Zoom home
The matte-team spent some days in California. Just by curiosity we scrolled thorough some traveler guides about home. We were quite pleased to read in the National Geographic Traveller Guide „Switzerland :
Nearby, the Rosengarten (Rose Garden) provides a beautiful and fragrant viewpoint for admiring the old town. Heading back across the bridge, walk south into the Mattequartier (www.matte.ch), a district that once housed the city’s artisans and workshops.
“It is the most beautiful that we have ever seen,” wrote Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in a letter to his friend Charlotte von Stein during his stay in Bern in 1779. Today the Swiss capital still enchants its visitors with its charm and diverse attractions and events.
Reason enough for us, to collect some few informations and links in English about Bern and the Matte, right out of the "Matte":
The elevater near the cathedral down to the "Matte" - free ride with the offical "Bern Ticket".
Free public transport in Berne - the Bern Ticket
The Bern Ticket offers free traveling in the public transport zones 100 and 101, which is basically all of Bern. You will get a free Bern Ticket if you book a hotel, an apartment, a hostel, or any other accommodation in Bern. (www.myswissalps.com/bern/travel)
Bärengraben? This way please!
Your find yourself downtown Matte, near the Munster-cathedral? How to find the Bärengraben? Just follow the red dots in his useful map! By the way - you find it as a postcard in the bookstore "Einfach Lesen" - just across the Plattform-lift.
Download it: 
hier das PDF zum herunterladen (2MB).
City of Bern – official site
The City of Bern is the political center of Switzerland. It is well-known for its high quality of life, good cultural offering and tourist attractions. Bern is also home to international organizations and enterprises. It has gained itself a reputation as a place of research and science. Detailed information about living in Bern
Bern Tourism
The best way to experience Bern starts with Bern Tourism:
Wikipedia
The Mattequartier is a historic section in the Old City of Bern in Bern, Switzerland. With links to the principal sights in the historical center of Berne
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattequartier
"Berndeutsch" – the language we Bernese speak
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernese_German
"Matteenglisch" –the secret dialect of the Matte - people
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattenenglisch
Burgerbibliothek of Berne: It holds administrative and private archives, a Graphics Collection, Photographic Archives and manuscripts, for the use of researchers and the general public. Visit the virtual reading room - our favorite place...
www.burgerbib.ch/en/burgerbibliothek
International School of Berne
The International School of Berne (ISBerne) provides a high quality academic programme which encourages students to be reflective and involved in the learning process. This starts in the Early Learning Centre and progresses through to Grade 12.
US-Embassy in Berne
plus a few touristic websites
Not many cities have managed to retain their historic features quite as successfully as Bern, the capital of Switzerland. The old town of Bern is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and thanks to its 6 kilometers of arcades - the locals refer to them as 'Lauben' - boasts on of the longest weather-sheltered shopping promenades in Europe.
www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/bern.html
Wandering through the picture-postcard Old Town, with its provincial, laid-back air, it's hard to believe that Bern (Berne in French) is the capital of Switzerland
www.lonelyplanet.com/switzerland/bern
With "Free Walking Tours Bern" you will visit the most important sights of the city, you will discover different areas and learn about historical facts as well as legends and myths of the City. The tours are led by our local guides, who are happy to tell you what living in Bern is like.
Please scan the Internet for more! Let us know, what you found useful - thanks 
Rosmarie & Peter