min between 05:10 and 23:10, with the first and last buses of the day running directly to Bern railway station. The transfer is free if you have booked accommodation in Bern, just show your confirmation letter; otherwise Fr. 7 each way.

A taxi to the city is about 40 Fr and takes 20 mins.

For a better choice of flights, fly into Geneva, Zurich or Basel  then take the train to Bern.

By train
Berne is at the hub of the Swiss Federal Railway network. Express (InterCity) trains connect twice per hour to Geneva, Basel and Zurich as well as Zürich and Geneva airports. Hourly express trains connect to most other cities, including Interlaken, Brig, and Lucerne.

For timetables and connections see Swiss Federal Railway. For best travel deals see the Swiss Travel Planner - walk-up full fare tickets are expensive. And see also Switzerland.

By car
Berne is easily reachable with the national motorway network from all directions and has several exits from motorways A1, A12 and A6.

By bus
Eurolines, Flixbus and RegioJet connect Bern to several European cities by bus.

Get around

Berne has an excellent public transportation system, with frequent local city services provided by trams, trolleybuses and buses, together with an S-Bahn rail system for longer journeys into the surrounding suburbs. Tickets are valid for all modes of transport within a given zone and time. The suburbs of Berne, Biel and Solothurn form a common public transport network named "Libero-Tarifverbund". Tickets can be purchased as single ticket, saver ticket with six rides, day pass as well as weekly, monthly or yearly passes.

Tickets can be bought at vending machines at most stops, or with a smartphone using the SBB mobile app. They are valid for all modes of public transport within the zones they encompass. A ticket valid in the central urban zones (100 and 101) for 60 minutes costs Fr. 4.60 (March 2019).

Since June 2014, all hotel accommodations in Bern include the "Bern-Ticket", which allows the free use of public transport within the city (zones 100 and 101) for the duration of the stay, including the Gurten funicular and transfer from and to the airport.

By foot
The city centre of Berne is easily accessible by foot. The relatively small old town and the area around the main train station are best explored by walking.

By tram and bus
The bus and tram lines operated by Bernmobil are complemented with yellow Postauto bus lines connecting to the suburbs. Almost all lines are linked together at the main train station, and operate at intervals between 5 and 30 minutes.

By rail
Berne's S-Bahn rail system will take you to many places in the suburbs and to nearby cities like Biel, Thun, Fribourg or Solothurn.

By car or motorbike
Like in most Swiss cities, parking space is rare and expensive. There are several paid parking stations, including at the main train station. As the city centre is quite small and all of the major attractions are within walking distance, it's a good choice to park in a "park and ride" and take public transport to the centre of town. Using the car in the old town is very difficult and not recommended.

Motorbikers will find free dedicated parking spaces in several places around the perimeter of the old town, including near Waisenhausplatz and at the main train station.

By bike
Berne is a bike-friendly city, and most thoroughfares include dedicated bike lanes. There are a few challenging spots where bike traffic interweaves with motor traffic, but motorists are used to sharing the road with bikers and will normally pay attention. Because of the city's topography, some stamina may be required, or an electric bike.

The local branch of the Swiss-wide bike sharing Publibike charges Fr. 3 for the first 30 minutes. The formerly free local bike-share "Bern Rollt" has been terminated.

By taxi
Several taxi companies operate in Berne, including Nova Taxi (+41 31 331 33 13), Bären Taxi (+41 31 371 11 11) and Taxi Bern (+41 31 333 88 88). Taxis can be booked by phone, or at the main train station.

See

Berne is full of history and museums. It also has quite a bit of public art, all of which is marked on a walking map which is available from the tourist office in the train station for free.

Do

 * Football: BSC Young Boys play soccer in Super League, the Swiss top tier. They play at Stadion Wankdorf (previously called Stade de Suisse, capacity 32,000) 1 km north of the city centre. In 2025 it hosts matches in the UEFA Women's Euro Finals.
 * Football: BSC Young Boys play soccer in Super League, the Swiss top tier. They play at Stadion Wankdorf (previously called Stade de Suisse, capacity 32,000) 1 km north of the city centre. In 2025 it hosts matches in the UEFA Women's Euro Finals.
 * Football: BSC Young Boys play soccer in Super League, the Swiss top tier. They play at Stadion Wankdorf (previously called Stade de Suisse, capacity 32,000) 1 km north of the city centre. In 2025 it hosts matches in the UEFA Women's Euro Finals.

Learn
Berne is home to the prestigious University of Berne which enrolls 17,431 students (2015). In addition, the city has the University of Applied Science also known as Berner Fachhochschule. There are also many vocational schools and offices of the Goethe Institute and the Alliance-Francaise (German and French cultural institutes).

Buy
As with most other cities in Switzerland, store opening and closing hours in Berne are strictly regulated. All stores, including grocers, close by 18:30 or 19:00 from Monday to Friday, except on Thursdays when they remain open until 21:00. Aldi supermarkets are an exception, closing at 20:00 during the week. On Saturdays everything must close by 17:00. On Sundays, all stores are closed, except for those in the main railway station, which are open 7 days a week until about 22:00, and which include Migros and Coop supermarkets.

Rathausgasse and the streets parallel to it have any number of cute shops with an amazing range of handicrafts and luxury goods. This is not the normal range of Swiss souvenir stuff, but really interesting things. There are a couple of worthy examples below, but the real pleasure is in spending a few hours (or days) exploring the arcades and vitrines.

There are several used bookstores that carry cheap books in German, English and French:

Eat
Eating in Berne (or almost anywhere in Switzerland for that matter) can be an expensive proposition for foreign tourists. Be sure to "shop around" before deciding on a restaurant as many of them cater to foreign tourists (especially those serving traditional Swiss food) and have inflated their prices accordingly. Most Bernese natives prefer Italian, Asian, or other non-local cuisine so finding a traditional Swiss restaurant with acceptable prices can often be a daunting experience. Be patient and you will persevere without breaking the bank.

Drink
Many Bernese will tell you that the nightlife in Berne is not exactly what you might call spectacular, but they're probably comparing it to Zurich or Paris. There are quite a few good spots to hang out.

For a drink or two, there's a wide choice of bars all over town. However, you might be disappointed with most central options as they tend to be annoyingly conventional, though there are an ample number of exceptions:

Most of the town's cooler bars are around the main clubbing venues though. In the ancient Matte neighborhood, which is well worth a daytime visit too, you'll find nightlife options for almost every taste.

Sleep
The main train station has a tourist office on the west side on the ground floor. They'll try to help you find a hotel room, if you arrive without booking. However, it is better to book ahead if you can, as Berne is a capital city; the budget hotels do tend to fill up on the weekends.

Connect
As of Sep 2021, the city has 5G from all Swiss carriers.

The city center is mostly covered by WiFi networks that have limited speed and access as open access after obligatory registration with SMS.

Stay safe
Berne is a very safe place with nearly no violent crime. However, as it is the capital of Switzerland, it sees political demonstrations every few weeks on a variety of subjects, occasionally leading to police intervention.

LGBT+ people feel safe in the city center and around major spots in the city, though not many explicitly LGBT+ spaces are available.

The drunks and vagrants often congregate at the central railway station at night, which is a nuisance but in general not dangerous.

There has been a slight increase in violence from young people. Try to avoid groups of drunk teenagers that look suspicious and you should be fine.

While police officers in Berne will happily help you out if you are in trouble or need information, they are also known for approaching "suspicious" persons in order to check their papers. This procedure is annoying, but legal as you will probably have a hard time proving you were not acting suspicious. Carry a photocopy of your passport and your onward ticket with you, stay calm and polite and you won't have much trouble.

Embassies

 * 🇫🇮 Finland
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇹🇼 Taiwan

Go next
Berne is an ideal gateway to the Bernese Highlands. You can make day trips to beautiful locations like Spiez, Thun, Interlaken, Grindelwald and all the way up the Jungfrau to Jungfraujoch. Other pleasant day trips are to Biel, Fribourg, Gstaad, Murten, Neuchatel and Solothurn.

Geneva, Basel and Zurich can easily be done as day-trips but deserve a longer stay.

title: Berne


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Berneray

Berneray is an island in the Outer Hebrides or Western Isles of Scotland. It's about three miles north-south by two miles east-west, mostly low-lying, and is joined to the larger island of North Uist by road. In 2011 the population was 138.

In Old Norse Bjarnar-øy means "Bjorn's island" - several islands have similar names, probably because Bjorn was a common personal name rather than referring to a single mighty landowner. This island is distinguished in English as "Berneray - North Uist" and in Gaelic as Beàrnaraigh na Hearadh, Berneray of Harris.

Understand
Berneray is by no means remote, but until late in the 20th century it was difficult to reach. You needed to take three ferries, from mainland to Skye to North Uist to Berneray, and tourists had little reason to bother. That changed dramatically in 1999 when the road causeway linked it to North Uist, and the ferry service for Harris relocated here from Lochmaddy. This means that Berneray nowadays has thousands of visitors who only see 200 yards of it, between the pier and the causeway. It also made the island a lynchpin in the connectivity of the entire Western Isles, as the once or twice a week Harris ferry became a shorter crossing three times a day. But beyond that thoroughfare, the rest of Berneray is a back-eddy with a quiet rural way of life.

The bedrock of the Outer Hebrides is gneiss laid down three billion years ago, very hard and impermeable. On North Uist just south this lies flat and is overlain by bog and dozens of small lochans, and on Harris just east it's heaped up into gnarly hills; both are a dismal prospect for farming. Berneray is something of a "Goldilocks zone" between them, with better-drained sandy "machair" terrain to the west, and to the east a straggle of habitation sheltered by low hills. Ardmaree, Backhill (the largest, with the fishing harbour), Rushgarry and Sandhill, with Borve more central, all merge into each other.

All these islands were inhabited from prehistoric times, then by Celts and Vikings. Folk lived by crofting - subsistence farming and fishing - in a way that persisted here right up to the 1850s. Distant lords fought for control but there were no battles or castles on Berneray. The big change came with the potato famine of the 1840s followed by the Clearances, when much of the population was evicted to make way for sheep grazing. People made a partial return in the 20th century as landlords were more sympathetic to crofting. But even in the 1980s, Berneray was sufficiently secluded that Princes Charles (now King Charles III) could spend a week here training in crofting without the world noticing and a swarm of media alighting.

Summer (Jun-Aug) is the best time to visit, with long warm (well, sort of warm) days, and the machair terrain means fewer pesky midges than on the other boggy islands. Spring and autumn bring migratory bird species. In winter the community draws in on itself, but visitors are the more welcome for being few. It can be wet and windy any time, the rain pelting as if to challenge first your cagoul then the underlying gneiss; then the clouds roll away into purple masses over Harris and the sun strikes through. The mist off the damp fields mingles with the collective dreaming of seals hauled out on the beach.

