Switzerland » Bern

Switzerland has a beautiful; capital city. Bern is a small city with many sights, most of them dating back to the 15-th century. Bern is probably the most picturesque cities in the world, it must be visited. Bern lies in the Swiss plateau part of the Canton of Bern, somewhat west of the center of Switzerland. 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 metres.

By the late 15th century the Bernese had become a power of European stature, expanding their territories west to Geneva and obtaining enormous wealth. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Bern continued to flourish, and the Bernese moved steadily toward democracy: When the Swiss Confederation took its contemporary, democratic form in 1848; Bern was a natural choice for its capital.

The newest attraction of Bern is the set of fountains in front of the Bundeshaus. It was inaugurated on August 1, 2004, the Swiss national day.

Berne has a University, a technical college and several vocational schools. The University is spread over several buildings which are mainly located in the Länggasse quarter.

Berne is well connected to other cities by various highways (A1, A12, A6). The public transport works well in Bern, with tram and bus lines which join the different parts of the City. Bern Rail Station joins the City to the national and international train network. Notable is a cable railway which leads from the Marzili quarter to the Bundeshaus. Few bridges connect the old parts of the city with the newer quarters outside of the peninsula.