Buzz
When it comes to Switzerland – the politically neutral and stunningly serene country in Europe, people often think of famous cities like Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, ... Despite being less renowned, Bern became the unofficial capital of the country since 1847, as there is no official document stating so.
Bern has been the seat of the Swiss government since 1847, although it's not the largest city in Switzerland (the largest city being Zurich), ranking only as the fourth most populous city. It's also not as famous as Zurich (considered the financial hub of Switzerland), Geneva (the Swiss watch capital, the second largest financial center in Switzerland after Zurich, a major global diplomatic hub, ...). However, Bern's location is almost in the center of Switzerland, making it convenient to travel to various tourist destinations in the country.
A corner of the city of Bern along the vibrant blue Aare River
Bern was officially founded in 1191, and it has been expanded several times since then. In 1405, a major fire destroyed the city, and it was subsequently rebuilt using sandstone as the primary material, preserving the medieval characteristics intact to this day. Since 1983, Bern has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site, due to its remarkable blend of modernity within a medieval cityscape, featuring well-preserved compact medieval architecture.
Rose Garden Park
The Rose Garden Park, or Rosengarteb Bern, sits atop a broad hillside, resembling a lush green oasis with over 200 varieties of roses, creating a serene landscape akin to a small countryside village within the city. Unfortunately, when I visited in early May, the roses in the park had not yet bloomed. However, along the pathways in the park, other flowers and foliage were vibrant under the sun – a fortunate and serendipitous encounter, as May 3rd marked the first day of Spring in Bern with sunshine.
Stone-paved streets alongside fences adorned with foliage and flowers
Although the roses had not yet bloomed, the park boasted a variety of other flowers in full bloom.
Perched on a hill, Rose Garden Park offers a panoramic view of Bern's old town nestled beside it, with the Aare River meandering below the hill.
The statue of Albert Einstein in Rose Garden Park, with the historic Bern old town in the background.
Bear Park
Legend has it that in 1191, when the city was founded, Duke Berthold V had not yet named the new city. During a hunting trip, the Duke decided to name the city after the first animal he encountered on the hunt. That animal happened to be a bear, hence the city was named Bern (German: Bärn), meaning bear, and the city's coat of arms also features a bear.
For this reason, it's understandable that Bern boasts a rather famous Bear Park along the banks of the Aare River, opposite the old town of Bern. From the Rose Garden Park on the hill, walking down the slope leads to Bear Park (Bären Park) on the eastern bank of the Aare River, right at the Nydegg Bridge. This park was established in 1441 and has been renovated, expanded, and operational ever since.
The three brown bears in Bern's Bear Park
In the park, there are three brown bears. The city has even built a 'villa' for them, and there's even a fenced-off area along the Aare River for the bears to swim.
The bear's bathing spot along the banks of the Aare River
An elderly Swiss person I met at Bear Park also mentioned that each year, the bears are taken to a conservation area in the natural mountain forests for a period of 'recuperation' before being brought back here, so they are very healthy.
After a dip in the river, the bear goes ashore to forage for fruits and vegetables.
I was very fortunate to ... stroll around Bern on May 3rd - the first sunny day of spring here - so I got to see the beautiful scenery of the rose garden park, and especially to see the bears sunbathing and swimming in the river. The Swiss gentleman said that on cold winter days, it's rare to see the bears outside much.
Nydegg Church
Nydegg Church was constructed from 1341 to 1346, located at the eastern tip of the old town of Bern - a peninsula formed by the meandering Aare River with three sides surrounded by this river. The church tower was built around 1480 - 1483. Originally, this site was the foundation of Nydegg Fortress, built by Duke Berthold V around the 1190s as a defensive structure for the young city he founded.
The bell tower of Nydegg Church, seen from the stone bridge Untertor. In the central medieval area, only pedestrians are allowed, bicycles must be parked outside.
Nydegg Church sits on the west bank of the Aare River, between two (fairly close) bridges: the Nydegg Bridge and the ancient Untertor Bridge - until the mid-19th century (1840), it was the only bridge crossing the Aare River. In 1840, the Nydegg Bridge became the second.
Nydegg Church stands between Nydegg Bridge (high) and the ancient Untertor Bridge (low, somewhat obscured, both in the bottom left corner of the image)
The Bern Cathedral (Berner Münster)
The Bern Cathedral, a renowned Protestant church, sits prominently southwest on the Bern old town peninsula, constructed and completed over a long period. Its construction began in 1421, with ongoing building, renovation, and maintenance spanning centuries, culminating in its famous bell tower completed in 1893.
The bell tower of the Bern Cathedral soars to 100 meters – the tallest church tower in Switzerland – making it a prominent landmark in the old town, visible distinctly from both Rose Garden Park and Bear Park.
The bell tower of the Berner Münster viewed from Münster Street
Münster is one of the four main streets, running almost parallel to each other in an east-west direction in Bern's old town, from Nydegg Church towards the horizontal street connecting the two arched steel bridges, Kirchenfeld to the south and Kornhaus to the north of the peninsula. These are all ancient streets with cobblestone pavements, lined with four-story tiled roof houses and numerous open windows facing the street.
