Bern
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bern is the capital city of Switzerland. It is also the capital of the canton with the same name.
As of early 2006, 127.000 people live in the city.
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[edit] History
Bern was founded in 1191 by Berchthold V. von Zähringen. A legend says that he said he would name the city after the next animal he caught. So when he caught a bear (German: "Bär") the city was named Bern. Zähringen built the city in the half-circle the river Aare makes.
[edit] Traffic
Public streetcars and buses are run by an organisation called BernMobil. There are 3 streetcar lines and about 15 bus lines. Most of the lines are in the city but some travel away from the city. There is also the Marzilibahn, a funicular (inclined- or cliff-railway) which goes from the banks of the Aare up to the Federal Building (german: "Bundeshaus"). The Marzilibahn is 105 meters long. It is the shortest funicular in Europe. Another funicular, called the Gurtenbahn, goes from the section of Bern called Wabern, which is on the river Aare, up to the top of Gurten, a large hill 585 meters high that is just south of Bern. A small airport, Belpmoos, is located a short distane south of Bern in Belp.
[edit] Folk Festivals
[edit] Zibelemärit (onion market)
Each year, on the 4th Monday in November, there is the Onion Market in Bern, where onions are sold. Many people visit the market in the early morning and throw confetti. The also hit other people with hammers made out of plastic
[edit] Aareleuchten (glowing Aare)
Since 1996, every August 1 (a national holiday in Switzerland) they hold the Aareleuchten. The Aareleuchten is payed for by SwissAid. During the festival, people put small ships with a light on them into the river Aare. All of the small lights makes the Aare glow.
[edit] Gallery
 The Swiss parlament building in Bern |
 View towards the cathedral |
 One of the many fountains in the old part of the city |
 View over the river Aare towards the modern part of the city. |
 Another picture of the Aare in Bern |
| Cantons of Switzerland |
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| Aargau - Appenzell Innerrhoden - Appenzell Ausserrhoden - Basel-Stadt - Basel-Landschaft - Bern - Fribourg - Geneva - Glarus - Graubünden - Jura - Lucerne - Neuchâtel - Nidwalden - Obwalden - Schaffhausen - Schwyz - Solothurn - St. Gallen - Thurgau - Ticino - Uri - Valais - Vaud - Zug - Zürich |
