Berne Attractions

Over 12% of its working population are employed in administration, the highest proportion of all Swiss towns.

The town is believed to have been founded on its excellent defensive site by Berchtold V of Zähringen in 1191. The bear on the Bernse coat-of-arms, together with the bear-pit, commemorate the legend according to which a bear was the first animal to be killed by Berthold V in the year in which the city was founded. After the Zähringen dynasty died out the Emperor Frederick II granted Bern self-government and its own law court. In the Battle of Laupen (1339) the Bernse, led by Rudolf von Erlach, defeated the Burgundian nobility. In 1353 Bern became a member of the young Confederation, in which the military prowess of its citizens enabled it to play a leading role. In 1528 the Reformation came to the town and by 1536 Bern was the largest city state north of the Alps. Since 1848 Bern has been the seat of the Federal Council and Federal Assembly; it is also the headquarters of important organizations including the Universal Postal Union (since 1874) and the international copyright and railroad unions, and of an institute attached to the University for research into tourism.

Notable people born in Bern include the 18th C. scholar Albrecht von Haller, the writer Jeremias Gotthelf (1797-1854) and the painters Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918) and Paul Klee (1879-1940). The famous physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955) published his Theory of Relativity in Bern. Bern was awarded the honor of being judged the best European City in Bloom by "Entente Florale".

Bern is rich in culture with year-round events such as the Summer and Winter Jazze Festivals, the Buskers Festival and the Gurtenfestival, held in mid-July. There are numerous museums and theaters covering a variety of interests.

The medieval city center in Bern has been recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural World Heritage Site including the Zytglogge, the notable medieval clock tower with moving puppets.

On Bern's Bundesplatz a vegetable and flower market takes place on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Sights on the square include the Renaissance-style Bundeshaus and a Banknote musuem.

Sights in this area of Bern include Erlacherhof (seat of the State President), Nydeggbruücke (a bridge over the Aare river), and Bärengraben (the bear pits).

This line of streets (from Kornhausplatz to the railroad station) cuts across two of Berne's principal squares. In front of the Clock tower is the Kornhausplatz, in which stands the curious Kindlifresserbrunnen ("Child Eater Fountain" or Ogre Fountain, with the figure of an ogre devouring a child) of about 1540.

From the Nydegg bridge a series of picturesque streets (Nydeggsgasse, Gerechtigskeitsgasse, Kramgasse, Marktgasse and Spitalgasse), with many antique shops and art galleries, runs along the whole length of the old town of Berne for a distance of 1,700 m/1,860yd to end in the Bubenbergplatz.