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Bern's origins

Bern's Old Town

Bern's Old Town

Bern's Old Town at sunset (© chensiyuan, CCASA3.0 Unported).

Bern's Old Town from the city's Rosengarten (Rose Garden).

The Swiss Parliament (aka the Bundeshaus or Federal Palace) is 65 metres tall and was inaugurated in 1902.

The back of the Bundeshaus (© Pazit Polak CCA2.0 Generic).

Intricate sculptures sitting on top of Bern's Bundeshaus (© Andreas Praefcke, CCA3.0 Unported).

Bern's Bundeshaus at dusk (© Peter Gronemann, CCA 2.0 Generic).

The Federal Palace at night (© Σπάρτακος, CCASA3.0).

Stained glass inside the Swiss parliament depicting 22 of Switzerland's cantons.

The Swiss parliament in session.

A statue of the three confederates, the founders of modern Switzerland at the end of the 13th century, in the Bundeshaus.

Bern has had a bear park since 1857; it is 6000 metres in size and home to four brown bears (© Chriusha (Хрюша), CC-BY-SA-3.0).

One of Bern's famous bears (© Skyluke, CCASA3.0).

Bern's Old Town is filled with statues, such as the Statue of Justice.

Another colourful statue in the Old Town (© Andrew Bossi, CC-BY-SA-2.5).

A statue of Samson slaying a lion (© Grzegorz Gigol, CCASA3.0).

A statue of a warrior bear in Bern's Old Town (© Mike Lehmann CC-BY-SA-2.5).

A piper statue in the Old Town (© Marianabeauty, CCASA3.0 Unported).

Bern's Old Town is filled with grand townhouses ...

... and shopping arcades lining its wide streets (© Geri 340, CCASA3.0).

The Clock Tower or Zytglogge is one of Bern's top attractions.

75 feet tall, the Zytglogge displays an astronomical clock made in the 16th century.

Patriotic flags flying in the Old Town (© Daniel Schwen, CCASA3.0).

Bern Munster (aka Bern Cathedral) is Bern's principal place of worship.

Bern Munster's 330 foot high tower at dusk.

Intricate stonework on Bern's Cathedral (© Andreas Praefcke, CCASA3.0).

The Last Judgment sculptures adorning Bern Munster's main entrance (© Ikiwaner, CCASA3.0 Unported).

Bern Munster in the foreground and the Alps in the distance (© Martin Abegglen, CCASA3.0).

Stained glass window in Bern Munster (© Andreas Praefcke, CCASA3.0).

Bern's Church of St Peter and Paul (© Krol:k, CCASA3.0 Unported).

The Historical Museum is a must-see attraction (Historiches Museum) (© Krol:k CCASA3.0 Unported).

The Historical Museum is home to the Einstein Museum, Einstein having lived in Bern during some of his most productive years.

The Kunstmuseum (aka Museum of Fine Arts), Berne (© Andreas Praefcke, CCA3.0 Unported).

A Deitler on display at the Kunstmuseu.

A Cezanne self-portrait at Bern's Kunstmuseum.

... and a Manuel self-portrait.

The Paul Klee Centre, Bern (© Norbert Aepli, CC-BY-2.5).

Paul Klee's most famous work is Red Baloon, found in New York's MoMA ...

... but this Paul Klee work, In den Häusern von St. Germain, is found in the Paul Klee Centre.

Another Klee work on display at the Paul Klee Centre.

A bright yellow postbox in Bern's Communications Museum (© Sanstein, CCASA3.0 Unported).

Bern's Rosengarten (© Andrew Bossi, CCASA2.5).

A crystal in Bern's Museum of Natural History

Bern's annual Gurten Music Festival attracts acts such as Snow Patrol and the Kings of Leon.

Performers at Bern's colourful annual carnival (© Sandstein, CCASA3.0).

The Federal Palace illuminated on Bern's annual Museum Night.

Bern also hosts an international jazz festival between March and May each year.

Bern's annual Onion Market sees platted onions like these on display (© Micha L. Rieser, CCASA3.0).

A Swiss coin minted to commemorate Bern and its onion market.

Bern's Bundeshaus at Christmas (© David Haberthür, CCA2.0 Generic).

Attractions in Bern

Federal Palace

Bear Park

Einsten Museum

Kunstmuseum

Bern Cathedral

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