Bern, Switzerland

Bern was founded in 1191.  It's the capital city and the 4th largest city in Switzerland.  Bern has a population of 134,000 but the metro area has around 660,000 people.  It seems kind of laid back for a capital city but that's one of the nice things about it.  Of course, it may have been because we were only here for a few hours on a Saturday morning.

The city lies in the Canton of Bern; about 20 km (12 miles) north of the Bernese Alps.  The medieval city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From the Rose Garden you get a great view of the city.
 
The Zytglogge is the city's astronomical clock.  It was built in 1530.  No offense to Bern but the clock in Olomouc is way more entertaining.



The city mascot is a bear and there has been a bear pit in the city since 1480.

From 1903 to 1905, Albert Einstein called a flat in this building "home".

Bern has more than 100 public fountains.  Eleven of them are from the 16th century and have Renaissance allegorical statues on top.




Das Berner Münster is the 15th century Gothic cathedral.  It is the tallest church in Switzerland.  Construction began in 1421 and took generations to complete.


The Bundeshaus was built from 1857 to 1902 and is home to both the Swiss Federal Council and its parliament.



The Zentrum Paul Klee is just outside the city.  It is home to the most comprehensive collection by artist Paul Klee.  To be honest, I'm still not too familiar with his work and we didn't bother to stop and visit.