An underrated small city in Switzerland close to beautiful nature
Apartment • Biel Switzerland
4 Guests
3 Bedrooms
2 Bathrooms
Wheelchair accessible
Primary home
Exchange types accepted
Simultaneous
Non-Simultaneous
Non-Reciprocal & Globe
Statistics
Listed May 2021
Views 2333
General overview
A spirit of optimism, mini-cosmopolitanism, bilingualism: Located on the language border between German and French-speaking Switzerland, the city of Biel-Bienne has its very own charm.
Biel (German) - Bienne (French) is the gateway to hiking, biking and skiing in the hills (Jura, Bernese mountains), bathing and surfing on the lakes (Seeland) and enjoying culture, animation and gastronomy of small city life. All major Swiss cities are within a 1-2 hour train ride.
The space
95m2 apartment with 4.5 rooms in cozy and social neighbourhood
Kitchen (serves also as kind of an indoor balcony), living room and 3 bedrooms: one with 1.8 bed, one kids room and one office/0.9 bed.
Guest access
Our apartment is on the 3rd floor and accessible by elevator and stairs.
Notes
Dependent on our own plans while exchanging, you can gladly use our car, e-bikes, external office space and our single room getwaway (sleeps 4) in the Bernese mountains.
We can easily set you up with other people and families to help you get around the neigborhood, city and Switzerland.
Features
Washer
Dishwasher
Clothes dryer
Oven
Microwave
Coffee machine
Fridge
Iron
Hair dryer
Heating
Air conditioning
TV
WiFi
High Speed Internet
Bathtub
First aid kit
Wheelchair accessible
Smoke alarms
Fire extinguisher
Bed sheets
Towels
Workspace
Fireplace
Home cinema
Toys
Gym
Sauna
BBQ
Pool
Hot tub
Balcony
Garden / yard
Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace
Covered porch / verandah
Kosher home
Meat-free kitchen
Gated community
EV Home Charger
Bikes
Camping gear
Kayak
Tennis court
Standup paddleboard
Travel Styles
Family
City
Mountains
Water
Culture
Hiking
Cycling
Good public transport
Accessibility
Step free access
Easy entrance
Elevator
Accessible toilet
Accessible shower
Handheld shower
Accessible kitchen access
Accessible laundry access
House rules
Suitable for infants under 2
Suitable for children ages 2-12
Pets not allowed
No smoking
Allergens
Cat free
Dog free
Carpet free
Smoke free
Dates of Availability
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Neighbourhood
The immediate neighborhood is very friendly. The settlement is partly organized as a cooperative. Especially in summer, there are always spontaneous residents and families who barbecue together or drink a glass of wine outside in our loved courtyard (see pics).
About 200m east from our apartment is the old football stadium Gurzelen. A few years ago the creative people and artist of the city took it over. Now you can find a children's construction site (!), a lawn tennis court (yes, lawn, like Wimbledon), a big halfpipe for skaters and kickboarders, several art studios, a water slide from the grandstand and many other social and participative projects. Check: terrain-gurzelen.org/ (D/F)
The spectacular headquarters of Swatch and Omega is only about 200m south of our apartment. It houses a museum and behind it is one of Biel's more beautiful river parks (Schüsspark).
Getting to my home
By car: you can park in the neighborhood
By train: perfect train system in Switzerland, really (Swiss are quite proud abour that)
By plane: all Swiss airports are within 1.5h distance by train/car.
Nearest airport
Basel, Zurich, Genf (1.5 hours each)
Getting around
You find three citybus stations nearby serving several lines. It takes you a 7 minutes ride to the main station.
By foot: old town (5min), downtown (10min), station (20min), lake (25min)
Map of Approximate Location
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Feedback
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I am an author and columnist and a passionate (but mediocre) tennis player, my partner works in a social startup and makes exceptional salad dressing. Our 9-year-old son thinks he's a ninja and a know-it-all.
We have already done some exchanges via another platform.
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