It is also a stunningly beautiful, and relatively quiet, city.
The centre of Bern is in a small valley, the old city is built on an even smaller hill, the result is that the sprawling suburbs might as well not exist.
The style of the city is Italianate, tall houses of goldensandstone built in high terraces.
Most of the shops are tiny and set back behind the vaulted arcades at ground level. Bern is the perfect city to explore on a rainy day.
There is much to explore.
The earliest parts of the present city date back to the 17th century, but the cellars are much older still. Bern was built on an earlier city. Some of the excavations are preserved in the modern Banhof.
My impressions of Bern are heavily laced with the scent of geraniums, which are in every window in summer, cool alleys leading into courtyards, each with it's own distinct fountain. Many have statues in a unique style that is rather like heraldry in 3 dimensions. They represent figures and event from the history of the city and the canton.
Of course everywhere there are Bären. That is the origin of the name "Bern", the city of bears. The cantonal coat of arms consists of a black bear. He appears in many forms all over the city. He can be seen at his best in front of the old tram terminus (now a Cafe with a lovely terrace overlooking the river). He even appears, at least, in triplicate.
Bern has a bear pit with very real bears in it. Right in the city.
If you cross the bridge after visiting the bären, having observed the ongoing conflict between their expectations, and the signs forbidding all forms of bearfeeding, and walk up the hill a little you will come to the Clock.
There IS only one Clock with a capital "C" in Bern. It is as much an automated puppet theatre as any kind of timepiece whenever the hour strikes.
Another wonderful spot is the garten behind the Bundestadt. From the terrace on a clear day you can clearly see the Jungfraujoch some 60 miles away, white peaks looking like clouds over the rolling green landscape.
The Protestant Catherdral is also well worth a visit, the restorations in progress are amazing. The intentions seems to be to restore it to it's former gothic glory. In protestant countries, people forget that gothic churches were originally a riot of colour and gold leaf. In Bern this is being remembered.
For six months Bern was my nearest city. The place to pick up bargains in sales, go out dancing on a special occaision all the things you do in your local city. Of course this means very few of the "tourist" things. However even for just a visit it is a city not to missed.
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