"Bern - the Renaissance comes alive" Bern by PartyRambo

Bern (Berne) is a mediaeval city in modern times. They have kept the flavour of old Switzerland alive by maintaining the look & feel of olden times.
Tucked away beside the River Aare, the cobblestone streets and building arcades (sidewalks covered by arches/roofs with the building above), Bern is home to only 130,000 people, yet it is the Swiss capital - having been to Zurich & Geneva, it was difficult to accept, since everything about this place looks like it stepped straight out of a history book.
UNESCO has added Bern to its World Heritage Site list

"Are YOU talking to ME? I'm the only one here..."

In 1191, the Duke of Zahringen, Berchtold V, chose this spot for a new city. The oak forests in the area were cut down for timber to build the first houses with, and legend has it that the Duke went hunting nearby & killed a bear. The city's coat of arms (with a bear on it) first appeared in 1224.
The city was protected in more ways than one - the river ran along 3 sides of the old town, and the powerful kingdom of Burgundy nearby lent some thought to those considering any action against Bern.
Ironically, Bern expanded rapidly and defeated Burgundy in 1339 at the Battle of Laupen, then joined the Swiss Confederation in 1353.
On May 14, 1405, fire broke out & razed much of the town, killing a hundred citizens. The rebuilding (now in sandstone) gave the city much of its present character - the street plan, the arcades, the fountains and some of the classic buildings such as the Rathaus and the Munster.
Eventually, Bern was taken by French invaders in 1798, and in 1814 the Congress of Vienna forced Bern to surrender its eastern & western territories, which created the cantons of Aargau & Vaud.
Despite this loss of face, Bern was still a popular choice for federal capital in 1848.
Albert Einstein published his Special Theory of Relativity here in 1905.

• In a nutshell:http://www.bernetourism.ch/