Bern, the bear city

From Zurich, we went straight to Bern without returning to our "base" in Lucern.

It was rather rainy there as well, but less so than in Zurich.

the Bern train station

a building we saw as we came out of the train station

the tram stop right in front of the station

this should be Spitalgasse (the road, I mean), according to the map

the Käfigturm (cage tower), Bern's (new) main gate

the Bundeshaus (home of the government and parliament) on a small square

with this building on its left

and this on its right

the city orchestra

a casino, as you can see for yourself

on a sort of platform beside the river

bear statues

The city's emblem is the bear, because it is the first animal the Duke who founded Bern caught while hunting as the city was being built.

another statue

the tower in the distance belongs to the Münster

and here's the face of the building

another building on the square, I wonder what it is

on the same square (Münsterplatz)

a flag-filled street leading away from the square

Kramgasse, with the Zytglogge (or Zeitglockenturm) at the end of the road. This clock tower was the city's first gate. After the city expanded, the other tower (the one in the earlier photo) became the new gate.

Einsteinhaus

the view of the river Aare (that curves through Bern) at a bend

the Bärenpark, where there are two bears who recently (in February, actually, so it was recent when we were there in May) had two cubs

unfortunately I only saw a single bear when we were there

My father went over to the other side of the park and got this photo. Maybe it was a different bear.

there was some kind of racing event opposite the Bärenpark when we were there, so there were quite a number of people around (it was a Sunday)

Remember that the city's emblem is a bear? I guess that's why this cute one was sitting in a display case.

Oh, and not forgetting...a Swiss card.

Then we returned to Lucern. By the time we arrived in Lucern, it was 5pm...and that will be for the next Switzerland post.