Local information

 * Isle of Berneray Community Website

By plane
is the airport for the Uists, 25 miles south across the causeways. Loganair fly daily from Glasgow taking an hour, and fly M-F from Stornoway on Lewis taking 35 min. The buses from South Uist run past the airport, taking an hour.

Alternative airports are Stornoway and Barra. Reaching either involves a ferry crossing and a long drive.

By boat
is the landing point for Calmac ferries from Leverburgh on Harris, taking an hour. Apr-Oct there are 4 M-Sa and 3 Su, Nov-March 2 or 3 a day, see Leverburgh for fares. The pier is an unattended slipway with a small waiting room with toilets; there are no shops or other facilities here. The ferry berths overnight alongside the causeway: there is no sea passage through this, unless you're a fish or an otter and can swim through the culverts.

Ferries also sail from Uig on Skye to Lochmaddy on North Uist, 11 miles by connecting bus from Berneray.

is the landing point for yachts and other small craft, which should keep clear of the ferry pier. There's a toilet and shower block, moorings, and a lifting crane. Bays Loch the inlet is shallow and has limited shelter, in rough weather (especially from the north) make for Lochmaddy on North Uist.

By road
The causeway from North Uist (B893) is passable at all tides and in all but the worst Atlantic weather. Causeway and approach roads are double tracked, a luxury in these islands, but beyond that the roads are the standard Hebridean single-track lane with passing places.

Buses run regularly from South and North Uist to the ferry pier, and from Stornoway and Tarbert to Leverburgh ferry pier. Buses W10, 16 and 17 run M-Sa along the chain of islands so you can travel in a day between Stornoway on Lewis and Castlebay on Barra. Only one service per day plies the entire route, but Berneray being midway has more connections, with four buses from Stornoway, six from Tarbert on Harris, six from North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist, and three from Barra.

Get around
Walking will get you everywhere on this compact island. A single-track paved lane follows the east coast, with another through the centre and a third across the southside machair.

A waymarked path circles the island, or you can follow the shoreline along the long beaches — a complete circuit might take five hours. As elsewhere, dress for the changeable weather and have stout footwear.

There's no car hire on Berneray nor on North Uist, see Benbecula for firms based at the airport.

Talk
Gaelic is the first language of over half the population, and is given precedence on road signs. It will boost your welcome to know a few common words and phrases. English is universally spoken, with a distinct lilt and Gaelic pronunciation.

See

 * (Hill of the Graveyard) is a ritual area in the south, though it's unclear what is prehistoric and what is Viking, early Medieval or later. There's a standing stone (Clach Mhor, big stone), west of it the remnants of a Bronze Age chambered cairn (A'Chiste Chloiche, the stone chest), and 125 yards southwest is Leac an Righ (stone of the king). This is carved with the imprint of a human foot and resembles the stone at Dunadd in mainland Argyll where kings of Dál Riata were crowned.
 * Nurse's Cottage 200 yards north of the harbour is the base for Berneray Historical Society (Chomunn Eachdraidh Bheàrnaraigh). It's open May-Aug: M-F 11AM-3PM and has a small exhibition of island life. The society publishes an online newsletter in May and Nov each year. A resident nurse wasn't needed once the causeway offered help from the other Uists.
 * Grey seals or Atlantic seals (Halichoerus grypus) have a colony on the shore of Bays Loch, and an even larger on the west coast where they're less disturbed. They're the ones with broad Roman noses, while Common or Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina), also found here, have puppy-dog noses.
 * Otters (Lutra lutra) are most likely to be seen on the rocky east and south coasts, and Bays Loch is as good a place as any. Freshwater springs flow out on those coasts, which otters need to clean their coats, and the crabs they eat dwell among the rocks. The rising tide gets the crabs busy so the otters do likewise.
 * Crotal is the orange lichen on the intertidal rocks. From it is extracted a red dye used in traditional knitwear, but first the wool thread must be cleansed of its oils and soaked in a "mordant" so the dye will fix and not wash out. England from the Middle Ages used Fuller's Earth for this, but Highland Scotland up to the Clearances still used the age-old mordant of urine, human or animal, the staler and stinkier the better for its ammonia content. Hand-working the wee into the fabric was communal women's work, accompanied by "waulking songs".
 * The Armoury of Macleod 50 yards north of the Youth Hostel is more prosaically a ruined 18th century cow shed. A Latin plaque above the door states that this was birthplace of Sir Norman MacLeod, who fought at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. There's no sign of a structure that old, perhaps it was built over or its stone re-used to house the cows.
 * Port Ludaig next to the Youth Hostel is the stumps of an old jetty, probably from Sir Norman's times when Ruisigearraidh (Rushgarry) was a sizable farming community and transport along the island tracks was onerous. A shingle bank stretches out for a mile at low tide, with an inshore cut-through navigable by small craft.
 * Port Ludaig next to the Youth Hostel is the stumps of an old jetty, probably from Sir Norman's times when Ruisigearraidh (Rushgarry) was a sizable farming community and transport along the island tracks was onerous. A shingle bank stretches out for a mile at low tide, with an inshore cut-through navigable by small craft.
 * or Parliamentary Church fell into ruin but has been rebuilt as a private house. Early 19th-century church provision was out of kilter with population centres, so government money was allocated to build "Commissioners Churches" across England. In 1824 this was begrudgingly extended to Scotland, with the entire country receiving less than was spent on a single English church. Thomas Telford built about 30 of them to a simple austere design on which every expense was scrimped, including this example at Rushgarry.
 * East Beach is the long sandy stretch by the Telford Kirk. It's a convenient picnic spot as it's flanked by a public road.
 * is a walled enclosure on the south flank of Ben Leva. It's disused and the graves are mostly 19th century. Earlier grave markers are badly eroded and it's possible some of them are just stones, dumped here to clear the farmland.
 * Cill Aiseam, the church of St Asaph (a 6th-century Welsh bishop) lay in a green spot on the hill midway between the old cemetery and Cnoc Na Greine. Ruins were still visible in the Victorian era but now all trace has vanished.
 * Lazybeds (Gaelic feannagan) are the cause of the parallel furrows seen in hillside fields. This cultivation system maybe got its name because the field surface lay untilled and idle, while ridges were heaped up with peat and seaweed fertiliser. It was the common way to grow potatoes in 18th- and 19th-century Ireland and Highland Scotland, and demanded no small labour, but the name gave gentry the notion that their tenants were layabouts smoking their clay pipes and procreating far too many children. The system mostly died out during the 1840s blight and famines, as did those whose survival depended on home-grown potatoes.
 * Blackhouses are seen all around the island, many in ruins, others deserted but several restored, such as the Youth Hostel. They had double dry-stone walls packed with earth, and wooden rafters covered with a turf or thatch roof. If thatch, it would be pinned down by a "hairnet" weighted with stones against the winter gales. The floor was flagstones or packed earth, with a fire in the central hearth which must never be allowed to go out. No chimney, so the smoke percolated through the roof and stained the residents. That helped distract from the stench from the cattle that also lived within, separated by a wooden partition. After the 1850s, people upgraded to more hygienic taighean geala, white houses, and it only remained to take down their blackhouse partition to turn the whole smelly abode into a byre.
 * (Hillock of the Sun) is a grouping of stones, mostly likely a burial chamber. The largest is a glacial erratic boulder, naturally deposited there, then three other stones were positioned as chamber supports. Human remains were found here but are undated.
 * is a freshwater lake with fishing for brown trout, and the island's water supply. You might see mute swans, greylag geese and buzzards, better known as "tourist eagles" — if a visitor spots an eagle, it's probably a buzzard. The loch gives its name to the ferry that used to ply the Berneray-Harris route, but it only had room for 18 cars and soon had to be replaced. MV Loch Bhrusda now acts as a back-up vessel whenever a Calmac ferry is out of action, which in the 2020s is all too common.
 * are a group west of the lane end at Borve, part of a prehistoric burial chamber. Some 20 yards south, one stone happens to resemble a chair facing the others, so this gave rise to the legend that it was a Viking law court.
 * West beach runs the length of the Atlantic coast and is backed by machair coarse grass and sand dunes. Wading birds on the shore include redshanks, sanderlings, turnstones, oyster catchers, dunlin, curlews, whimbrels, ringed plovers and herons; further out you see gannets diving.
 * ("Hill of the Skulls") hasn't been excavated, but findings include prehistoric pot shards and a mix of animal and human bones. It's probably that archaeologists' idea of paradise, a midden. A ruined shepherd's bothy stands on top, and nearby is the outline of a former blackhouse.
 * Braighe na Ceilp (Breastwork of the Kelp) is at the end of West Beach, beyond the Hill of the Skulls. It's a grid of flat stones where kelp was dried before burning for potash. This was a lucrative industry in the early 19th century, as potash was essential to make soap, bleach, fertilisers and other chemicals. The price collapsed in 1822 when peace with France made cheaper imports available, and other chemical processes were devised. Kelp harvesting continued on a small scale for local use, but sharp fellows in top hats and high cravats no longer jostled to buy the stuff.
 * is an uninhabited island 3 miles northwest of Berneray and about the same size. Its southeast is low-lying and fertile, with a landing beach though no harbour, but the population was evicted in 1846. It's been used ever since for sheep grazing and there's a modern farm building. Papey in Norse means hermit monks but there's scant trace of them here - the other Pabbay south of Barra has a ruined chapel.
 * Shillay (Siolaigh) a mile north of Pabbay is triangular, half-a-mile each side. It's rugged and has never been permanently inhabited. The name means "seal island".
 * Shillay (Siolaigh) a mile north of Pabbay is triangular, half-a-mile each side. It's rugged and has never been permanently inhabited. The name means "seal island".

Do

 * Water sports such as surfing and kayaking need to be self-organized, there isn't a business.
 * Boat trips might be negotiable at the harbour, there's no schedule.
 * Hills on Berneray take most of 15 minutes to walk up — the highest is Beinn Shleibhe at 93 m (305 ft) — but open out great views.
 * Hebridean Way is a way-marked hiking and cycling trail the length of the Outer Hebrides. Stage 7 northbound simply follows the causeway from North Uist to the ferry pier and doesn't explore Berneray, but you can go further if your schedule allows.
 * Report a rat: IAVs are the shorthand for Invasive Alien Vertebrates, beasts you don't want on an island. Rats are the worst, devouring the eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds, which are otherwise well-adapted to the treeless Hebrides. Berneray is believed to be rat-free so if you see one report it, don't try to whack it yourself. Rabbits are almost as bad, and were supposedly absent but have been detected on the west coast. Neighbouring North Uist is overrun with them, and the causeway was fitted with deterrents, but they may have hoppity-hopped across.
 * Trace your ancestors: Hebridean Connections is the online resource for historical material across the Western Isles, supplemented by national registries for births, marriages and deaths from 1841, and individual household Census records 1841-1921.
 * Ceilidhs ("KAY-lee", traditional Scots music and dancing) are held frequently in the community hall. Enquire at the shop, which as the prime source of alcohol on Berneray will be well-informed. Similarly, the Christmas meal in the hall is open to residents and visitors.
 * Dark skies: the island has little artificial lighting, so in winter you can easily find wide-open night skies, weather permitting, with a view of the stars and sometimes the aurora. This is a lost cause in summer when the sky never gets fully dark.
 * Berneray Week is the third week in July, with sporting, cultural and festive events.

