Meta-Level Reflections on the Scientific Realism Debate
June 30 – July 2, 2025
University of Bern
UniS Room S 201
Schanzeneckstrasse 1
3012 Bern
Switzerland
Travel Information
You can travel to Bern from all over Europe in an environmentally friendly way by train or coach services.
If you arrive by plane, there are direct train connections from Zurich and Geneva Airport to Bern’s main station, and a bus (BVB Line 50) is also available from Basel Airport to Basel SBB train station with direct trains to Bern. While Basel and Zurich are closer to Bern (about 1.5 hours by train), you will certainly have the most beautiful train ride from Geneva (2 – 3 hours depending on the connection).
You can buy tickets at any station or online at sbb.ch or in the SBB Mobile app. (The app is intuitive and highly recommended, in any case, for finding the best connections throughout the public transport network, including local bus connections.) You can buy tickets up until the actual departure online, but no later.
There are basically point-to-point tickets (1st or 2nd class), which are valid for all trains between the departure and destination stations on the selected day, and supersaver tickets (1st or 2nd class), which are cheaper but less recommended as they are not valid except for the selected date of travel and the selected public transport connection. Another option are day passes, which allow you to travel for one day on all routes across Switzerland.
If you are planning a longer stay in Switzerland and want to discover the country, it might be worth buying a Swiss Travel Pass, which gives you unlimited travel by train, bus and boat, as well as other advantages, for up to 15 days.
Note that there is no internet on SBB trains.
Public Transport in Bern
From your very first overnight stay at a tourist accommodation in the city of Bern, you will receive (or should ask for) a Bern Ticket for your entire stay, which lets you travel for free on public transport in the city of Bern.
This will take you to the building where the conference is being held, which is very close to the main train station (5 minutes). The nearest bus stations (1 minute each) are “Bern, Universität” and “Bern, Obergericht”.
Rental bicycles are available from PubliBike.
Hotels
You can book rooms at various mid-range and high-standard hotels via Bern Tourism or general hotel booking platforms. There are also several B&Bs and Airbnb options available. For those seeking budget-friendly options, a large youth hostel is located within a 20-minute walking distance from the conference venue.
Please do not reply to any 3rd Party pretending to arrange travels and accomodation for you in our name.
Program
The program is available on our website.
WiFi
There is wireless internet throughout the building via Eduroam. Otherwise you can use the wireless network public-unibe, which requires a login using your mobile number and a voucher that we can provide upon request.
Coffee & Lunch
Lunch will be provided for all registered participants on Monday and Tuesday.
Coffee & tea will be provided at all times during the conference.
If you have any intolerances or special requests, please let us know at least two weeks in advance (contacts see below) so that we can inform our caterer in time.
Conference Dinner
The conference dinner (speakers only) will take place on Monday, June 30, 2025 from 7 pm, location to be announced. There will be both meat and vegetarian alternatives.
If you have any intolerances or special requests, please let us know at least two weeks in advance (contacts see below) so that we can inform the restaurant in time.
Online Participation
We will set up a live stream (Zoom). Further details and the link will be provided in time on our website.
Sightseeing
Bern is a beautiful old city (UNESCO World Heritage) and offers many sights. Bern Tourism gives you tips for things to do and places of interest and provides you with information about everything that is going on in and around Bern.
The conference venue is within walking distance of the Federal Palace, the seat of the government of Switzerland and parliament of the country. Other highlights include the Berner Münster, the Zytglogge tower, the Bären Park, and the Rose Garden with a stunning view over the city. There is also the Bernisches Historisches Museum/Einstein Museum and the Einstein House, as well as the Paul Klee Centerhttps://www.zpk.org/en, which houses a collection of modern art. In addition, the Aare river is a great place to swim in summer.
