A visual reminder why Bern, Switzerland?s Old Town area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Building and relative new kid on the block built in 1902) only four times a year for three week sessions, leaving the newly refurbished building available for tours the rest of the year. For travellers, Bern is also an economical city by Swiss standards. It?s a compact and easy-to-negotiate opportunity to get a taste of Swiss history, culture, cuisine and lifestyle almost free from noticeable tourist trappings, especially because the city?s stunning highlight ? the Altstadt ? is frequented as much by locals as it is visitors. Bern?s Altstadt is a visually overwhelming journey into living history. Here medieval architecture mixes with modern day commerce to the point that you?re not entirely certain you won?t see a mounted knight ride around the corner just as the street car passes. Blocks of cobblestone streets link six kilometres of covered shopping promenades filled with contemporary chain stores;boutiques selling watches, Swiss Army Knives and jewellery; and department stores including Migro and Co-op (the nation?s retail equivalent of The Bay). The latter usually offers the best priced merchandise and food, especially lunch at the food court.Yet dark, looming stone towers and castle-like build- March/April 2009 ? 56 ? Fifty-Five Plus Magazine ings cast a visible reminder that this centuries-old area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Within these walkable city blocks you?ll find the historic Zytglogge, an ornate medieval clock with moving figures that?s been chiming every hour of every day for almost 500 years.This clock is rumoured to have inspired Albert Einstein to write the Theory of Relativity,which he did while living in Bern from 1903 to 1905. His former apartment at 49 Kramgasse is now a restored museum dedicated to both his life?s work and the time he spent here.Also, Bern?s old town boasts a Munster (Gothic Cathedral) of its own with a spire that rises 100 metres into the air and wasn?t completed until 1893 ? 472 years after the construction of the cathedral began. During the Reformation, many treasures were destroyed, but what remains intact is the elaborate carving above the main entranceway that visually depicts The Last Judgment. It outlines, on one side, specific punishments for specific sins and, on the other, rewards for good behaviour. What might have saved the carving from Reformation destruction was the fact a Pope appears on both the wise and the wicked sides, emphasizing that not even he is free from God?s judgment. PHOTO: BERN TOURISM