Buy

 * No fuel and no ATM on Berneray - the nearest is Lochmaddy.
 * Home produce such as eggs and vegetables are sometimes on sale at farm gates, with a roadside honesty box. You may be able to buy fresh catch when the fishing boats return to harbour, which depends on the tide. Now think about how you're going to boil that lobster with only a camp stove.
 * Home produce such as eggs and vegetables are sometimes on sale at farm gates, with a roadside honesty box. You may be able to buy fresh catch when the fishing boats return to harbour, which depends on the tide. Now think about how you're going to boil that lobster with only a camp stove.
 * Home produce such as eggs and vegetables are sometimes on sale at farm gates, with a roadside honesty box. You may be able to buy fresh catch when the fishing boats return to harbour, which depends on the tide. Now think about how you're going to boil that lobster with only a camp stove.
 * Home produce such as eggs and vegetables are sometimes on sale at farm gates, with a roadside honesty box. You may be able to buy fresh catch when the fishing boats return to harbour, which depends on the tide. Now think about how you're going to boil that lobster with only a camp stove.

Drink
There are no pubs or hotel bars on Berneray, but the shop sells beer, wine and spirits.

Connect
As of Sep 2023, Berneray has 4G from EE but no reliable signal from other carriers, though you might get lucky by gaining height. 5G has not reached the Uists. Limited Wi-Fi is available in the ferry waiting room.

Berneray harbour has a coin-operated phone box, which BT are itching to scrap. Ofcom say they may not remove such remote boxes where the mobile coverage is poor and traditional landlines may be a lifesaver. So BT are biding their time until 2025, when the entire UK landline system is expected to be decommissioned.

Sleep

 * Camping: there is no campsite on Berneray. Walkers and cyclists may wild-camp on the west coast, but you may not park a vehicle overnight. As of 2023, campers and motorhomes can pitch near the East Beach, where there is a £10 charge for camping on the croft land. Overnight parking is prohibited elsewhere.
 * Laimraig Thatched Cottage by the Youth Hostel only rents by the month.
 * Laimraig Thatched Cottage by the Youth Hostel only rents by the month.
 * Laimraig Thatched Cottage by the Youth Hostel only rents by the month.
 * Laimraig Thatched Cottage by the Youth Hostel only rents by the month.
 * Laimraig Thatched Cottage by the Youth Hostel only rents by the month.
 * Laimraig Thatched Cottage by the Youth Hostel only rents by the month.

Go next

 * The ferry to Leverburgh lands you in the rugged terrain of Harris. A road crosses the hills north to Lewis.
 * Cross the causeway to North Uist, dotted with small lochs for fishing.
 * The ferry from Lochmaddy on North Uist sails to Uig in the most scenic part of Skye.
 * The chain of islands continues south through Benbecula, South Uist and Eriskay, where the ferry sails to Barra.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Berneray


text:
Berneray (disambiguation)

There's more than one place called Berneray:

United Kingdom

 * Berneray (Bheàrnaraidh) is an inhabited island in the Outer Hebrides or Western Isles of Scotland, linked by road to North Uist.
 * Barra Head or Berneray is an uninhabited island, the most southerly of the Outer Hebrides.
 * Great Bernera is an inhabited island linked by road to Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.
 * Bernera is an uninhabited tidal islet off the Isle of Lismore in the Inner Hebrides.

title: Berneray (disambiguation)


text:
Bernese Highlands

The southern end of canton Berne includes some of the tallest and most famous peaks in Switzerland including the Jungfrau and the Eiger, known as the Berner Oberland.

Towns and villages

 * — at the eastern tip of Lake Brienz.
 * — central town in the Hasli Valley; site of Sherlock Holmes' death; historically important transportation route
 * — a picture postcard town surrounded by stunning scenery
 * — the biggest city in the region. A good choice if you want to stroll through a city and visit some cultural sights after spending time in the mountains
 * - "between the lakes"- is where you take the BOB mountain railway to the Jungfrau resorts.
 * — the biggest city in the region. A good choice if you want to stroll through a city and visit some cultural sights after spending time in the mountains
 * - "between the lakes"- is where you take the BOB mountain railway to the Jungfrau resorts.

 * Jungfrau Region describes the resorts up the two Lütschine valleys, with winter skiing and summer hiking.

 * is the resort in the Black Lütschine valley. Come this way to reach Jungfraujoch.
 * at the foot of the Eiger is on the saddle between the forks.
 * in the sheer-sided White Lütschine valley has scores of great waterfalls.
 * is a larger but charming resort on the slopes towards the Schilthorn.
 * Gimmelwald is a tiny picturesque hamlet halfway up to Mürren.
 * is the resort on the opposite side of the valley.

Other destinations

 * is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared between the Bernese Highlands and Valais. You get a good view from Jungfraujoch.
 * at 2164 m is a fine example of Swiss mountain roads. It too is on the boundary between the Bernese Highlands and Valais, which is the watershed between the Rhine catchment towards the North Sea and the Rhône through Lake Geneva towards the Med. The road and resort are open June-Sept. Cycle across if you're hard enough; it's sometimes used by the Tour de Suisse.

Understand
This is probably the finest area of the Swiss Alps. Most people will come into Interlaken, sitting between two lakes, the Thunersee and the Brienzersee. From Interlaken, twin valleys go to either the resort town of Grindelwald, or the Lauterbrunnen, which has cable car connections to several stunningly located and isolated towns. Several glaciers are in this area.

Public holidays
In addition to those observed in the whole of Switzerland, St. Berchtold day on 2 January is observed in the canton of Berne.

Talk
While Switzerland has four main languages, this region speaks mostly Swiss-German, though the official language is German, and everyone can speak it. English is also spoken to a somewhat lesser extent.

Get in
Two main train lines run through this region. One comes from Basel, Berne via Thun and Spiez to Interlaken, whereas the other one comes from Zurich and Berne also via Thun and Spiez on the way to Valais. If you are coming from the airport in Zurich, you have to change in Berne to go to Interlaken. A couple international trains (ICE and EC from Germany and one TGV Lyria from Paris) also go to Interlaken.

Smaller but more scenic train lines are the Golden Pass Express from Montreux to Gstaad and Zweisimmen as well as the Lucerne-Interlaken Express via Brienz. Both of these offer panoramic coaches.

See and do

 * Brienz Rothornbahn, the railway ascending from Brienz, is the last steam-powered mountain line in Switzerland. "Es stampft und dampft, es quietscht und qualmt" they promise; Goethe couldn't have said it any better.
 * Trümmelbach Falls are 3 km south of Lauterbrunnen. This sheer-sided valley has scores of spectacular waterfalls, which inspired the young Tolkien to invent Rivendell. But these falls are inside the mountain, where the boulder-laden torrent from the glaciers has carved chutes and corkscrews.
 * Schilthorn (2970 m) is the peak above Mürren, with the revolving restaurant of Piz Gloria, and kitsch memories of George Lazenby playing 007 none too well. The cable-car ascends from Stechelberg near Lauterbrunnen, via Gimmelwald and Mürren, but feel free to make the 5-6 hour ascent on foot.
 * Eiger (3967 m), Mönch (4110 m) and Jungfrau (4158 m) are the magnificent peaks towering over Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg.
 *  Jungfraujoch is Europe's highest railway station, on the saddle between the Mönch and Jungfrau. There are views over the Aletsch glacier and you can explore a short way outside but must have a guide to go further.
 * Aare Gorge is 1.4 km long, 180 m deep and barely a metre across at its narrowest. There's a walkway through it, emerging 2 km east of Meiringen.
 * Reichenbach Falls are a cascade 1 km south of Meiringen. The top cascade or Grand Reichenbach Fall is 110 m, the scene of Sherlock Holmes' mortal struggle with Moriaty in Conan Doyle's The Final Problem.
 * Oeschinensee is a scenic lake 3 km east of Kandersteg. Take a boat or toboggan ride, or hike up Hohtürli Pass.
 * Lake Cruises The clarity of the blue water and stunning mountain scenery make cruising on either the Thunersee or Brienzersee a great option.

Events

 * Lauberhorn is the premier ski race, held in January. The run is from the Lauberhorn summit at 2317 m, over 4.27 km (a one km descent) into Wengen.
 * Eiger Ultra is a 101 km ultra-marathon held in July. It starts in Grindelwald and circles through Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg.
 * Jungfrau Marathon ascends from Interlaken via Lauterbrunnen and Wengen to finish at Kleine Scheidegg. It's held in September.

Go next

 * It's an easy train trip to the Swiss cities of Berne, Basel, or Zurich.
 * Take the train from Brienz to Lucerne maybe stopping along the way in one of the scenic towns of Central Switzerland.
 * Take the train south to Valais.

title: Bernese Highlands


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Berne Region

The central, flatter part of the canton of Berne is marketed as the Swiss Mittelland by the Swiss tourism office. This region includes the northern part of the canton of Berne, the German speaking part of Fribourg as well as the southern half of the canton of Solothurn.

Public Holidays
The public holidays are different in each canton. These are the public holidays in addition to those observed in the whole of Switzerland:

 * St. Berchtold (2 January, observed in Berne and Fribourg)
 * St Joseph's Day (19 March, observed in parts of Solothurn)
 * Labour Day (1 May, observed as a half day in Solothurn)
 * Corpus Christi (60 days after Easter, observed in Fribourg and most parts of Solothurn)
 * Assumption (15 August, observed in Fribourg and most parts of Solothurn)
 * All Saints Day (1 November, observed in Fribourg and most parts of Solothurn)
 * Immaculate Conception (8 December, observed in Fribourg)

In the canton of Solothurn many towns have their own local holiday on the day of their saint patron.

Get in
There is an airport in this region, near the city of Berne. However, as this airport doesn't offer that many connections, for most travelers it will make more sense to take the plane to Zurich.

See

 * Visit the picturesque Emmental which is not only home to the cheese but also boasts a hilly landscape with traditional farm houses:

Do

 * Swimming or rafting on the river Aare.

title: Berne Region


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Beroun

Beroun is a city in Central Bohemia, about 30 km southwest from Prague.

