Bern: bears and arcades in the Swiss capital

Capital of Switzerland built in a bend of the Aare River, Bern preserves six kilometers of medieval arcades, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and has bred live bears since the sixteenth century.

The center, a UNESCO World Heritage site with its arcades and bear pit, is comfortably explored on foot.

The Clock Tower, with its animated astronomical mechanism that changes every hour, remains one of the most photographed symbols of the old city.

A short walk away, Bern's arcaded galleries, over six kilometers of uninterrupted passages, allow for shopping sheltered from rain in any weather condition.

Continuing on, you visit the Bärengraben, the bear pit, where live animals have been kept since the 1500s in honor of the city's very name.

Toward evening, walking along the banks of the Aare River, you observe residents swimming in the current even in the city center during the summer months.

According to the founding legend, the duke who founded Bern in 1191 promised to name the city after the first animal encountered during a hunting expedition—it was a bear, giving rise to the name 'Bern' and the city's symbol.

Swimming in the Aare during summer is such a deeply rooted custom among Bern residents that many office workers bring swimming suits to work for a dip during lunch break.