Bern - Sightseeings & Informations

Bern is located in the west-central part of the Switzerland along a narrow loop of the Aare River. At an altitude of 542 meters above sea level, Bern is the third-highest European capital city. The old town of Bern is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and thanks to its 6 kilometres of arcades - the locals refer to them as 'Lauben' - boasts on of the longest weather-sheltered shopping promenades in Europe.

Bern’s official title is Bundesstadt, or Federal City, rather than Hauptstadt, or capital city. Switzerland technically has no capital but since 1848, Bern has been the seat of the Federal Parliament and government so is the de facto capital.

Berthold V, duke of Zähringen found Bern in 1191 as a military post on the frontier between the German-speaking Alemanni and the French-speaking inhabitants of Burgundy. Berthold V is supposed to have said that the new city would be named after the first animal to be found on his hunting in the woods. It was a bear (Bär in German, plural Bären).

In 1218 Bern became a free imperial city. Bern extended its power by acquiring surrounding territory, becoming an independent state that in 1353 entered the Swiss Confederation and began soon to lead it. After the big fire in the wood-built Bern in 1405, the city was completely rebuilt with sandstone. The city centre (Old Bern) remains intact from that period.

Just over 130,00 people live in Bern, making it Switzerland’s fourth-largest city. Foreigners make up 23.2% of the population, with the two largest groups being Germans (6,206) and Italians (4,136). I am one of only 301 British residents, but there are 1,738 diplomats, including 457 diplomatic children, if such creatures exist.

All of the Old Town is a Unesco heritage site, making tourism big business. More than 400,000 visitors came in 2010, just over half of them Swiss. Of the foreign guests, the five most common nationalities were German, American, British, French, and Italian.

The street signs in the Old Town are different colours – green, white, yellow and burgundy. This is a hangover from when Napoleon conquered the city in 1798. His troops were largely illiterate so the colored signs were used to help them find their quarters.

At 101 meters, the cathedral spire is the tallest in Switzerland. The Gothic lacework top (currently being restored) was added to the medieval tower in 1889–93. It’s 222 steps to the top viewpoint and on the way you pass Switzerland’s biggest bell, weighing 10,000 kg.

German is the main language (81 percent of the population) followed by Italian (3.9 percent) and French (3.6 percent). The Bernese dialect is famous in the rest of Switzerland for being rather slow. It sounds almost as if someone is taking a leisurely stroll through the woods while humming a merry tune. Almost.

Bern’s two gifts to the sweet-toothed world are Toblerone and Ovomaltine. The triangular chocolate was invented by Theodor Tobler in 1908 and every piece is still made in Bern. Ovomaltine (known as Ovaltine in Britain) was created in 1904 by Dr Albert Wander, who mixed malt, egg, milk, and cocoa.

5 reasons to visit Bern:

• Bern is one of the finest examples of a Medieval city in Europe and is included in the UN World Cultural Heritage.
• Its ideal geographic location is the starting point for traveling in Switzerland by any means of transport.
• There is one of the largest markets in Europe, 6 kilometers long.
• It is truly a city of pedestrians, so the easiest way to get to any desired place is on foot.
• Unique landmarks: Zytglogge, Bear Theater, The Houses of Parliament (Bundeshaus), Central Cathedral, etc.
• In addition to all of the above, Bern is a city of extremes: the city with the most beautiful gardens in Europe, the birthplace of Einstein's theory of relativity, the birthplace of the world famous Tobleron chocolate, home of the world's greatest collection of Paul Klee.
• Since the city is located on a peninsula, everything b is always nearby and if you don't feel like bothering yourself with a short walk, a tram is at your service.

Read an interesting Article about Bern in New York Times. 

More information bout Bern You can find at the Site of Switzerland Tourism.