By train
(Beroun nádraží) lies on an important railway line between Prague and Pilsen (and Cheb). Many fast trains going between these cities, including fast trains going to or from German cities of Regensburg, Nuremberg or Munchen, stop in Beroun. Beroun is also the terminus of the commuter line S7 between Prague and Beroun with frequent service and stops in many attractive places between, such as the Karlštejn castle. Another commuter line to Prague is the much smaller S6 which runs via Nučice. There are also local lines connecting Beroun with Rudná u Prahy and Rakovník. In Prague, Hlavní nádraží (Main) and Smíchovské nádraží stations are used for trains to or from Beroun (both fast and commuter trains).

By car
Beroun lies on the D5 highway going from Prague to Pilsen and to Germany.

On foot
There are several marked track paths going through Beroun.

See

 * and
 * Remains of the city walls nearby the gates.
 * If you fancy a 1-1.5 hrs walk, the best choice is
 * If you fancy a 1-1.5 hrs walk, the best choice is
 * If you fancy a 1-1.5 hrs walk, the best choice is

Do
Beroun is a standard mid-size Czech town. You find here cinema, a few museums, sport clubs, and a swimming pool. If you are a party animal, this won't be your choice. But if you want to enjoy relaxing days in nature with the comfort of town services, you are at right place.

 * check out the bears at Medvedarium
 * for swimming, visit Tip Sport Laguna - tiny aquapark with decent swimming pool
 * have a look around town centre (during weekend, it will be dead)
 * there are few possibilities for cycling, inline skating and walks

Eat
You will find few places at the main square or around the river.

Go next

 * Karlštejn

title: Beroun


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Berovo

Berovo is a small town in the easternmost part of Eastern North Macedonia. It has about 7,000 residents, while the larger Berovo Municipality, consisting of eight surrounding villages, has a total population of under 14,000. It is a primary settlement of Maleševo Mountain, shared with Bulgaria. It is just 10 km (6 mi) from the small town of Pehčevo, which is also covered in this article.

Get in
The city can be entered only by a car, because there is only an asphalt road leading to it. Berovo is 165 km from the capital of North Macedonia, Skopje, and 142 km from the airport “Aleksandar Veliki”. Berovo is 335 km from the city of Ohrid (including Ohrid Airport). There are three entrances into Berovo: Kočani-Vinica-Berovo, Kočani-Delcevo Berovo and Strumica-Berovo. If arriving from Skopje you should take the highway towards Veles, and then continue towards Stip.

There is a daily bus line (five times / day) from Skopje via Veles, Stip, Kocani and Vinica to Berovo, and from Skopje via Delcevo to Berovo (two times / day).

One can reach Berovo from Republic of Bulgaria as well, using the border passes at Delčevo (45 km) and Novo Selo near Strumica (76 km).

Village churches
The villages of Berovo Municipality are old and contain excellent examples of Macedonian village architecture. These villages each contain one or two churches, primarily from the 19th century, some of the more interesting of which are listed below.

Pehčevo Municipality
Pehčevo is a small town very close to Berovo. There aren't very many sights in Pehčevo Municipality but it sits in beautiful nature and features some old villages with historic architecture.

Eat
Some local specialities include: pecheni kompiri (baked potatoes), ovcho sirenje (sheep cheese), bulamach, kachamak so rebra, domashna pita, and selsko meso (village meat).

Drink
This part of the country is renowned for their plum brandy (slivi rakija)

title: Berovo


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Berry

Berry is a town in Shoalhaven, NSW.

Get in
Berry is both on the South Coast Railway Line, and the Princes Highway heading south. The main road heads right through the centre of town, and it quite a choke point at busy traffic times. The new bypass is scheduled to open in 2018, and should do a great deal to reduce through traffic in the town centre.

Get around
If you're just interested in browsing the antique and craft shops, the town is easily walkable. Some of the surrounding land and hills are worth a scenic drive.

Self-Guided Walking Tours
The Berry & District Historical Society in conjunction with the Berry Chamber of Commerce and Tourism utilised technology and developed three interactive historical walks around the CBD, north side of the town and south side of the town.

 * Berry Historical Walking Trail – The Commercial Centre
 * Berry Historical Walking Trail – The South Side Of Town
 * Berry Historical Walking Trail – The North Side Of Town

Buy

 * Souvenir shops, antiques and collectible shops.

Eat
Berry has more than its fair share of eateries and cafes. There are several to choose from on the main streets and around the craft markets.

Go next

 * Kiama by the sea to the north
 * Nowra and Jervis Bay to the south

title: Berry


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Berry Islands

Berry Islands is in Bahamas.

Regions
A few of the main islands include Great Harbour Cay, Great Stirrup Cay, Little Stirrup Cay, Coco Cay, and many others.

Cities
Bullock Harbour, located on Great Harbour Cay, is perhaps the only permanent settlement in the Berry Islands.

Understand
Several cruise lines have their private islands located here. Norwegian Cruise Lines leases Great Stirrup Cay, Princess Cruise Lines leases Little Stirrup Cay, and Royal Caribbean leases Coco Cay. Many of the islands in which cruise lines lease are often renamed from their original name. For example Coco Cay is actually named Little Stirrup Cay. Royal Caribbean has trademarked Coco Cay for their exclusive use.

Get in
Most tourists arrive by cruise ship to the cruise lines' private islands. Although Royal Caribbean has their own dock on their leased island, Coco Cay; there are few other cruise ship docks, so many passengers are taken ashore by tenders. There is a marina and an airstrip located in Bullock Harbour on Great Harbour Island. Chub Cay also includes an airstrip, and is also an entry / exit point for immigration and customs. There are however no commercial carriers based on the island, so travel to and from Chub Cay is coordinated specifically for the island.

title: Berry Islands


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Berryville

Berryville is located in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.

See

 * State Arboretum of Virginia, Rt 340 to Rt 50 in Boyce.

Do

 * Sky Meadows State Park Trails and picnicking. Open 8AM-sunset. Free entrance with paid parking.
 * Appalachian Trail

Sleep

 * Veramar Villa B&B, 905 Quarry Road, +1 540 955-5510 A 3 Day/2 Night escape in beautiful Virginia Wine Country. It’s a vacation with life experiences where the Bogaty family is ready to share their knowledge about running a family vineyard and making premium wines at their winery with you.

Go next
Mosby Rangers Wine Trail, located about one hour west of D.C., covers an area bounded by the Bull Run Mountains to the east, the Allegheny Mountains to the west, the Potomac River to the north and the Rappahannock River to the south. During the Civil War the area was known as “Mosby's Confederacy”, named for the famed cavalry officer Colonel John S. Mosby whose rangers fought throughout the region during the Civil War. Today, a large part of this area is designated as the “Mosby Heritage Area” with the following localities:

 * Three Fox Vineyards
 * Gadino Cellars
 * Sunset Hills Vineyards
 * Winery at La Grange

title: Berryville


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Berryville (Arkansas)

Berryville is a city of 5,600 people (2019), in the Ozarks region of Arkansas.

Get in
U.S. Route 62 passes through the center of the city, leading east 30 miles (48 km) to Harrison and west 46 miles (74 km) to Rogers. Eureka Springs is 12 miles (19 km) to the west on US 62. Arkansas Highway 21 leads north from Berryville 16 miles (26 km) to the Missouri line.

See

 * Saunders' Museum, which has guns used by outlaws such as Pancho Villa, Billy the Kid, and many others, as well as other items of interest, is in the center of town.
 * Cosmic Cavern is 7 miles (11 km) north of town on Arkansas Highway 21.

title: Berryville (Arkansas)


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Berryville (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Berryville:

United States of America

 * Berryville (Arkansas) — A town in the Ozarks region of Arkansas.
 * Berryville (Virginia) — A town in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.

title: Berryville (disambiguation)


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Bertha Benz Memorial Route

The Bertha Benz Memorial Route follows the tracks of the world's first long-distance journey by an automobile powered by an internal combustion engine. In 1888, Bertha Benz  drove from Mannheim to Pforzheim in the Black Forest and back three days later. This was a round-trip journey of 194 km (120 miles) within Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.

History

Two years earlier, in 1886, Bertha's husband, Dr Karl Benz, had invented the internal-combustion powered automobile in Mannheim (Reich Patent No. 37435) - but nobody wanted to buy his invention.

However, after his wife went with her 13- and 15-year-old sons on a long-distance trip from Mannheim to Pforzheim and back in 1888 - without her husband's knowledge - this proved that the horseless carriage was absolutely suitable for daily use and it became a huge success. There are almost a billion drivers worldwide today, but the first was a woman!

Although Bertha's journey was arguably the most important marketing activity of all time, the original achievement and route was on the verge of sinking into oblivion before So Frauke and Edgar Meyer started a private non-profit-initiative in 2007. They were instrumental in commemorating Bertha's pioneer deed by signposting the original route she had taken in 1888. The Bertha Benz Memorial Route became an official German tourist route in 2008 and a European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) in 2009.

By plane
Frankfurt am Main Airport. Then head south by rented car or ICE-train about to either Mannheim or Heidelberg.

By train
Mannheim is one of the most important train stops in Germany with numerous ICE-train-connections. Cars can be rented at the major train stations.

By car or bike
Mannheim and Heidelberg, both situated in the Rhine Valley, can be reached via several "Autobahns". Although there is no general speed-limit, please drive carefully! And remember: at 240 km/h, the little spot in your rear-view mirror can become a two-tonne limousine within only a few seconds!

Landscapes
The authentic route taken by Bertha Benz not only links almost forgotten original sites she passed on her way, it also leads to one of the most attractive scenic regions in Germany, the wine region of Baden.

The route follows several Roman roads in the area of the Upper Rhine Plain. For example, the Bergstraße (Mountain Road) leads along the base of the Odenwald mountains and the Kraichgau, and shortly before reaching Karlsruhe it branches off into the Pfinztal valley leading to Pforzheim, the entrance to the Black Forest.

As Bertha was afraid of some steep mountains, the return trip follows an alternative route and finally leads along the river Rhine to reach Mannheim again.

Outbound trip
Mannheim to Pforzheim, approx. 104 km (64 mi), southbound (S):
 * Feudenheim
 * Ilvesheim- Ilvesheim Castle
 * - Automuseum Dr. Carl Benz (note - the museum is named using Benz's first name "Carl" as it was originally spelt before the German spelling reform of 1901 which replaced C with K), house and grave of the Benz family in the Old Town, parts of which date back to Roman times
 * Schriesheim - Castle Strahlenburg, Silver Mine
 * Dossenheim - Quarry
 * Dossenheim - Quarry
 * - Heidelberg Castle, Old Town, Old Bridge, Hotel "Zum Ritter", University of Heidelberg
 * Leimen
 * Nußloch
 * Mingolsheim
 * Langenbrücken
 * Stettfeld
 * Ubstadt
 * - produces more asparagus than anywhere else in Germany and has a very mediaeval-looking high security prison that used to house "Red Army Faction" terrorists and now houses other high-risk prisoners. It was built in 1848 (the year of revolutions) and its local nickname is the "8-cornered café" because of its masonry watchtowers.
 * - Walk'sches Haus
 * Untergrombach
 * Karlsruhe-Grötzingen
 * Berghausen
 * Söllingen
 * Kleinsteinbach
 * Wilferdingen
 * Königsbach
 * Stein
 * Eisingen
 * - Jewellery Museum, House of Industry.
 * - Jewellery Museum, House of Industry.

