Earlier this year, my family and I were driving home from Ohio and taking the scenic route though some small Indiana towns. While coming north on US 27 just south of Fort Wayne, we went through a town called Berne. I was in awe at this giant clock tower appeared out of nowhere. When we turned onto Main St, the Swiss style architecture was something I had not seen, nor expected, from a small Indiana city. Berne, IN had finally popped up on my radar and I have waiting all summer for a chance to check out the town and, of course, seek out another great tenderloin.
The Tenderloin
It seemed like the place to get a fresh homemade tenderloin in Berne was a diner called Berne Dining. The dark brown Swiss Chalet sits right on US27 south of Main St and the clock tower. It was a Sunday afternoon and it seemed the whole town turned up for a lunch. My son and I got seated in a booth and ordered up a couple of their “Freshly Breaded” Tenderloins. As always, we were happy to see the crisp fried patties come out on our plates. We were even happier when we sank our teeth into the soft bun and tasted the crispy seasoned breading and fresh meat within. This wasn’t the largest or thickest patty, but sometimes it doesn’t need to be. The proportion of the breading was thin enough to still let you taste the loin inside. For a lunch, this was perfect and really hit the spot. They also serve breakfast all day, the constant flow of eggs and pancakes coming out can almost sway you from ordering up a tenderloin… almost…
The Town
So, let’s talk about this clock tower, well, at least write about it because I can’t pronounce some of the words coming up… Built in 2010 it is the centerpiece of the town. Modeled after the Zytglogge (a big old clock tower in Bern, Switzerland) it sits in Muensterberg Plaza and has a glockenspiel presentation every 3 hours from noon till 9:00. (my spellcheck is going crazy over here). The glockenspiel is a small track with statues that come out of and back into the tower below the clock while music plays over the speakers. Its presentation tells the history of the settlement of Berne. The plaza it sits on has a large splash pad in the middle and a pavilion with restrooms on the opposite side of the tower. Now, I’m not saying you should drive 6 hours from a place like Evansville just to see the 2 minute clock tower presentation, but if you are in the area, it is a must-see activity. For it to be in a rural area even makes this more of a hidden gem.
In the Swiss Chalet-decorated Main Street there is a small ice cream shop tucked in next to the Chamber of Commerce called DeeZertz. If you want some homemade ice cream, this is the place to get it at. This isn’t your store-bought mass manufactured dessert, these are created from custom recipes with premium ingredients. It is owned by a retired couple who used to distribute their product back in their home state of Ohio. Berne is now lucky to be able to have them in Indiana. We were able to get the Gabe Ruth (Baby Ruth) and a banana split flavor which were both unbelievable. The best thing to get here, though, is vanilla. Yes… vanilla! This isn’t your plain ice cream base that you need to add syrups and candy to have flavor, this is made to be eaten by itself. You will never think of vanilla as a neutral flavor, nor will you call anything boring and plain “vanilla” again.
The Swiss Heritage Village and Museum can best be described as a retirement home for old buildings. Is there an old barn in the town south of here, an old schoolhouse in the county over, or an old cheese house downtown that is looking to move from its original location and join a village of buildings that have retired from their original use? Well, you can pick it up, put it on a flatbed, and ship it here to live out the rest of time as a museum. I really liked this place, since most of the time I seek out old buildings and drive around the county touring them. Here they are all in one place, so I can streamline my travel. There are a couple of impressive structures here. The apple press building has a 4000 lb beam that squashes apples for cider. The cheese house is still used on occasion to make… cheese. The barn has been renovated and can be used for weddings and other functions. It was also neat to see the old house, school, church, and a log cabin that was dismantled and put back together piece by piece. Our tour guide, Ashleigh, was also great to have to show us around. Her passion for history and dry humor made the experience a lot more informative and fun.
In the morning we headed out to The Filling Station Coffee Haus for some breakfast. The building used to be a gas station and garage back in the day. It has been repurposed to one of the finest coffee shops in town. There is a large area in the back where the garage used to be that is good for groups and a smaller more traditional cozy area up front where the lobby was at. In addition to fine coffee drinks there are a selection of donuts and other pastries. I got the caramel long john and my son got the sprinkled donut. It was a great place to start the day in Berne.
I kind of invented my own hike for this trip. I call it “The Old Bridge to Old Bridge Hike”. We started at the Ceylon Covered bridge in Limberlost Park and walked the mile to The Railroad Bridge on the South Adams Trail. The Ceylon Covered bridge is your typical Indiana covered bridge, with red wooden planks a paved walking path road surface, and lots of graffiti inside. You start the hike on a path in the woods which then turns to the open edge of hilly farmland. You go past an old cemetery until you hit the South Adams Trail which runs parallel to US 27. Walk to the bright red steel bridge to get some nice views of the Wabash River. It is an easy 2 mile flat hike and there are plenty of scenery changes and landmarks to keep in interesting even for the most inexperienced of outdoorsmen.
Berne is a hidden gem in Indiana. From the massive clock tower to the Swiss architecture of the commercial and residential buildings, it is unlike any place I have visited in Indiana. But like other places in Indiana, there are fun things to do, neat things to see, and a great fried breaded tenderloin sandwich.
Don't get in trouble in Berne. They will throw you in their jail... If they can get it open.
by Michael Tomko
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