Bern historic center

A little bit of history

The Bern historic center was founded in 1191 and gradually grew from the 12th to the 15th century. Bern experienced its greatest boom in the 14th- 16th century. Even though Bern historic center was almost completely destroyed in a big fire in 1405, it preserved its historical character. Most of the buildings have been later reconstructed. The stone houses with arcades typical for the city were built there. The main building material was sandstone despite the fact that most buildings were made of wood at that time. In 1848, Bern became the capital city of Switzerland.

Tourist attractions

One of the most interesting historical monuments is the iron bridge Kornhausbrücke from the 19th century that connects the city center with its newer parts. Another significant monument is undoubtedly the Cathedral of St Vincent, which is considered the most beautiful building in Switzerland. There are over 100 fountains in the city center. The most famous of them are the Simson and Zahring Fountains. Some of them are decorated by Renaissance statues. Other places of interest include the building of the Federal Government Bundeshaus - the biggest building in Bern, the town hall and the bell tower with the astronomical clock Zytglogge. The Bern historic center became a World Heritage Site UNESCO in 1983.

	Einstein House Museums, 0.1 km	Add to the plan
	Federal Palace in Bern 0.4 km	Add to the plan
	Egelsee Lakes, 1.3 km	Add to the plan
	Gurten Ski resorts, 3.4 km	Add to the plan
	Reichenbach Castle 4.7 km	Add to the plan
	Moossee Lakes, 8.6 km	Add to the plan
	Schloss Thorberg 10.7 km	Add to the plan
	Lake Wohlen Lakes, 12.6 km	Add to the plan
	Toffen Castle 9.9 km	Add to the plan
	Schlosswil Castle 12.9 km	Add to the plan
	Gerzensee Lakes, 15.1 km	Add to the plan

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