Return trip
Pforzheim to Mannheim, approx. 90 km (56 miles), northbound (N):
 * Pforzheim - see outbound trip
 * Bauschlott - Castle Bauschlott
 * - A sweet little village with good value Konditorei where you can sit quietly and enjoy a Windbeutel or a slice of Schwarzwaldkirschtorte in the old market place. Afterwards, pay a visit to the 1899 Melanchthonhaus museum and research institute, built on the site of Melanchthon's birthplace. Close by is Maulbronn Abbey (a UNESCO nominated World Heritage Site) where Johannes Kepler, Friedrich Hölderlin and Hermann Hesse studied.
 * Gondelsheim - Castle Gondelsheim, Gasthaus "LoewenThor". Josefine Benz, mother of Carl Benz, was buried in this town's graveyard in 1870
 * Bruchsal - see outbound trip
 * Forst
 * Hambrücken
 * Wiesental - Eremitage Waghäusel
 * Kirrlach, Reilingen - Germany's best asparagus
 * - Museum of Motorsports at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheimring (Formula 1)
 * Talhaus
 * Ketsch - Backfischfest (baked fish festival) in August
 * - The palace has one of the finest gardens in Europe
 * Friedrichsfeld
 * Seckenheim - SAP-Arena software
 * Mannheim - see outbound trip

Connect
You should achieve a strong GSM mobile phone signal throughout this itinerary.

Go next

 * Baden Baden
 * Black Forest
 * Frankfurt

title: Bertha Benz Memorial Route


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Berthold

Berthold is a town in the Lakes and Gardens area of North Dakota. It has a population of about 390 people. Coordinates are latitude 48.31 N & longitude 101.74 W.

By car
About 25 miles northwest of Minot on highways US-2 and 52.

title: Berthold


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Berthoud

Berthoud is a city in the Front Range region of Colorado.

Berthoud is a small town (less than 5000 residents) located just south of Loveland.

By air
Berthoud is closest to the Fort Collins Loveland Airport, which is north of the city, between Loveland and Fort Collins. Allegiant Air offers daily flights from here and Las Vegas. Getting from the airport to Berthoud generally requires a vehicle as taxis are uncommon in this part of Colorado.

Further away, but offering a wider range of national and international flights is Denver International Airport. From Denver, the drive takes about an hour north on I-25. Groome Transport offers rides to Loveland for $32 per adult ($10 per child). However, the traveler is responsible for the trip from Loveland to Berthoud.

By car
Berthoud is located north of Denver on I-25 between Loveland (North of Berthoud) and Longmont to the south.

See
Berthoud is a small town surrounded by farmland and is nicknamed "Garden Spot of Colorado".

Do
There are many festivals and events going on here in the summer and a few in the winter, as well. See the Chamber of Commerce website for the yearly listings. In the summer there are also nearby farmers markets with local produce and crafts.

title: Berthoud


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Bertioga

Bertioga is a sea side town in São Paulo State. It is a former district of Santos and considered to be part of the Baixada Santista metro area, although it has no conurbation with other cities.

Although mainly a local tourism destination, Bertioga is an attractive day/weekend trip for international visitors to São Paulo, as it offers excellent beaches and has much less crime problems than the neighboring Guarujá.

Understand
Bertioga was initially populated by Native Brazilians of the Tupinambá and Tupiniquim tribes. The region is the scenario of the controversial book True Story and Description of a Country of Wild, Naked, Grim, Man-eating People in the New World written by the German mariner Hans Staden.

In 1532, Portuguese settlers founded there the oldest fortress of Brazil - Forte São João de Bertioga, which has been definitively completed only in 1702, and is until nowadays the most important landmark of the town.

Bertioga remained as a suburb and later as a district of Santos until 1991, when it became a separate municipality. Bertioga is obviously less famous than its neighboring coastal towns - Guarujá and São Sebastião, and despite being now a "city on its own", it retains the feel of a collection of coastal suburbs (even downtown looks like an ordinary suburb). However, Bertioga is still an important local tourism destination of the São Paulo state, with many Paulistas keeping summer vacation houses in the town.

By bus
From São Paulo, there are three buses that go to Bertioga. One, operated by Viação Ultra goes to Downtown (Enseada beach), takes 1:30 hour, and departs from the Jabaquara intercity bus terminal. The other one, operated by Litorânea, goes to Riviera (São Lourenço beach), takes 3:05 hours, and departs from the Tietê intercity bus terminal. Both cost about the same price. There are also direct buses from the Sao Paulo Guarulhos airport.

By car
Coming from São Paulo, there are two routes of access.
 * Take SP-150 (Anchieta) or SP-160 (Imigrantes). At Cubatão, follow the signs to go to Bertioga, north via BR-101 (Rio-Santos).
 * Take SP-070 (Trabalhadores/Ayrton Senna) and go to Mogi das Cruzes, then take SP-098 (Mogi-Bertioga) to Bertioga. This path is somewhat more complicated as you need to find your way through Mogi das Cruzes.

By bus
You can find your bus connection in the apps of Google Maps or Moovit. For Moovit you need to choose the metro area "Santos e Região". Both apps show also regional buses for example to Guarujá. Just tell (or show) the bus driver where you'd like to go and he calculates the fare.

Public buses are operated by Viação Bertioga and connect downtown (where the intercity bus terminal is located) with the Indaía, Riviera and Boracéia neighborhoods. Note that the Enseada beach is located at downtown and Indaiá, and the São Lourenço beach at Riviera. Since public buses are intended for locals, not for tourists, they are less frequent on weekends.

By car
A car is the most convenient way to access quieter beaches like Guaratuba and Itaguaré. It is easy to get around Bertioga by taking the Rio-Santos road (BR-101).

By bicycle
Av. Anchieta, that runs in parallel with the Enseada beach, has a cycleway on most of its extension, making it easy to go by bicycle from downtown to Indaiá, and even reach the west side of the São Lourenço beach.

See

Beaches
The beaches of Bertioga are similar to each other, differing only by their surroundings. They are mostly long in extension and broad in width. They have flat and somewhat hard sands.

Do

 * The flat sands of Bertioga's beaches make them perfect for jogging, playing football, and bringing small children to play close to the water
 * For surfing, Bertioga isn't on par with São Sebastião or Ubatuba, but it sometimes hosts regional competitions. The best waves can be found at Itaguaré and São Lourenço (close to the pier and on the left corner). For beginners, a number of surf schools can also be found in the town.

Buy
In Saturday morning street market (in the broad inland avenue) apart from local small farmers, you may see a couple of Guarani Indians selling hand made goods. Just up the channel from the ferry jetty, local fishermen sell their shrimps and fresh fish.

Eat
Apart from very fresh shrimps and fish everywhere, several Spanish owned simple restaurants serve quite good paellas

Sleep
Bertioga has a relatively small range of lodging options, as most of its visitors have vacation houses in the town. If you plan to stay more than one weekend, it is definitely worth considering renting a house or apartment instead of staying in a hotel or B&B. Renting a house with a swimming pool in Bertioga may be cheaper than staying at a 4- or 5-star hotel in Guarujá!

Stay safe
Bertioga has one of the lowest crime rates of the São Paulo coast, making it an excellent option for tourists.

Stay healthy
As elsewhere in Brazil, some beaches in Bertioga are not suitable for bathing, and conditions can change from day to day. On the day of your visit, check the map of the latest weekly beach quality bulletin (in Portuguese, boletim de qualidade das praias) of the state's Environment Department (CETESB).

Go next
All these places have hostels and private rooms:

To the east

 * Camburi and Boicucanga – 50 km. It is considered by Paulistas as one of the best beaches on their coastline. There are also quite a few small restaurants and bars along the road going through Camburi. Camburizinho beach is right next door.
 * Ilhabela – 80 km. The island is considered one of the natural paradises of the São Paulo coast. (Ilhabela means literally "beautiful island" in Portuguese). It is known for its forest-covered mountains, its amazing beaches and its savage trails.
 * São Sebastião – 80 km. The beaches of São Sebastião are a mixture of rustic paradisiac nature with first class night life. Contains one of the most famous beaches of the São Paulo coast, Maresias.
 * Ubatuba – 160 km. Beautiful beaches are the main attraction of this place, as well as its well-preserved nature. You can do mountain biking and trekking. One of the best places in Brazil to practice surf, nautical sports, diving and birdwatching.

To the west and south-west

 * Guarujá – 50 km. Popular beach destination and devoted to tourism. The city has the biggest aquarium in South America, it has more than 700 species of aquatic animals. A nickname for the city is "The Pearl of the Atlantic".
 * Santos – 60 km. The biggest city on the São Paulo coast. Santos is known for its historical center and the Santos FC football team (team of the legendary Pelé). It has the longest beach garden in the world.
 * Itanhaém – 110 km. Surrounded by the Atlantic forest and with nice beaches. You can make a boat tour upstream the river. The city's nickname is "Princess of the South Seas" and "Amazônia Paulista".

To the north

 * São Paulo

title: Bertioga


text:
Beruwela

Beruwela is a beach resort in Western Sri Lanka.

Buy
See Colombo for general information on Sri Lankan gems.

title: Beruwela


text:
Berwick (Pennsylvania)

Berwick is a small city in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Berwick is home to Berwick Offray, a gift ribbon manufacturing plant, and Wise Foods, Inc., a snack food company founded by Berwick native Earl Wise in the first half of the twentieth century, famous for its potato chips. Berwick is also famous for its high school football team, the Bulldogs which is six times State champions and three times national champions. Berwick is now the home of the 2008 PIAA AAA Baseball State Champions. It is the schools first baseball state championship in its history. Berwick was one of the places where the Stuart tank was produced. American Car & Foundry, a producer of rolling stock for railroads also operated a plant in Berwick.

Get in
Berwick founded by Evan Owen a Surveyor, is a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, 27 miles, which is 43 km, southwest of Wilkes Barre. Light manufacturing industries have flourished in Berwick, which consolidated with the borough of West Berwick, where 5,512 people lived in 1910. Population in 1910, 5,357; in 1920, 12,181; and in 1940, 13,181 people. The population was 10,774 at the 2000 census.

Do
While activities are limited in this small area, the Susquehanna river is available to fish in. There is also a one room movie theater, the Berwick Theater. Also, downtown there is a bowling alley called Pepper's.

Eat
While Berwick is a small town, there are definitely multiple places to eat. Fast food restaurants can be found on Front Street, while other establishments are scattered around town.

