Bern canton West central Switzerland. The second most populous and
second largest canton of the country, Bern comprises three sections : the
Bernese Alps, with many resorts and peaks, and with meadows and pastures in the
valleys; the Mittelland, in the fertile northern foothills of the Alps,
including the Emmental and the lake region around Biel.
Bern or Berne, the capital, is also the capital of Switzerland. The city is
largely medieval in its architecture. It has a splendid 15th-century town hall,
a noted minister (begun 15th cent.), and numerous other historic structures.
There are many picturesque patrician houses and old guild halls. An elaborate
medieval clock tower and a pit in which bears are kept are well known to
tourists. More modern buildings include the 19th-century federal parliament
building, many fine museums, and the university (1834).The city, like its
inhabitants, is characterised by a friendly, informal character. Most of the
sights can be reached in a short time on foot.
The city's quiet, cobbled lanes, lined with sandstone arcaded buildings, have
changed barely at all in over five hundred years. The hills all around, and the
steep banks of the river, are still liberally wooded. It's sometimes hard to
remember that this quiet, attractive town of just 130,000 people is the nation's
capital. Bern surprises the visitor with a unique cultural heritage, from
classical music to local dialect rock, from the Gothic cathedral to the
world-famous Paul Klee collection. It has a population of around one million
people who speak French, German and English.
Travel to European locations is by the European high-speed railway network and
the local international airport.