If the first hunter had shot a pig, the city of Berne might have ended up being called Schweine. But when King Berchtold V of Zaehringen was clearing the land to set up his trading city, he simply declared that it would be named after the first animal killed on the royal hunt. A bear was shot and Berne achieved its name.
Berne hasn’t forgotten. There are bears everywhere, on the city seal, on the fountains, on the walls and even five live bears inside a bear pit just near the rose gardens. But the bears aren’t all Berne has to offer. A well-preserved mediaeval city that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the capital of Switzerland (no, it’s not Zurich) it has six km of shopping arcades, a lovely river, Emmental cheeses, Toblerone chocolate, an elegant Gothic cathedral and the largest collection of the modern master, artist Paul Klee in the Kunstmuseum.

More Information