Drink
There are many bars in and around the town of Berwick.

Sleep
The nearest accommodation is in Bloomsburg

Go next
There are many surrounding towns such as Bloomsburg, Hazleton, or Conyngham, which are very accessible to stay in.

title: Berwick (Pennsylvania)


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Berwick-upon-Tweed

Berwick-upon-Tweed (pronounced "Berrick") is a town in Northumberland, two miles south of the border with Scotland. Berwick is on the north bank of the Tweed and nowadays forms a combined town with Tweedmouth and Spittal on the south bank. The south bank is industrial but the old town centre is well preserved. It's the main town for nearby villages in the Scottish Borders, and along the Tweed valley inland.

Understand
Berwick had a population of 13,170 in 2021. In medieval times it frequently changed hands, and was protected with stout walls.

History
Berewick means the patch of land reserved for growing the lord of the manor's personal barley, to be made into his bread and beer - mess with it at your peril. (Just to spell out his sense of ownership, the term "lord" derives from hlāfweard, the loaf-guardian, while his lady is hlǣfdige, she who digs or kneads the loaf). In Anglo-Saxon times, Northumbria ruled Berwick and all the way to Edinburgh, but this territory was won by Scotland in 1018. For the next 400 years the town was a shuttlecock, changing hands over a dozen times as England and Scotland were back and forth at war, so the town walls were built and the castle strengthened in 1318. The Scots were ousted for the last time in 1482 when Berwick became nominally an independent town, but in reality under the English thumb. The Elizabethans were sufficiently wary of Scotland to rebuild the walls, and render them proof against artillery as well as bows and arrows, in an age when many cities were tearing down their medieval bastions. So, like those of Londonderry built a few decades later, the walls are about 400 years old and in good condition.

In 1603 came the Union of Crowns of England and Scotland, and in 1707 the Parliaments and executives were combined, though never the legal systems. Berwick formed its own English county north of the Tweed while the south bank was the strange entity of Islandshire, governed from Holy Island or Lindisfarne. Berwick incorporated the south bank in 1835 and became part of the county of Northumberland in 1889. More significantly, the railway spanned the Tweed from 1850, binding the town to the smokestack economy of the south, and (as at Newcastle) demolishing most of the castle to make way for it. In the 20th century Berwick promoted itself as a seaside resort. The painter LS Lowry often visited.

Visitor information

 * Visitor information from the Town Council

By train
Berwick is on the East Coast Mainline, with trains once or twice an hour on their way between Newcastle and Edinburgh. These trains variously start from London King's Cross (3 hr 45 min), Bristol, Birmingham or Leeds, and some continue to Dundee and Aberdeen. Other trains hurtle through non-stop, change at Newcastle. Locally the trains may also stop in Morpeth and Alnwick to the south, and Dunbar to the north.

is west side of town overlooking the Royal Border Bridge across the Tweed, which isn't the border at this point. There's a staffed ticket office and machines, cafe and toilets. The two platforms are an island reached by a footbridge with lifts.

By coach
There is a single National Express coach service to Berwick, number 591 between London and Glasgow, as of July 2023. Journey times are approximately 9 hr from London or 2 hr 30 min from Glasgow. The southbound arrival/departure (from Scotland, to London) is at around lunchtime and the northbound arrival/departure (from London, to Scotland) is in early evening. The coach stop for Berwick is located at Golden Square in the town centre on the north side of the new bridge.

By bus
Arriva Bus X15 runs from Newcastle every two hours, taking 2 hr 30 min to Berwick via Morpeth, Alnwick and Scremerston.

Arriva Bus X18 also runs from Newcastle two or three times per day, taking around 3 hr 50 min to Berwick. This is a slower but more scenic route which operates via the coast and is branded as "Coast and Castles". During the summer months Travelsure also operate journeys on the X18 route between Alnwick and Berwick, resulting in a bus every two hours between the coastal villages around Seahouses and Berwick.

Borders Bus 253 runs from Edinburgh every two hours, taking 2 hr 15 min to Berwick via Haddington, Dunbar, Eyemouth and Burnmouth.

From Galashiels, Borders Bus 67 runs hourly to Berwick via Kelso and Coldstream, while Bus 60 runs every two hours via  Melrose and Duns.

Bus 267 runs six times a day from Wooller via Etal and Duddo, while Bus 464 takes the direct route via Scremerston.

Bus 235 runs every two hours north along the coast to Eyemouth, Coldingham and St Abbs. Bus 477 occasionally runs to Lindisfarne, times depend on the tides with services running most days (except Sundays) during the peak summer season (July/August) and most Wednesdays and Saturdays at other times of year.

The bus terminus is outside the railway station; all routes except for the 235 and 253 towards Eyemouth additionally serve Golden Square which is closer to the town centre.

By road
By road from the south follow A1, which is only partly dual north of Newcastle; cyclists may use it. This nowadays bypasses Berwick, so for town centre branch off at Scremerston onto A1167 and follow the historic Great North Road into town. But for the north end (eg Travelodge) use the bypass.

Get around
Berwick is easy and attractive to walk around, but you need your own wheels for outlying attractions.

Both Scottish and English concessionary bus passes are valid on the local cross-border buses to Eyemouth and Coldstream.

Taxi firms are Station Cabs (+44 7719 640096), Fifes (+44 1289 307188), Woody's (+44 1289 547009), Mack's (+44 1289 303990), A1 Cabs (+44 1289 308524) and Waughy's (+44 7507 399134).

See

 * The old town within the walls has many 18th and 19th century buildings. Look for Holy Trinity Church (Anglican, 1660), Cockburn Tower and Town Hall.
 * The town walls were built in the early 14th century but fell derelict. They were rebuilt from 1560, to withstand artillery instead of arrows, and are well-preserved. The only substantial medieval fortification to remain is the castle, just outside the walls and next to the railway station. Castle and walls are maintained by English Heritage: they're free to stroll any time.
 * , completed in 1826, is simply a harbour light, a 13.5-m tower. It sits at the end of the 2877-ft (877-m) dog-legged "pier" which is more correctly a breakwater, as it's built over ribs of rock and vessels can't dock alongside. The view east is of grey heaving waters towards Denmark, and west is the Royal Border Bridge that doesn't span the border, for a hat-trick of misnomers.
 * The riverside is scenic along its north bank, south bank is industrial. Follow it upstream from the pier to the original road bridge of 1610 (now southbound only), the Royal Tweed road bridge (1925, renovated 2000), and under the Royal Border Bridge (1850) the railway viaduct. A large colony of mute swans (Cygnus olor) glide up and down the tidal river. No, they're not Bewick's swans, which visit Britain but prefer tundra.
 * on the A1 is just a draughty layby with trucks pounding past, don't bother stopping for a photo. But a short walk brings you to the most northerly point of England, on the coast. The railway separates A1 and coast so either access via Marshall Meadows or walk a mile north from Haven Holiday Park. The border is just a stile over a fence. Keep walking north into Scotland for views from the clifftops.
 * , Eyemouth and St Abbs are attractive fishing villages set into the cliffs north of the border, see separate page. Unlike Gretna Green on the other side of the country, Burnmouth and the border farm of Lamberton never became popular for elopement weddings, as it was easier for 18th-century couples to sail to Edinburgh.
 * , Eyemouth and St Abbs are attractive fishing villages set into the cliffs north of the border, see separate page. Unlike Gretna Green on the other side of the country, Burnmouth and the border farm of Lamberton never became popular for elopement weddings, as it was easier for 18th-century couples to sail to Edinburgh.

Do

 * Walk: follow the rocky coast north from town to encounter sea caves in the cliffs. The trail along the cliff tops leads eventually to Burnmouth, Eyemouth, St Abbs, and Cockburnspath the trailhead for two long distance paths: the Southern Upland Way to Portpatrick on the west coast, and the John Muir Way to Dunbar, North Berwick and Edinburgh.
 * Watch Scottish football but in England. Berwick Rangers are one of the few soccer teams to play in another country's league system, though they are less visible since being relegated from the Scottish professional leagues in 2019. They now languish in the Lowland League, the fifth tier of Scottish football. Their home ground is Shielfield Park, capacity 4100, on Etal Road half a mile south of the road bridges and definitely in England. The ground is adjacent to that of Tweedmouth Rangers, another cross-border club, playing in the sixth tier East of Scotland League. Revving round and round the Shielfield Park pitch perimeter, preferably not while someone's trying to take a throw-in, are Berwick Bandits Speedway Club.
 * Rugby union: Berwick RFC play in Scottish National League 2, the amateur game's third tier. They play at Scremerston 3 miles south of town, even more definitely in England.
 * Beaches: north of town is rocky. The closest sandy beach is Spittal, the sand spit extending south side of the harbour. Another much quieter beach is 5 miles south at Cocklawburn and is the start of the sands that stretch out to Lindisfarne.
 * Boat trips sail upriver and out to sea, in 2023 you pay £18 for a two-hour trip. The landing stage is on the north bank just below the old bridge.
 * Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival is next held 6-9 March 2025.
 * Berwick Literary Festival is next held 7-13 Oct 2024.
 * Make peace with Russia. In 1966 a modern myth got started that Berwick-upon-Tweed was still at war with Russia. Historically as the town changed hands between Scotland and England, legislation and proclamations referred to "England, Scotland and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed" to avoid ambiguity. It was claimed that the 1853 declaration of the Crimea War specifically included Berwick whilst the 1856 peace treaty did not. (This was tosh, as an Act of 1746 had clarified that the term "England" in legislation always included Berwick and Wales unless otherwise specified.) The story was embellished with a supposed Soviet official visit to sign a peace treaty with the mayor, who declared "Tell the Russians they can sleep easy in their beds". The myth gained credence in a Cold War era of the Cuban Missile Crisis, The Mouse That Roared and From Russia With Love so it's a pity it wasn't filmed, with Peter Sellers in all the main roles.
 * Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival is next held 6-9 March 2025.
 * Berwick Literary Festival is next held 7-13 Oct 2024.
 * Make peace with Russia. In 1966 a modern myth got started that Berwick-upon-Tweed was still at war with Russia. Historically as the town changed hands between Scotland and England, legislation and proclamations referred to "England, Scotland and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed" to avoid ambiguity. It was claimed that the 1853 declaration of the Crimea War specifically included Berwick whilst the 1856 peace treaty did not. (This was tosh, as an Act of 1746 had clarified that the term "England" in legislation always included Berwick and Wales unless otherwise specified.) The story was embellished with a supposed Soviet official visit to sign a peace treaty with the mayor, who declared "Tell the Russians they can sleep easy in their beds". The myth gained credence in a Cold War era of the Cuban Missile Crisis, The Mouse That Roared and From Russia With Love so it's a pity it wasn't filmed, with Peter Sellers in all the main roles.
 * Make peace with Russia. In 1966 a modern myth got started that Berwick-upon-Tweed was still at war with Russia. Historically as the town changed hands between Scotland and England, legislation and proclamations referred to "England, Scotland and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed" to avoid ambiguity. It was claimed that the 1853 declaration of the Crimea War specifically included Berwick whilst the 1856 peace treaty did not. (This was tosh, as an Act of 1746 had clarified that the term "England" in legislation always included Berwick and Wales unless otherwise specified.) The story was embellished with a supposed Soviet official visit to sign a peace treaty with the mayor, who declared "Tell the Russians they can sleep easy in their beds". The myth gained credence in a Cold War era of the Cuban Missile Crisis, The Mouse That Roared and From Russia With Love so it's a pity it wasn't filmed, with Peter Sellers in all the main roles.

