Culture 
The Old Town of Bern.
Bern
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Bern, the Swiss capital, has at its heart a
glorious medieval city. This stretches along
an extended peninsula created by the Aare
glacier millennia ago, and still bounded by a
loop of the Aare river. The city was founded
in 1191 by Berchtold V, Duke of Zähringen,
and extended as far as the celebrated clock
tower. After the devastating fire of 1405, Bern
was rebuilt using the local grey-green sandstone.
The medieval houses along the streets of the
compact city centre are fronted by six kilometres
of arcades – effectively the longest
covered historical shopping promenade in the
whole of Europe. Together with the cathedral,
and its 100-metre spire, these make for a
sublimely unified urban landscape – which is
why UNESCO in 1983 added Bern to its list
of World Heritage Sites.
The capital of Switzerland has many charms. Its quaint old town is framed by the Aare Riverand offers spectacular views of the Alps.With its 6 km of limestone buildings andmedieval arcades,its Renaissance fountainswith colorful figures,and its beautiful cathedralsurrounded by picturesque rooftops,Bern,founded in 1191,i s truly a gem of medievalarchitecture in Europe.
Open:
all year around
More links
Contact Information
- Bern Tourismus
Bahnhofplatz 10A
Postfach
3001 Bern
Tel. +41 (0)31 328 12 12
Fax +41 (0)31 328 12 77
info@berninfo.com
www.berninfo.com
- www.unesco-welterbe.ch