Bern, capital of Switzerland

Monday, 18 June 2012 - 01:14 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General, UNESCO World Heritage
Reading Time:  4 minutes

The Zytglogge clock tower and the citys medieval covered shopping promenades © Daniel Schwen

The Zytglogge clock tower and the citys medieval covered shopping promenades © Daniel Schwen

The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt (federal city, de facto capital) of Switzerland, and, with a population of 133,920, the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000. Bern is also the capital of the Canton of Bern, the second most populous of Switzerland’s cantons.

The official language of Bern is German, but the main spoken language is the Alemannic dialect called Bernese German. Bern is ranked among the world’s top ten cities for the best quality of life (2010). The structure of Bern’s city centre is largely medieval and has been recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural World Heritage Site. Perhaps its most famous sight is the Zytglogge (Bernese German for “Time Bell”), an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets. It also has an impressive 15th century Gothic cathedral, the Münster, and a 15th century town hall. Thanks to 6 kilometres of arcades, the old town boasts one of the longest covered shopping promenades in Europe.

Swiss Parliament Building © Futbol.vic City Theatre © Supermutz Casino Bern © Andreas Praefcke Town Hall © Wladyslaw Sojka The Aar river © Daniel Schwen Erlacherhof (Erlach Court) © Sandstein Aerial view of the old town © Amstuzmarco Bern Munster and Aar river © Taxiarchos228 The Zytglogge clock tower and the citys medieval covered shopping promenades © Daniel Schwen
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The Zytglogge clock tower and the citys medieval covered shopping promenades © Daniel Schwen
Since the 16th century, the city has had a bear pit (the Bärengraben). The extended and renewed pit off the far end of the Nydeggbrücke actually contains four bears, including two young. During his visit in Bern in 2009, the Russian president and his wife gave two more young bears as a private present. They are actually in Dählhölzli, Bern’s zoo.

The Federal Palace (Bundeshaus), built from 1857 to 1902, which houses the national parliament, government and part of the federal administration, can also be visited. Albert Einstein lived in an apartment at the Kramgasse 49, the site of the Einsteinhaus, from 1903 to 1905, the year in which the Annus Mirabilis Papers were published.

The Rose Garden (Rosengarten), from which a scenic panoramic view of the medieval town centre can be enjoyed, is a well-kept Rosarium on a hill, converted into a park from a former cemetery in 1913. Bern’s most recent sight is the set of fountains in front of the Federal Palace. It was inaugurated on August 1, 2004.

Read more on City of Bern, Bern Tourism, Greater Geneva Berne Area, Canton of Bern, University of Bern, Airport Bern and Wikipedia Bern. Learn more about the use of photos. To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organizations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.




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