Duke Berthold V of Zähringer chose the site for strategic reasons when he founded Bern in 1191. The Aare rivers offers a natural defence against invaders.
(swiss-image.ch/Terence du Fresne)
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Bern's cathedral, which was constructed between 1421 and 1573, dominates the old city. Its 100-metre tower, built 1889-1893, is the tallest in Switzerland.
(swiss-image.ch/Stephan Engler)
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The cathedral's main entrance depicts the Last Judgement with the redemption (left) and damnation (right) of the souls.
(swiss-image.ch/Peter Maurer)
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The Erlacherhof is the only residential building in Bern's old centre which is in the French style of the 17th century.
(Wikipedia/Baikonur)
The city hall's stairway depicts the same scene of a world divided into good and bad, and in the same order, as on the cathedral's entrance.
(wikipedia.org)
The old city's main street used to act as a "square" for the citizens, and included a market and the justice authorities.
(Keystone/Martin Ruetschi)
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Three of the eleven 16th century fountains in the city.
From left to right: the Fountain of Justice (Keystone/Gaetan Bally), the Piper Fountain and the Ogre Fountain (RDB/Stephan Engler)
Keystone
Visitors who take the 344 steps to the top of the cathedral tower are rewarded with a panoramic view of the roofs of Bern.
(Alfred Buellesbach/Visum)
The Zytglogge clocktower is probably the most photographed monument in the old city. Built between 1218 and 1220, and modified several times, it was originally a women's prison.
(Mike Lehmann)
The mechanism running the astronomical clock and mechanical figures dates back to between 1527 and 1530. It is wound up manually each day.
(swiss-image.ch/Terence du Fresne)
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One of the main characteristics of the old city is its six kilometres of arcades. They are always bustling and offer ample space for bars and restaurants.
(swiss-image.ch/Terence du Fresne)
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The Federal Parliament building was completely renovated in 2004. It has 26 water jets in front of it, which are particularly appreciated by children.
(swiss-image.ch/Terence du Fresne)
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The grand entrance hall inside the parliament building is dominated by a statue representing the foundation of Switzerland.
(parlament.ch)
The city theatre dates from the beginning of the 20th century.
(Wladyslaw Sojka)
The Holy Spirit Church is considered to be one of the most important Protestant churches in Switzerland. It was constructed to a rectangular plan in the Baroque style, between 1726 and 1729.
(pixelio.de)
A city that straddles the old and the new.
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The old city of Bern, built on a hill in a meander of the Aare river, has a linear plan. The medieval town has been constantly renovated over the centuries, but it has not lost its original character. Bern has been a Unesco World Heritage site since 1983.(swiss-image.ch/Terence du Fresne)
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.