SWITZERLAND: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - Swiss capital all set for Euro 2008 tournament

Record ID: 751577

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - Swiss capital all set for Euro 2008 tournament
  • Date: 28th May 2008
  • Summary: PAN FROM THE MARKET ON THE FEDERAL SQUARE TO THE SWISS FEDERAL PALACE, WHERE PARLIAMENT HOLDS ITS SESSIONS TOP OF THE PALACE WITH HELVETIC CONFEDERATION WRITTEN IN LATIN
  • Embargoed: 12th June 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Switzerland
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAAKB8MUD7MBKGEHG0RSXMRKQ1R
  • Story Text: Bern is getting ready to host the EURO 2008 soccer championship along with its Swiss counterparts Basel, Zurich and Geneva.
    Switzerland's German-speaking capital with a population of around 130,000 will stage three of the tournament's group matches. The Netherlands, France, Italy and Romania will all play their first round games in the city.
    The city's "Stade de Suisse Wankdorf ", home to Bern's soccer team BSC Young Boys', has the capacity to hold 32,000 fans. As the venue of the Republic of Germany's famous World Cup Final win over Hungary in 1954, the site is no stranger to hosting major sporting events.
    The original Wankdorf stadium was demolished in 2001 and replaced in 2005 with the new multifunctional Stade de Suisse Wankdorf. Not only is it a soccer stadium, but the building also houses a shopping centre and restaurants.
    Back in 2007 UEFA President Michel Platini visited the stadium and noted it had an artificial turf pitch which would have to be replaced for Euro 2008.
    A new pitch was put down in the stadium at the end of May. It is the first time that the stadium has had a natural grass surface, but this will be removed and replaced with artificial grass after Euro 2008.
    A fanzone will be set up to welcome all supporters in the Old Town, which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list since 1983.
    The Swiss capital boasts the river Aare which winds its way through the historic old town. Visitors to the city can even go swimming in the river's bright blue waters.
    But the city of Bern is not just famous for its beautiful architecture and landscape, but also for its wildlife. One of the town's most visited attractions is the Bear Pit, where two Pyrenean brown bears can always be seen. The city's government is planning to create a 10,000 square metre "Bear Park" in the near future.
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