Travel guide to Bern
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Bern
Bern, an old and charming medium sized city, is the capital of Switzerland and is located on the peninsula formed by the crook of River Aare. The town has a population of approximately 131,000 as of 2008 making it the fourth most densely populated city in Switzerland. The town’s official language is German but Alemannic is the one more commonly spoken by the locals.
The town was established in 1191 by Duke Zahringen and became part of the Roman Empire but was made a free colonial city in 1218 after the death of the Duke. Berne joined the Swiss Federation in the year 1353 and after successfully conquering several battles the city became the largest independence in the northern Alps. It became Switzerland’s capital in 1848. Due to its central location in Switzerland, Bern is well connected to the rest of the country making it easily accessible.
The town has a small airport that lies a few kilometers to the south of Bern and a taxi ride costs approximately CHF 30 or one can take a shuttle bus to the railway station for about CHF 14. Within the city one can use a bus, bike or car to get around although the parking is quite expensive. For car hire in Berne one can make use of anycarhire.com for detailed information on the charges and the available companies for hire services.
While in the city one can stopover at a couple of places such as the Bern Historical Museum the second largest historic museum in Switzerland, containing historical collections and other vital ethnographic collections but the museum is usually closed on Mondays. The Bundeshaus – Switzerland’s parliament house built in the 19th century and dominating the square is another place to visit. Other interesting tourists’ destinations include the Einsteinhaus, Kunstmuseum –the oldest fine art museum in Swiss and the Swiss Alpine museum- showing the variety of mountains.
The residents also hold various festivals including the Zibelemarit which is held annually and involves covering the town’s streets with confetti. The Gurten festival is also popular- held every summer it features international artists. There is also the Jazz festival held in the months of March and May.