Buy

 * Morrisons is north at the bypass junction. It's open M-Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM and has a filling station.
 * From town centre you can walk to two retail strips south of the river: Tesco is on A698 west, and Asda (with filling station) is on A1167 south.

Eat

 * Audela at the north end of the bridge offers contemporary British cuisine. It's open Th-M 5:30-9PM, also for lunch Sa Su 12:00-14:30PM.
 * Audela at the north end of the bridge offers contemporary British cuisine. It's open Th-M 5:30-9PM, also for lunch Sa Su 12:00-14:30PM.
 * Audela at the north end of the bridge offers contemporary British cuisine. It's open Th-M 5:30-9PM, also for lunch Sa Su 12:00-14:30PM.

Drink

 * In town centre are The Barrels, The Curfew, As Good As It Gets, and The Brown Bear.
 * Along Castlegate towards the station are Brewer's Arms, The Free Trade Inn and The Red Lion.

Sleep

 * Castle Hotel is a clean friendly place next to the railway station. The also run the 6 bed Queens Head Hotel on Sandgate
 * Premier Inn on Sandgate is a good budget choice.
 * Haven Holiday Park a mile north of town centre has self-catering in static caravans, they don't accommodate tourers or campers. They're open mid-March to October.
 * Premier Inn on Sandgate is a good budget choice.
 * Haven Holiday Park a mile north of town centre has self-catering in static caravans, they don't accommodate tourers or campers. They're open mid-March to October.

Connect
Berwick and its approach roads have 4G with all UK carriers. As of Aug 2022, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Lindisfarne for the abbey and castle, but you must check the tides before setting off.
 * Ford and Etal for Etal castle.
 * North over the border towards Eyemouth and Dunbar in Scotland. With your own wheels there are scenic alternatives to the busy A1, either along the coast or through the hills inland.
 * Edinburgh is an easy day-trip by train: don't take a car into the city.

title: Berwick-upon-Tweed


text:
Berwyn

Berwyn is a city in the Chicagoland region of Illinois.

Get around
Car, Taxi, Pace Bus Service

See
Cermak Plaza Pile of Cars; Sears Tower from historical route 66; Ogden Ave.

Do
YMCA for swimming and other recreational activities.

Buy
Main shopping area is on the intersection of Harlem Ave and Cermak Rd.

title: Berwyn


text:
Besalú

Besalú is a city in Catalonia, Spain.

Understand
Besalú is medieval town in the Girona Province. It is a pleasing, compact town with stone homes and businesses that is easily walkable. The main attractions are the 12th-century Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià river, 11th century Church of Sant Pere, and a number of restored Jewish structures.

Get in
Positioned about 25km west of Figueres While there is a bus, Besalú is best accessed by car via the N-260 and exiting off on C-66.

Get around
The old section of town is closed off to non-resident cars, so you will need to walk. While the cobblestone streets can be tricky for those wearing heels, the town is overall very easy and enjoyable to traverse on foot. The bridge can only be crossed on foot.

Connect
As of Jan 2024, Besalú and its approach highways have 4G from all Spanish carriers.

title: Besalú


text:
Besançon

Besançon is the one of the main cities of the eastern French region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

Understand

 * Besançon tourist office

By plane
The nearest airport is EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg in Basel, Switzerland.

Saint-Exupéry International Airport in Lyon, can be reached in about 2 hours. It is also easy to land in Paris Charles de Gaulle and continue by train.

By train
Located just outside the city, and connected to it by a regular shuttle from the city station of Besançon Viotte, the  station has about ten direct high speed services a day to and from Paris, plus direct high-speed trains from Strasbourg, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Zurich, Luxembourg, Frankfurt and other cities.

By bus
Eurolines or Flixbus from all over Europe.

By car
Autoroute A36 from Paris.

Get around
The easiest way to get around this small city, called La boucle, is by foot. Besançon’s old town, encircled by water, is where you can find all the most important buildings in the city. Thanks to its flourishing past, this district has the richest and most complete architectural heritage of the city, with a hundred remarkable buildings, dozens of statues as well as several bridges, squares and streets exceptional for their beauty. This district is also one of the most touristy in the city and in the region, notably thanks to the citadel, one of the most recognisable landmarks in the city, welcoming more than 250,000 visitors annually.

It’s a really nice city to visit on foot, and the tourist office can advise you on several urban walks. You can also visit the city by boat, either by renting your own, or as part of a guided tour through the heart of the city, with passages through two locks and the tunnel under La Citadelle.

Ginko operates public transit including buses and two tram lines. Tickets can be purchased from bus operators or vending machines at tram stops. Tickets: €1.40 for one hour, €4.50 for a day (December 2019).

There is a good bike rental system, which is combined with the public transit network.

See
Besançon is a well-preserved Renaissance city and the historic part in the "Boucle" of the river is beautiful, with the remains of a Roman theatre in Castan Square, its eight Roman Corinthian columns among the most ancient of the town's attractions.

Do
There are many guided tours to satisfy all interests including around various museums and the town.

There is certainly no shortage of sport and leisure activities with canoe trips and other water sports, boat trips around the city, self-service bicycles, climbing, pony rides all being available.

As one has come to expect of a French town, Besançon has a plethora of cycle tracks which allow exploration further into its beautiful scenery - and they certainly do not disappoint. Velocity Besançon is 200 bikes spread over 30 stations — one every 300 metres in the heart of town! This system, successfully adopted in other major cities like Paris, Lyon and Aix-en-Provence, is really a form of "individual transportation". The first 30 minutes are free.

Cinemas include:

 * Cinéma Marché Beaux-Arts
 * Le Plazza Victor Hugo Ciméma art et essai.
 * Cinéma Mégarama

Buy
Shops in Besançon cater for all needs and tastes with the shops ranging from department stores like to small French boutiques.

Other shops include Promod, Pimkie, and various book, gadget and sports shops.

Eat
A tribute to the famous cuisine française, the flavours of Besançon can be enjoyed throughout the town in various restaurants. Besançon, part of the Franche-Comté region, allows you to discover the wonderful culinary specialities that this region offers, like the escalope de veau (veal escalope), one of the most traditional meals. Of course, you will have the chance to taste wonderful cheese, French baguettes filled with savoury delights at reasonable prices, and the city's famous cheese, comté, make the impressive gastronomy often associated with the French commonplace throughout Besançon. More than that, you will find more unknown cheeses like morbier, vacherin Mont d’Or, cancoillote, and bleu de Gex.

One traditional pastry of Besançon is called the galette de Goumeau, which is traditionally eaten during Epiphany, instead of the galette des rois you'll find elsewhere in France.

Sleep
Besançon offers practically every type of accommodation imaginable, regardless of your budget.

Cope

 * 🇩🇿 Algeria

title: Besançon


text:
Beskids

The Beskids are a long series of mountains, with over a dozen constituent ranges, that form part of the Carpathian Mountains. With peaks seldom exceeding 2000 m, they lie for the most part in southern Poland, crossing Silesia, Małopolskie and Podkarpackie Provinces. They continue west to end in Moravia in the Czech Republic, and cross the border south into Slovakia, but are distinct from the Tatras range. To the east they continue through Ukraine, but that range is described elsewhere simply because Ukraine is not an EU country, which affects travel practicalities.

Regions

 * Moravian-Silesian Beskids (Czech Moravskoslezské Beskydy) are the westernmost range, lying in Moravia in the Czech Republic. They have forested and protected areas, but have suffered pollution from cities such as Ostrava. They're mostly flysch - shales deposited during mountain uplift - and don't rise much over 1000 m; the highest Lysá hora (1323 m / 4341 ft) is notoriously rain-lashed.
 * Silesian Beskids (Polish Beskid Śląski) are mostly in Polish Silesia, separated from the Moravian range by the Jablunkov Pass. Their peaks are similarly at about 1000 m and are within the Silesian Beskids Landscape Park. The main resort village is Wisła, near the source of the River Vistula. You might get in via Katowice.
 * Orava Beskids span the border. To the north are the Żywiec Beskids (Polish Beskid Żywiecki) in Silesia, centred on the town of Żywiec which brews the well-known beer. Babia Góra (1725 m) is the highest peak, reached from Zawoja. To the south are the Slovak Beskids (Slovak Slovenské Beskydy), where Žilina is the main resort.
 * The Small Beskids (Polish Beskid Mały) arise east of Bielsko-Biała. They're all under 1000 m.
 * Middle / Maków Beskids (Polish Beskid Średni / Makowy) are in the south of Małopolskie Province, reached via Kraków. Pope John-Paul II grew up in these hills, where Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and Nowy Targ are among the small towns,
 * Gorce Mountains in Małopolskie Province are accessed from Nowy Targ and contain Gorce National Park. They're divided by a gorge from the Pieniny range. The rock is flysch, limestone and dolomite, with many caves.
 * Island Beskids (Polish Beskid Wyspowy) are named for their isolated, prominent peaks, all at around 1000 m. You might approach via Myslenice or Limanowa.
 * Sącz Beskid (Polish Beskid Sądecki) are flysch mountains on the Slovak border reaching 1200 m. The main resort is Nowy Sącz.
 * Low Beskids, the most easterly group, run to the border with Ukraine. In Poland they cross Podkarpackie Province: it's customary to distinguish their western part (Beskid Niski) from the higher Bieszczady Mountains, but these readily combine for a trip based in Gorlice, Krosno or Sanok. The Slovak side (Nizke Beskydy) can be reached from Bardejov.

Cities and towns

 * is the main transport hub of North Moravia in the Czech Republic, but doesn't have many flights. It's mostly modern but has a small old quarter.
 * is one of several small resorts across Moravia.
 * is the main Slovak resort for the western Beskids.
 * in Silesia is a base for exploring the western Beskids. They can also be reached via Katowice but that's a drab post-industrial place.
 * also in Silesia is near the source of the River Vistula.
 * and Zawoja are bases for the area around Babia Góra.
 * , birthplace of Pope John-Paul II, lies in the western hills of Małopolskie Province. Nearby are the monastery at Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and the renaissance castle of Sucha Beskidzka,
 * in Małopolskie Province is the main gateway to the central and western Beskids. It's a beautiful old city with many international flights and onward local transport.
 * and nearby Rabka-Zdrój are close to the Gorce range.
 * , Limanowa and Krynica are small spa towns in the central Beskids.
 * in northeast Slovakia is an attractive spa town with a well-preserved medieval centre, close to the Slovak Low Beskids.
 * in Podkarpackie Province is a picturesque base for the eastern Beskids.

