Bern: The Centre of Switzerland

Bern is usually and falsely referred to as the capital of Switzerland. Correctly it is the seat of the Federal Government, and as such it is called Federal City. Town history goes back a long way, and part of that history allows you to go shopping in town on a rainy day without getting wet.

Bern’s historical city is cradled by a large bend in the Aar River which later will join the Rhine River to flow towards Rotterdam and the North Sea. It was founded in 1191 by the Dukes of Zähringen like many other towns in Germany and Switzerland. When the Duke died without issue, Bern was made a free imperial city. As such it joined the relatively newly formed Swiss Confederation in 1353. Bern became the seat of the Federal Government in 1848 after the Swiss Confederation joined into one State.
 
The town center dates mainly from after 1405, when the Great Fire burned down virtually all buildings in town. It was rebuilt in the Renaissance style of the time and its main feature is the arcade walk. Almost all buildings have an arcade on the ground floor and the shops are inside these medieval arcades. It makes for the perfect shopping experience on a rainy day.

Apart from many other views of interest, e.g. City Hall and Minster, the Zytglogge clock tower is a magnet for tourists. Every full hour its elaborate figurines dance to the tune of the clock’s bells. It is well worth time to spend just to have witnessed it. The tower is probably the most sent out view on postcards and has become a trade mark of the city.
 
Obviously one must have seen the Parliament building. The view here shown is taken in winter, when the place before the building is converted into an outdoors ice rink for the public. Just to the left of Parliament you will find the Hotel Bellevue, the most renowned of local hotels. Its terrace has a breathtaking view over the Bernese countryside; taking a drink there is mandatory.

As a bear forms part of the coat of arms of the city, there is a legend that the name of the city was derived through the founding Duke killing a bear on the peninsula the city was built on. In 1857 the bear pit was built which currently houses three Pyrenean Bears. As the premises are too small for bears to live in, the city is currently building a new home for them. This new feature costs a lot of money; therefore stones for building it are sold to people in the city. If you are offered stones to buy, now you know what for.
 
The spoken language in Bern is Alemannic, though you hear all four national languages spoken due to the federal importance of the town. The rest of Switzerland makes fun of the Bernese because their Alemannic dialect is very slowly spoken. The people are referred to as Bernese; ‘Them in Bern’ means the Federal Government up to its usual stupid pranks. Bern’s best known inhabitant was Albert Einstein who published his first writings on the electrodynamics of moved objects. The most quoted inhabitant probably is Elisabeth de Meuron, known as ‘Madame’. The quote pertains to a person coming to look for work in her household who was asked ‘are you somebody (of substance) or do you expect wages?’

For further information on the city of Bern you may want to go to the official homepage of the city government bern.ch.


Further reading
City on The Language Divide: Fribourg
Lausanne, World Capital of Sports
United Nations World Capital Geneva