Bern, the capital of Switzerland

Bern is the fifth most populous city in Switzerland. It is the capital of Switzerland and the capital of the second most populous canton of Bern. The historic old town in the center of Bern is surrounded on three sides by the Aare River, the main river of the Swiss Plateau. It was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 1983 and includes the city’s oldest astronomical clock, built in the 15th century. Although fortifications have been built since ancient times, the medieval city was probably founded in 1191 by Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen. Bern became a free imperial city subordinate only to the Holy Roman Emperor in 1218, and joined the Swiss Confederation in 1353 as one of its eight early cantons. From then on, Bern pursued a policy of sovereign territorial expansion, becoming a large city-state and playing an important role in Swiss history. Since the 15th century, the city has been gradually rebuilt into what we see today. #OverseasTravel#EuropeTravel#EuropeTour#EuropeTourism#SwissTravel#SwissDestinations#SwissTravelGuide#WorldCulturalHeritage#WorldHeritage