Get in
Krakow has a good selection of flights and could be the route to any of the Beskids. As there is good transport along the Vistula valley, it may be more convenient to fly here than Tarnow or Rzeszow for the eastern ranges or Katowice or Ostrava for the western.

For the Slovak side of the Beskids, consider Bratislava, Vienna or Košice.

Get around
Public transport will get you to the main resort towns, eventually, but you need a car to properly explore. Towns often straggle along a valley with accommodation at some distance from the bus stop, and the trail heads and off-road bike routes are even further away. Fill the tank before leaving the valleys, as you'll probably do more mileage than you expected, much of it in low gear.

See

 * Traditional wooden buildings: sometimes entire villages such as Chochołów on the Poland-Slovakia border, but more often dotted about amidst modern bungalows. Not surprisingly it's the churches ("tserkvas") that have been best preserved of this style, both Orthodox and Roman Catholic.
 * Castles teeter on crags all over the region. Some are medieval, some are much later Austro-Hungarian mansions and hunting lodges prettified with Gothic turrets.
 * Wildlife: you will be exceptionally lucky to see wolves, but keep your eyes open. There are thousands of bears but how lucky you'll be to encounter one depends on whether the bear is pleased to see you. These are European brown bears (Ursus arctos) so they're seldom aggressive or pesky, but they don't like being surprised or cornered.

Do

 * Hiking, rock-climbing, mountaineering, river-canoeing: opportunities all over the Beskids. Local rules vary on camping, hunting and other backwoods activities.
 * Skiing and snowboarding: the peaks are all at around 2000 m, which is low by Alpine standards. When the snow comes it can be heavy, but the season and the pistes are short and the resorts are far from being "snow-sure". You're unlikely to travel any distance to ski here, but locals can take advantage of good conditions. The best skiing is in the Tatras, a higher separate range between Zakopane and Poprad.

Eat
It's hearty Central European fare: goulash, pork, venison, dumplings, and endless varieties of sausage. Vegetarians may struggle in some of the smaller places. The only cosmopolitan choice of food is in Krakow.

Drink
These are all beer-drinking areas. Slovakia grows lots of wine, Poland makes lots of vodka. And each area has its own local schnapps or slivovitz-type liqueur, better downed in one than allowed to linger on the palate - Na zdrowie, Prost!

Stay safe
Usual precautions against natural and human hazards, especially in wintry conditions.

title: Beskids


text:
Bessarabia

Bessarabia (Basarabia in Romanian, Бесарабія in Ukrainian, Бессарабия in Russian, Бесарабия in Bulgarian, Besarabya in Turkish, Bessarabien in German, בעסאַראַביע in Yiddish) is a historical term for the geographic entity in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west. This was the name by which Imperial Russia designated the eastern part of the Principality of Moldavia, ceded by the Ottoman Empire (to which Moldavia was a vassal) to Russia at the Peace of Bucharest in the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812. The remaining western part of Moldavia united with Wallachia in 1859 in what would become the Kingdom of Romania. (For a short period between 1856 and 1878, two of the nine traditional counties of Bessarabia were also part of Moldavia and then Romania.)

Wikivoyage covers the area in the following articles:
 * Moldova — an independent country
 * Southern Ukraine — the southernmost parts on the Black Sea coast
 * Western Ukraine — the northernmost bit

title: Bessarabia


text:
Bessemer City

Bessemer City is a city in Piedmont.

Understand
The history of Bessemer City starts around 1754, when James Ormand was granted land in this area by King George II of England and established his Ormand Mining Company there. Although today there's still mining activity around Bessemer City, several of the old iron ore mines are abandoned but around still. The Old Ormand Furnace is considered the oldest stack of its kind in the USA. Stories have it that the furnace was built to produce cannonballs for the Revolutionary War, but the exact history is unclear. Now, it's a picnic ground.

In 1846 the area became part of Gaston County and almost 50 years later, in 1893, Bessemer City was finally chartered as a city. Still a small agricultural settlement then, the town quickly grew. Cotton mills prospered and by the year 1900 the population had grown to over 500 people. In town you'll still find the Highacre House, built in the early 1900s by one of the official founders of the city, Askew Smith.

Get in
The easiest way for the traveler to access Bessemer City is to travel on Interstate 85 and take the needed exit to Edgewood Road. This road is littered with Gaston County Police, so obeying the traffic laws are a must. On the way you will pass numerous churches and Edgewood Grill. As anywhere else in the South, people do not respond with a kind reaction to honking, tailgating, or staring; use Common Courtesy.

Get around
As Bessemer City is meager 4.25 square miles is too hard to get yourself lost; most businesses are located on the Gastonia Highway. Also, as an outsider, you will find difficult traffic situations to navigate ( if you do not have a STOP sign or red light, you have the right of way (you can only understand once you've driven through town). You need to be wary while navigating through downtown Bessemer City, as it is very busy during the business day and very uses very cramped parking spaces.

See
Abandoned gold mines occupy the outskirts of Bessemer City (thought not illegal to visit, it is discouraged for lack of safety) near Falls Lake. A nature trail built by the local Boy Scout Troop occupies Bessemer City Park (pool, tennis court, etc.) and is a 400 ft loop, complete with 20 birdhouses and 2 batboxes. Evidence of a wagon trail (believed to have been used by miners) coexists with the nature trail. Crowder's Mountain (2nd tallest mountain in the Piedmont Region) is approximately 2 miles south of Bessemer City.

Do
Summer recreation consists of fishing in local ponds, swimming in the Bessemer City public pool, and hiking at Crowder's Mountain State Park.

Eat
Local eateries such as Dan's and Grandma Hoyt's hold a special place in the stomach of the Bessemer City

title: Bessemer City


text:
Bethany

There is more than one place called Bethany

United States of America
 * Bethany (Connecticut) - a town in Connecticut
 * Bethany (Illinois) - a village in Illinois
 * Bethany (Missouri) - a city in Missouri
 * Bethany (New York) - a town in New York
 * Bethany (Oklahoma) - a city in Oklahoma
 * Bethany (Missouri) - a city in Missouri
 * Bethany (West Virginia) - a city in West Virginia
 * Bethany Beach - a town in Delaware

title: Bethany


text:
Bethany (Connecticut)

Bethany is a small town in Connecticut and one of three that compose Amity. It is rapidly growing as a town because it is set back from the rest of the surrounding areas but is in the middle of New Haven and Waterbury, two cities within CT. Although it contains both a High School and a Middle School, the Middle School is shared with Woodbridge and the local High School is a single one, located in Woodbridge for all of Amity.

By car
Follow Rt. 63 (Amity Rd.) directly into Bethany. Rt 8 South onto 63 into Bethany.
 * New Haven
 * Waterbury

By plane

 * Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, 155 Burr Street, Phone: +1 203 466-8833. Served by American Airlines. Find 63 and take it through Woodbridge into Bethany.
 * Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks (near Hartford), from which I-91 leads straight to New Haven, then take 63 into Bethany. It is about an hour away and a half away.
 * Laguardia Airport in nearby Queens. It has flights nation and worldwide, and is about 1 1/2 hours away. Follow 95 from New York City into New Haven, then 63 into Bethany.

By train

 * Metro North Railroad provides service between New Haven, New York and intermediate points. Take a car/taxi down 63 into Bethany.
 * Amtrak provides direct service from Virginia to Boston and stops in New Haven. Simply take a car/taxi down 63 into Bethany.

Get around
Bethany is a small town without any centralized concentration of buildings, the only major roads are 63 and 69. A car is highly advised.

See
There's horse farms. And some vegetable farms. And someone has geese. You can drive around and see the various farm animals.

An old run down air field off 63 which has frequent farmer's markets, horse shows, and once a year a carnival.

In fall there are leaves. Colorful ones. Lots of trees on the side roads so it's a very tranquil drive.

There are many historic settings throughout the center of town, mainly the old church and surrounding. All of it is free to view.

Do

 * Bethany West (Veteran's Memorial Park) is a pond. You can fish or swim. There's a big hill to sled down during winter, just don't hit the fence!
 * Indoor Golf/Tennis, Located on a small road behind Teddy B's.

Eat

 * Teddy B's, Open 7AM - 10PM, 136 Amity Rd (Rt 63), +1 203 393-1525 It is a small Italian/Greek restaurant.
 * Country Corner Diner, Directly off of 63, a small family owned diner.
 * Steve's Deli & Grocery, open 5AM - 9PM, 710 Amity Rd (Rt 63), +1 203 393-9111, It is primarily known for sandwiches but also has an assortment of dinner specials varying by the day of the week.
 * Billy's Ice Cream, open 11AM - 10PM, 742 Amity Rd (Rt 63) +1 203 393-3294 A small ice cream parlour.
 * Bethany Restaurant & Pizza, open 11AM - 10PM, 696 Amity Rd (Rt 63) +1 203 393-0700 If you want to eat there you have to go in the back, the front is only for pickup.

Sleep
There are no hotels in Bethany. Or bed and breakfasts. The nearest ones are in New Haven, Waterbury, or Orange/Milford (on the Post Rd)

Go next
New York is about an hour and a half away (depending on traffic). Simply take 63 into New Haven and get on the Merritt Parkway.

More immediate is New Haven (20 mins) which is kind of cool. It has museums and places to eat. Just don't go near the 95 entrance (Yale Ave), there's always construction.

title: Bethany (Connecticut)


text:
Bethany (Oklahoma)

Bethany is a city in the Greater Oklahoma City region of Oklahoma. It is home to Southwestern Christian University and Southern Nazarene University.

By car
Drive in on Route 66. Bethany is surrounded by Oklahoma City, halfway between the John Kilpatrick Turnpike and Interstate 44 (which is Highway 74 north of Route 66).

By plane
The nearest airport with scheduled passenger service is the Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, approximately 8 miles to the south-southeast of Bethany.

Wiley Post Airport, for general aviation, is immediately on the northwest border of Bethany's city limits.

Get around
You will need a car. Bus service is limited, bicycles are rare, and very little is within convenient walking distance.

Do
You can attend the Bethany 66 Festival in May with its car shows, live entertainment, and Princess and Action Hero Parade. It's supposedly a charity-driven festival.

title: Bethany (Oklahoma)


text:
Bethany (West Virginia)

Bethany is a city in West Virginia. It is the home of Bethany College, a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Disciples of Christ Church.

title: Bethany (West Virginia)