Bern

Bern

CH
Population128,848
Bern (Swiss Standard German: [bɛrn] ), or Berne (French: [bɛʁn] ), is the de facto capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city". With a population of about 146,000 (as of 2024), Bern is the fifth-most populous city in Switzerland, behind Zürich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 36 municipalities, had a population of 406,900 in 2014. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000. Bern is also the capital of the canton of Bern, the second-most populous of Switzerland's cantons. The official language is German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect, Bernese German. In 1983, the historic old town (in German: Altstadt) in the centre of Bern became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is notably surrounded by the Aare, a major river of the Swiss Plateau. Although fortified settlements were established since antiquity, the medieval city proper was founded by the Zähringer ruling family, probably in 1191 by Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen. Bern was made a free imperial city in 1218 and, in 1353, it joined the Swiss Confederacy, becoming one of its eight early cantons. Since then, Bern became a large city-state and a prominent actor of Swiss history by pursuing a policy of sovereign territorial expansion. Since the 15th century, the city was progressively rebuilt and acquired its current characteristics. Bern was made the Federal City in 1848. From about 5,000 inhabitants in the 15th century, the city passed the 100,000 mark in the 1920s.

Places to Explore

Curated experiences in Bern

Skulpturenpark

Skulpturenpark

Zierbrunnen-Anlage Rosengarten

Zierbrunnen-Anlage Rosengarten

Rathaus

Rathaus

The Bern Town Hall (German: Rathaus Bern) is the building in Bern, Switzerland that houses the Grand Council of Bern …

Bärengraben

Bärengraben

The Bärengraben, or Bear Pit, is a tourist attraction in the Swiss capital city of Bern. It is a bear …

Kunstmuseum Bern

Kunstmuseum Bern

Blutturm

Blutturm

Käfigturm

Käfigturm

The Käfigturm is a Baroque tower in Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site of …

Naturhistorisches Museum

Naturhistorisches Museum

The Natural History Museum of Bern (German: Naturhistorisches Museum Bern) is a museum in Bern, Switzerland. In its teaching and …

Schweizer Schützenmuseum

Schweizer Schützenmuseum

Schloss Toffen

Schloss Toffen

Toffen Castle (German: Schloss Toffen) is a Baroque country estate in Toffen, Canton of Bern, Switzerland. It is a Swiss …

Tram-Museum

Tram-Museum

Église française

Église française

Kornhaus

Kornhaus

Museum für Kommunikation

Museum für Kommunikation

The Museum of Communication is an interactive museum dedicated to the subject of communication in Bern, Switzerland. In 2019 it …

Bernisches Historisches Museum

Bernisches Historisches Museum

The Bern Historical Museum (German: Bernisches Historisches Museum, French: Musée d’Histoire de Berne) is the second largest historical museum in …

Kunsthalle

Kunsthalle

The Kunsthalle Bern is a Kunsthalle (art exposition hall) on the Helvetiaplatz in Bern, Switzerland. It was built in 1917–1918 …

Zytglogge

Zytglogge

The Zytglogge (Bernese German: [ˈtsiˌkːlɔkːə]; lit. 'time bell') is a landmark medieval tower in Bern, Switzerland. Built in the early …

Alpines Museum der Schweiz

Alpines Museum der Schweiz

The Swiss Alpine Museum (German: Alpines Museum der Schweiz; French: Musée Alpin Suisse) is a museum focusing on the relationship …

Freimaurer Museum Schweiz

Freimaurer Museum Schweiz

Einbaum vom Moossee

Einbaum vom Moossee

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