Culture of Bern. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Start your observation of the city by visiting the local Historical Museum. It is located in a beautiful building stylized to the antique style. The museum resembles a dark gothic castle. Here you can see as many as 250 000 priceless artifacts, including a rich collection of medieval tapestries, weapons and ancient historical artifacts. One of the museum’s halls exhibits items from the Stone Age, and other several halls are devoted to collections of objects of the national art. Bern Cathedral surely remains the undisputed symbol of the city. The construction of the church started in 1421. The building of the church was finished only a century and a half later. Even nowadays the beautiful cathedral continues impressing its visitors with its unique design and unforgettable architectural forms. A beautiful portal is considered the main decoration of the cathedral. The portal’s bas-relief depicts several scenes from Day of Judgment.

Untertorbrücke Bridge is certainly an important architectural landmark. The bridge was finished in 1461. It is located in the heart of the modern Bern and features a wonderful contrast with modern architectural buildings. You will find one more major attraction near the bridge. This is a so called "Bear Pit". Nearly 200 years ago here lived real bears, which had become the main symbol of the city yet in the beginning of the 12th century. Continue your acquaintance with the religious sights of Bern by making an excursion to Nydeggkirche church. The building is made in the late Gothic style. The church was completely renewed in the beginning of the 20th century. According to an old legend, earlier the site of the modern church was the location of a fortress. The foundation of that ancient building was used to make a great gothic cathedral.

Kindlifresserbrunnen Fountain is surely a no less striking architectural monument of the Middle Ages. The name of the fountain is literally translated as “Child Eater”. The opening of the fountain took place in 1516. A sculpture next to the fountain depicts a menacing giant. Several centuries ago parents used the statue to frighten naughty children, who above anything else feared of getting in the hands of an evil giant. The compulsory excursion program should also include a visit to the family house of Albert Einstein. Nowadays the house has been turned into one of the city's best museums. The main exhibits of the museum are personal belongings of the scientist, his priceless writings, drawings and historical documents. Library occupies a significant part of the house. This part of the building was the most favorite for the genius scientist and so he spent most of his life there. Among other sights of the city that are worth visiting we should definitely mention Swiss Alpine Museum, Bell Tower Tsitgloggeturm, and Art Museum. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Stunning views of the surrounding area of the capital of Switzerland and the city itself can be seen if you climb up the mountain, Gurten. Many people spend more than one hour here, forgetting about everything else – the city and its environs is so shocking, and the spirit of antiquity soars in the air, bringing a considerable share of romance into the heart of everyone who decides to visit the area. Nearby is situated a beautiful park with a gorgeous playground, a fountain and a children’s railway. There is also a restaurant not far away, where you can eat very tasty and hearty cooked meals.

Religious monuments in the city deserve the highest praise. For instance, the most important cathedral, Münsterkirche, is famous for having the highest spire in all of Switzerland. The temple was built in the “Gothic” style in the 16th century (the foundation was laid as far back as in 1421). Other individual elements appeared here after some time – in particular, the bell tower was built in the 19th century. Beautiful views of the city can also be beheld from the bell tower. Close to the church you can come across Mosesbrunnen – an important religious monument, depicting Moses with the first testament about the inadmissibility of the creation of an idol.

Kafigturm which was once part of the fortress wall and served as a gateway to the city, is another important place of interest of the capital of Switzerland. In addition, this is another “clock tower” – in Bern, as in the capital of the “country of clocks”, it could not be any other way. The tower acquired its present appearance in the 17th century, and it bears such a name because these places were once dungeons. You can also take a walk along Bundesplatz and Bundesgasse, where you can see various tourist attractions like Kleine Schanze Park, Columna Metereológica, Bernabrunnen and of course, Bundeshaus. The square is a frequent place for fairs and festivals, and is also the busiest area of ​​the city.

Fans of weapons and military history will be interested in visiting the Schweizerisches Schützenmuseum – a museum in which you can look at various firearms and find out the difference between the M-16 rifle and the AK-47 assault rifle. Zentrum Paul Klee is interesting not only for its exhibits (among which are “modern art” style paintings), but also for its modern architecture – everything in the building coincides. While in Bern, you cannot miss the Schloss Laupen, built as a fortified fortress in the 12th century. It tells not only the history of the castle, but also of the whole city, and also focuses on interesting exhibits which emit antiquity.