Bern

For other uses, see Bern (disambiguation).

"Berne" redirects here. For other uses, see Berne (disambiguation).

Bern (French: Berne, Italian: Berna, Romansh: Berna, Bernese German: Bärn) is the capital city of Switzerland. It is also the capital of the canton of Bern.

Municipality in Switzerland
Coat of arms
Location of Bern Berne
Coordinates: 46°56′53″N 7°26′51″E
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Bern-Mittelland administrative district
Government
• Executive	Gemeinderat with 5 members
• Mayor	Stadtpräsident (list) Alec von Graffenried GFL (as of January 2021)
• Parliament	Stadtrat with 80 members
Area
• Total	51.6 km2 (19.9 sq mi)
Elevation (Bahnhofplatz)	540 m (1,770 ft)
Highest elevation (Könizberg)	674 m (2,211 ft)
Lowest elevation (Aare near to Eymatt)	481 m (1,578 ft)
Population  (December 2017)
• Total	133,883
• Density	2,594.6/km2 (6,720/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)	3000–3030
Localities	Altenberg, Aaregg, Bümpliz, Bethlehem, Beundenfeld, Bottigen, Breitenrain, Breitfeld, Brunnadern, Dählhölzli, Engeried, Gäbelbach, Grosser Bremgartenwald, Gryphenhübeli, Felsenau, Holligen, Innere Stadt, Kirchenfeld, Könizbergwald, Länggasse, Lorraine, Muesmatt, Murifeld, Neufeld, Sandrain, Schosshalde, Spitalacker, Stöckacker, Tiefenau, Wankdorf, Weissenbühl, Weissenstein
Surrounded by	Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
Website	www.bern.ch SFSO statistics

As of early 2006, 127.000 people lived in the city.

History

Bern was started in 1191 by Berchthold V. von Zähringen. A legend says that he said he would name the city after the next animal he caught. So when he caught a bear (German: "Bär") the city was named Bern. Zähringen built the city in the half-circle the river Aare makes.

Traffic

Public streetcars and buses are run by an organization called BernMobil. There are 3 streetcar lines and about 15 bus lines. Most of the lines are in the city but some travel away from the city. There is also the Marzilibahn, a funicular (inclined- or cliff-railway) which goes from the banks of the Aare up to the Federal Building (German: "Bundeshaus"). The Marzilibahn is 105 meters long. It is the shortest funicular in Europe. Another funicular, called the Gurtenbahn, goes from the section of Bern called Wabern, which is on the river Aare, up to the top of Gurten, a large hill 585 meters high that is just south of Bern. A small airport, Belpmoos, is located a short distance south of Bern in Belp.

Zibelemärit (onion market)

Each year, on the 4th Monday in November, there is the Onion Market in Bern, where onions are sold. Many people visit the market in the early morning and throw confetti. They also hit other people with hammers made out of plastic

Aareleuchten (glowing Aare)

Since 1996, every August 1 (a national holiday in Switzerland) they hold the Aareleuchten. The Aareleuchten is paid for by SwissAid. During the festival, people put small ships with a light in them into the river Aare. All of these small lights make the Aare "glow."

Gallery

• 

  The Swiss parliament building in Bern

• 

  View towards the cathedral called "Münster"

• 

  One of the many fountains in the old part of the city

• 

  View over the river Aare towards the modern part of the city.

• 

  Another picture of the Aare in Bern

Bern Media

• 

  View of the city of Bern 1638

• 

  Bern c. 1870.Etching by Heinrich Müller

• 

  Aerial view of the Old City of Bern and the Aare

• 

  The Old City with the Minster and its platform above the lower Matte quarter and the Aare

• 

  The Aare flows in a wide loop around the Old City.

• 

  View of Bern from the ISS. The Old City is in the lower right-hand side.

• 

  Aerial view by Walter Mittelholzer (1919)

• 

  The Erlacherhof ("Erlach Court"), Junkerngasse no. 47, is the most significant private building, in historical and architectural terms, of the Old City of Berne, Switzerland.

• 

  This is an image of a cultural property of national significance in Switzerland with KGS number

Other websites

• Official website
• Bern Public Transportation Website (BernMobil)
• Bern (Gemeinde) in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. Version of 10 November 2016.
• "GIS City of Bern". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 23 April 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
• Gurtenfestival
• Buskers Bern