The churches in Bern's old town, as well as those in Prague (Czech Republic) or Vienna (Austria), all charge quite expensive admission fees, around €20 to €30. Therefore, I just passed by Nydegg Church without going inside because it would both cost money and take up time, which wouldn't leave enough time to visit other attractions. Besides, I'm not particularly interested in delving deep into architectural history – if my friend Lữ Phong were to get caught up in these places... he probably wouldn't have enough time to visit even one church like Nydegg with the time budget I had.
Kirchenfeld Bridge to the south of Bern's old town, overlooking the blue-green Aare River
Since I decided not to visit the Berner Münster, I turned towards Münsterplattform park on the side of the church to the south, and wandered out to the banks of the Aare River, enjoying the breathtaking scenery of the river with the Kirchenfeld Bridge and the Terrasse restaurant on the land protruding into the middle of the river, under the bridge.
The Zytglogge astronomical clock tower (Zeitglockenturm)
The Zytglogge astronomical clock tower is located at the western end of the old town, at the end of Kramgasse street – the street running through the old town from Nydegg Church in the east-west direction. It is considered the symbol of Bern.
Originally built from 1218 to 1220, this structure served as the gate tower of the western fortifications of the city (the eastern fortification being Nydegg). It was only 16 meters high at first. As Bern expanded, the tower was built higher to increase its observation range over the surrounding areas. It wasn't until the early 15th century that an astronomical clock was installed on the tower. However, the tower later suffered a fire, causing extensive damage to its structure.
The Simsonbrunnen fountain on Kramgasse street, in front of the Bern Music School and Conservatory
By the early 16th century (around 1527 – 1530), both the tower and the clock were rebuilt and refurbished. The new tower stands over 54 meters tall with a striking red peaked roof and beautifully curved eaves. Built of stone, the tower has two stories, with the lower one featuring a vaulted gateway for Kramgasse street to pass through. Inside the tower, an ancient spiral staircase of 130 steps leads up to the observation platform, offering panoramic views of the old city of Bern. However, at up to 30€ for a few minutes of sightseeing from above, it's a bit extravagant for me.
The Zytglogge astronomical clock tower
Nearly 500 years since its reconstruction (and being one of the oldest astronomical clocks), the clock in the Zytglogge astronomical clock tower still keeps perfect time. Every hour, a spectacle unfolds here with a golden rooster flapping its wings and circling behind the bears and a rooster.
Legend has it that the ticking sounds of the Zytglogge clock may have 'inspired' Albert Einstein – the renowned German physicist, who spent over 7 years living in Bern (1902 – 1909) in a house very close to the Zytglogge, which is now a museum – to develop the Theory of Relativity during his time residing and teaching in Bern.
The Federal Palace
The Swiss Federal Palace, with a large fountain square in front, is also known as the Federal Palace.
Situated to the southwest of the old city gates of Bern, it comprises 3 building blocks. The western block of the Federal Palace was constructed between 1852 and 1857; the eastern block was built from 1884 to 1892; and the central block was the latest addition, constructed from 1894 to 1902. The fountain square in front of this complex was built with a fountain in 2004.
As I arrived here, around midday, the sun was blazing, yet the area near Bärenplatz, facing the Federal Palace, was still bustling with tourists dining al fresco and enjoying beer in the sunshine.
The Swiss Federal Palace, with a large fountain square in front, creates a majestic sight.
Tranquil streets adorned with vibrant flowers.
Bern, like the other cities I've visited on this European trip (such as Vienna, Prague, Montreux), is in spring, so every street is adorned with blooming flowers.
Flowers adorn Marktgasse, a straight street leading from Kramgasse just past the Zytglogge astronomical clock tower.
A small flowerbed in front of Inventhos AG building – a financial company on Taubenstrasse, southwest of the Federal Palace area.
Röm.-Kath. Pfarramt Dreifaltigkeit – a small Catholic church also on Taubenstrasse, adjacent to the Inventhos AG building.
Bern's streets are filled with flowers, both within the old town area and on the outskirts. Not only are there many flowers, but Bern also boasts abundant greenery and numerous small parks, even tiny patches of land along the roadside are adorned with grass and flowers. It's a pity I don't have much time, only strolling through the old town of Bern and venturing slightly beyond.
Conclusion
Participating in combined conference and sightseeing trips in Europe, starting from Vietnam to Austria, through Czech, and the final destination being Switzerland. During this time, I managed to visit some places outside the group's schedule, as shared with friends, such as: Green Lake in Schladming - the ancient village of Hallstatt in Austria; a tour around the central area of Prague in Czech Republic; admiring Lake Geneva in Montreux city, and strolling through the Old Town of Bern, Switzerland.
In the last few days, I finally arranged some time to wander around Bern, before the whole group moved to Zurich to fly back to Vietnam. Only the trip to Green Lake - Schladming - Hallstatt in Austria was taken by private car arranged by acquaintances. As for traveling between cities, our group mainly relied on trains, as the train network in Europe in general, and the Schengen area in particular, is very well-developed. In cities, we almost entirely walked on foot.
Still regretting not having more time to explore in depth the places I have been to.
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