ENGLISH VERSION

You see the Website of the
Baeregrabe-Schraenzer Baern

ENGLISH INTRODUCTION
This page is specially written to all Internet-Surfers in the world. How ever you found this website we welcome you. In the following text we would like to tell you about  where you are and who we are. Please understand, that the rest of the Website will be written in German because our informations are thought for locals. Any further questions can be placed with an E-mailand will be answered promptly.

Skyline of BernDowntown Berne
Without Carneval
WHERE YOU ARE
You find yourself in Switzerland and more precisely in the capital, Berne. The city is a little bit more than 800 years old, lies 550m above sealevel an is settled in a U-turn of the river Aare. The surrounding is green and and hilly. Including the suburb we count approximatly 300'000 people. Zurich is 130 km to the east, Lausanne is 120 km to the west and 60km to the south, we see the white caps of the Swiss Alps like Eiger, Moench and Jungfrau. We speak our Bernese Dialect wich is familiar to the german language. The name Berne is related to the Bear. When the city was founded in 1191 it was a bear who was last shooted in the forest when they prepared the area. You can still see some bears in our "Baeregrabe" or "Bear-Pits".
CARNEVAL OF BERNE
Once we had it, then not and since 1983 we have it again: The "Baerner Fasnacht" or the "Carneval of Berne". It takes place end of February or beginning of March. Three days long Berne is a great place for entertainment and fun. Even if its cold and frosty weather thousands of people visit the city. The streets are filled with the rhythm of the musicgroups and you can discover all the different costumes and masks. There are many places in Restaurants and Ballrooms where you can join the presentations of all different kinds.
Bear-Pit-Growlers on Tour
WHO WE ARE
Baeregrabe-Schraenzer Baern is one of these musicgroups who takes part on  the "Bernese Carneval". We are a so called "Guggenmusik" and this means to day a group of musicians who play the pieces by heart, who play it very loud and it seems to be a little bit unorganized. We exist since 1984 and our name, you can guess it, would be in English:
"The Bear-Pit-Growlers"
FINALLY
If you ever stay in Berne in February or March have a look around for the "Bernese Carneval". It lasts only 3 days but it worth to see it.
Goodbye, and have a good time.
Updated 20.12.1998