The city of Bern is the capital of Switzerland and the fourth most populous Swiss city after Zurich, Geneva and Basel.
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The landscape around Bern was formed by glaciers in the last ice age. The two mountains closest to Bern are the
Gurten with a height of 858 meters and the
Bantiger with a height of 947 meters.
Bern was originally built on a peninsula of the river
Aare but outgrew the natural boundaries of the river in the 19th century, at which time three bridges were built to allow the city to grow outside of the rivers boundaries.
Bern's city centre is largely medieval and has been recognised by
UNESCO as a
World Heritage Site. Perhaps it's most famous sight is the
Zytglogge, an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets.
It also has an impressive 15th century Gothic cathedral, the
Munster, and a 15th century town hall. Since the 16th century, the city has had a bear pit, which can be visited off the
Nydeggbrucke.
The old battlements of the city, converted into promenades, command a magnificent view of the surrounding alpine scenery.
Illustrious Bernese includes the scientist
Albrecht von Haller, the poet
Albert Bitzius and the painters
Ferdinand Hodler and
Paul Klee. The German-born physicist
Albert Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while employed as a clerk at the Bern patent office.
