Bern — Swiss de Facto Capital
The hike from yesterday woke my nerves and sprang my joints to get ready for action. Before the trip, I tried to prepare myself physically. Yet the excitement overruns whatever perceived soreness or stiffness that may come. I thought I’ll deal with it when I get back to reality. I was a crazy notetaker minding the details that are worth remembering at every landmark we planned to visit.
Today, off we went to the Canton of Bern. Bern is the de facto capital of Switzerland for over 170 years. this is so because technically Switzerland doesn’t have a capital. However, since 1848, Bern has been the seat of the Federal Parliament and Government. Its official title is Bundesstadt, or Federal City, rather than Hauptstadt, or capital city. Bern itself is a World Heritage Site surrounded or encircled by the Aare River thus it is also a place for recreational activities like swimming, boating, kayaking, and paddleboarding. Bern is built on a peninsula making it easy to reach by train, bus or by foot.
The following were places of interests, listed per order of visit:
1. Colorful Reitschule — check out the full article here
2. Old Town / City — its medieval cityscape is well-preserved gaining its entry in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. It stretches out 6 kilometers of arcades that give shelter to its many visitors walking through the City. In the Old Town, I have noted, absorbed and tucked so much in memory for:
Einstein-Haus — located on Kramgasse №49, Albert Einstein with his wife Mileva lived here from 1903 to 1905. This humble apartment shows an impression of how the great physicist may have lived in an environment where he developed his most important contribution to science.
About 200 meters away from the Einstein-Haus is the Clock Tower popularly known as Zytglogge. The Clock Tower is Bern’s first Western City Gate (1191–1256) and thus to date, it is one of Bern’s most important sights. Its famous astronomical calendar clock was built in 1530, is now one of the main attractions of Bern and the oldest clock in Switzerland.
There is so much to see in just the Old Town alone. The photos above shows the rich culture that is Bern.
3. Bern Minster — a remarkable landmark in the Old Town is the Bern Minster. It took more than 4 centuries to build. Construction began in 1421. The spire — conical structure on top of a building, was finally completed in 1893. It is considered to be Switzerland’s most ecclesiastical building.
4. House of Parliament or Federal Palace — the Swiss federal government is housed in this magnificent edifice. The National Council and Council of States meet here for regular sessions four times a year. It was built between 1894 and 1902 according to plans drawn up by the architect Hans Wilhelm Auer. It was officially inaugurated by the United Federal Assembly at a ceremony on April 1, 1902.
5. The Bear Park — right at the heart of Berne’s Centreville is almost 6000 square meters of grounds that is home to Daddy Bear Finn, Mommy Bear Bjork and their daughter, Ursina. They have been living here along the banks of the Aare river since 2009.
6. Bern’s cityscape along the Aare River in photos. Photos were taken across the street from the Bear Park.
