Bern charmed us immediately with its cobbled lanes, old sandstone buildings, green hills and riverbanks. Here, some breathtaking views of the Town above from the Rosegarden!
The Rosegarden is a delightful small park overlooking the old town and the Aare river flowing far below.
Backdrop: Bern's Old Town-> a UNESCO World Heritage site. Has many fine stone Renaissance houses and covered arcades, dates from the 16th and the 17th centuries.
A sample from the thousands of roses in the Rose garden (rosengarten?)
..yet another view of the river and the old town...
No wonder why it was voted Europe’s most floral city... we saw hundreds and hundreds of houses with balconies flooding with colourful flowers in Bern (actually in all Switzerland)…
The main Bern cathedral had been built on the 15th century and is a beautiful example of late Gothic architecture. The main portal – a beautifully carved and painted stone depicts the Last Judgement. Double click on the photo below for a clearer view of the details...
The Bern Cathedral from another aspect
The city’s famous clocktower dates from 1530. On the hour, a series of figures, including bears, a jester and a rooster plays out its performance.
We learnt that the city was founded at the end of the 12th century and named after the first animal –a bear- killed in the forest which previously covered the area. The bear has been the city’s emblem since. Some handful of bears are kept in “the Barengraben” (bear pits). Here is a lovely young bear we saw in one of the pits.
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The city is located on a raised land on the Aare River.
The old town is filled with beautiful fountains. The gruesome child-eating ogre, “the Kindliffresser” is one of them. Double click on the photo to see the fountain clearly...
Among the cities we saw, we thought Bern was the most attractive city of Switzerland with its best preserved medieval town center. Here is Kurt - Our friend and wonderful tour guide. Kurt drove us to Bern's surrounding areas for sighseeing. We visited towns of Murten, Romant, Bulle, Jaunpass. Below are some photos taken during this trip.
A view from the attractive town of Murten. 
Driving with Kurt on the winding roads of the Alps...
That's all from Bern. See you in Lucerne!
...auf wiedersehen...
:-)
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