Sky Sports - Euro 2008 In association with Sky Bet

The stadium's 32,000-seat capacity makes it the second biggest in Switzerland behind the St Jakob-Park in Basel with the old ground, which hosted the 1954 World Cup final, having been demolished in 2001.

Integrated solar panels in the roof also mean it is one of the most energy efficient in Europe, and the black and yellow colour scheme can be attributed to club residents Young Boys Berne.

The City

Switzerland's capital city is only the fourth biggest in terms of population, but the distinct medieval flavour of Berne gives it a distinguished authority.

Although German in character, the city will be given a vibrant coat of Oranje this summer as the Dutch bed in for their three Group C games at the Stade de Suisse, more commonly known - amid the tittering of generations of schoolboys - as the Wankdorf.

However, the clean water of the River Aare and the beauty of Berne's architecture - such as its 15th-century Gothic cathedral - will offer visitors much purer thoughts this summer.

Confectionary connoisseurs will also be in their element as the city is home to the Toblerone factory.

Transport

Those arriving at Bern-Belp Airport to the south-east will need to use the shuttle buses to get to Belp train station before a trip on the S-Bahn into Berne's Hauptbanhof.

With the Swiss capital located centrally, rail journeys to Zurich and Basel take less than an hour while the western outpost of Geneva is 1hour 45minutes away.

Conveniently, Berne's Fan Zone is adjacent to the station and close to the historic Old Town. A 30-minute 'Walk of Fans' begins just before the river Aar crossing and then snakes north and east towards the Stade de Suisse on Papiermuhlerstrasse.

Alternatively use the S-Bahn and get off at the Wankdorf stop, or jump on a number 20 bus going in the direction of Markuskirche.

Late-night S-Bahn services will cease at 2am but if you're a real nightowl, you can catch a ride on a 'Moonliner' Bus until 3.45am.

What to Visit

Berne's Old Town, which covers approximately 2.3 square miles, dates back to the late 12th century when Duke Berchtold V of Zahringen went hunting, encountered a bear and decided to name a city after the animal - or so the legend goes. With this in mind, a good place to start is the Barengrabben bear pit on the east side where current residents Pedro and Tana - two Pyrenean brown bears who originally came from a Barcelona zoo - are looking forward to 2009 when their new expanded quarters will be open.

The Munster (Cathedral) is on the south of the peninsula, near the Kirchenfeld Bridge. Its bell tower is the tallest in Switzerland at 100metres high, and the stained glass windows - one of which depicts a macabre 'Dance of Death' - have survived from the Munster's construction in the mid-15th century.

Even older is the Zytglogge (Clock Tower) which marks the heart of the city. For a nation obsessed with timekeeping, this symbol of Berne which dates from 1218 carries immense historical importance to Switzerland. The astronomical clock was put in place in 1530; a small bell rings on the quarter-hour, while the 'great hour' bronze bell is over 800 years old.

Of the modern additions in Berne, the Bundesplatz's 26 fountains dazzle in front of the federal buildings when lit up at night, while the work of the prolific expressionist painter Paul Klee - born in nearby Munchenbuchsee - can be admired at a museum on the east of town.

Although he is not a son of Berne, the city authorities have looked to claim former resident Albert Einstein as one of their own. While working at the Patent Office in 1905, he worked on his first major physics theories - culminating in the groundbreaking Annus Mirabilis papers. The Kramgasse apartment where he lived has been restored to the period style and is open to the public.

If the science of soccer is more appealing, take a trip to pretty Neuchatel, 40 minutes west by train, which is the Portugal base for Euro 2008. Luiz Felipe Scolari's superstars will stay at the Beau Rivage hotel and are training at the town's Stade Maladiere.

Food & Drink

There's good hearty Swiss-German grub on offer in Berne - in any case, no one who orders the local dish Bernerplatte goes hungry. Beef and pork, potatoes and beans, and lashings of sauerkraut all make for a nourishing feed. If you've been to visit the Barengrabben, stop in at the Altes Tramdepot for lunch, beer and superb views across the plaza. Across the Kirchenfeldbrucke, Schwellenmaetteli is a rewarding choice for an evening meal, while Menuetto on Munstergasse is a veggie paradise with food so good it could sway even the most ardent carnivore.

The heart of Berne's nightlife can be found at Kornhausplatz. The Kornhaus Cafe and the Cafe des Pyrenees are essential stops on the Berne pub crawl, while along the Rathausgasse be sure to pop into Drei Eidgenossen (The Three Confederates) and Tubeli.

'Sportwerk' at the Wasserwerk Club is sure to be popular during the tournament - here you can play pub games and watch the football on the big screen. At night the main room hosts live music before the techno DJs go to work, while Dampfzentrale and Silo Bar are welcoming student hangouts.

Phrasebook

How do I get to the Wankdorf Stadium?

Wie komme ich zum Wankdorf Stadion?

Do you have a city map here?

Haben sie hier einen Stadtplan?