Bern | The Best Travel Destinations

Bern – Switzerland

Bern – Switzerland

The city of Bern or Berne (German: Bern, French: Berne, Italian: Berna, Romansh: Berna, Bernese German: Bärn) is the Bundesstadt (federal city, de facto capital) of Switzerland, and, with (as of December 2010) a population of 133,920, the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000. Bern is also the capital of the Canton of Bern, the second most populous of Switzerland’s cantons.

The official language of Bern is German, but the main spoken language is the Alemannic dialect called Bernese German.

In 1983 the historic old town in the centre of Bern became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Bern is ranked among the world’s top ten cities for the best quality of life (2010).

Main sights

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Museums & Galleries in Bern

Bern is home to some of Switzerland‘s leading museums and galleries:

Abegg-Stiftung Riggisberg
The Abegg-Stiftung holds one of the world’s most important textile collections, and is a centre for the research and conservation of historic textiles. The permanent exhibition shows late antique hangings from Egypt, silks and woollen tapestry weavings from regions along the Silk Roads, as well as medieval and later fabrics from Europe and the Islamic world. This wealth of textile masterpieces is further enriched by numerous treasures of applied art from classical antiquity to the early nineteenth century.

Collection of classical Antiquities
Aphrodite, Laocoon and Cleopatra are only three of the 230 Greek and Roman sculptures on display as plaster casts in the Classical collection. The collection was assembled in 1806, when the Republic of Berne ordered casts to be used for drawing lessons at its academy. Since then the pieces have experienced a chequered history reflecting changing artistic tastes in the Western world. Since 1994 the plaster casts have been housed in a former paper warehouse.
The industrial character of the space was a formative influence on the design of the exhibition: the sculptures stand on wooden transport palettes or concrete pipes. These untreated industrial elements make an appealing contrast to the casts on exhibit. A second room contains a collection of small original works of Classical art.

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