SWITZERLAND
Bern: A fairytale city
with real bears
rom real, live bears, loose in the city’s park to Albert Einstein’s house (now a café) all set to a picturesque location, Bern easily became my favorite out of all the Swiss cities we have visited during this trip. The capital of Switzerland is actually the fifth most populous city, and the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect, Bernese German.
Bears have been kept in the city since 1513
According to the legend, in 1191, Duke Berthold V of Zähringen was to chop down trees to build his new city and vowed to name it after the first animal he caught in his hunt. Bears have been kept in the city since 1513, which brings us to Bärengraben (or Bear Pit). The original, smaller pit is the first thing you encounter when you visit Bern, with a tunnel (made in 2009) connecting it to a sloping land – the new, larger space for bears to walk around.
In the Old City of Bern, you walk between so many local boutiques, stores and cafés left and right on the sidewalks and one of those is Einstein’s old house. Albert Einstein called Bern his home from 1903 – 1905, and he was living there when he wrote the first document on the Theory of Special Relativity. His house is now called Einstein House & Café, and inside of it you will see documents and artefacts from his time here.
As you walk on the main street, you will notice a series of striking, colorful statues on fountains. Pay attention to them, there are 10 of them and they are all unique, depicting people from Bern’s history and heritage. For example, in my pictures you see the Zähringen Fountain, erected in 1535 to honor Berchtold von Zähringer, the founder of Bern and Hans Gieng’s renowned statue of Lady Justice illustrating how Justice reigns over all earthly rulers.
Keep walking until you reach the famous Zytglogge, the medieval tower built in the 13th century as a guard tower, prison and clock tower. The attraction here, besides the tower itself, is the 15th century astronomical clock: a dark blue, red and gold work of art, with the shapes of a sun and a moon. On the way there, keep an eye for the colorful statues on the small roundabouts.
You will also see Bernese Minster, the church with the highest spire in all of Switzerland and one of the most important landmarks of the city. From the stained-glass windows to the incredible stone figurines on the vault outside, Bernese Minster is a fascinating sight not to be missed.
Now, there are numerous cafés in Bern but you might wanna check Minster Terrace, which is basically a park in the old churchyard of Berner Minster (or « Pläfe» as the locals call it), with tall chestnut trees and a small, cute café with tables outside so you can enjoy your coffee while admiring the breathtaking views of the Aare river, the Alps and the houses.
Bern is one of those cities that look straight out of a fairytale. You will stop and admire the view every chance you get, and every time you will find yourself stunned by its beauty.