Things to Know About Bern, the Capital of Switzerland
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Things to Know About Bern, the Capital of Switzerland
Bern, the capital of Switzerland, is located in the west of central Switzerland, 20 kilometers north of the Bernese Alps and on the Swiss Plateau in the canton of Bern. With an area of 51.62 square kilometers, the city of Bern was the fifth most populous city in Switzerland with a population of 143,485 in 2022. Bern is the capital of the canton of Bern, and there are a total of 24 cities in the canton.
Where is Bern?
Bern is located in the west of central Switzerland, at 46° 56′ 53″ north and 7° 26′ 51″ east. The surrounding cities of Bern are Valais, Vaud, Neuchatel, Lucerna, Obwalden, Solothurn, Fribourg and Jura. Bern is 28 kilometres from Fribourg, 30 kilometres from Solothurn, 39 kilometres from Neuchatel, 50 kilometres from Jura, 62 kilometres from Obwalden, 67 kilometres from Lucerna, 81 kilometres from Vaud and 85 kilometres from Valaus.
The location of Bern on the map is shown below.
What are the Important Events in the History of Bern, Switzerland?
According to 14th-century historians, important events in the history of Bern began with the founding of Bern by Duke Berthold V of Zähringen in 1191. Bern joined the Swiss Confederation in 1353 and became one of the eight cantons of the formation period between 1353 and 1481.
Bern was occupied by French troops during the French Revolutionary Wars in 1798, but was recaptured in 1802. The University of Bern was founded in 1834. Bern became the capital of Switzerland in 1848 and became the centre of the international postal, telegraph, railway and copyright unions. The Bern Art Museum was founded in 1879, and the Swiss National Bank in 1895.
What is the population of Bern, Switzerland?
The population of Bern, Switzerland, is 143,485 people, according to 2022 data from Statistik Stadt Bern.
Bern is the 5th most populous city in Switzerland, the 241st most populous city in Europe and the 1477th most populous city in the world.
What Language Is Spoken In Bern?
The most widely spoken language in Bern is Bernese German, a type of Alemannic German dialect.
Approximately 81.2% of Bern's population speaks German, 3.9% speaks Italian, 3.6% speaks French, and 171 people in Bern speak Romansh.
What is the climate like in Bern?
The climate in Bern is a humid continental and oceanic climate with warm and rainy summers and very cold and snowy winters. Bern is generally partly cloudy throughout the year and the lowest temperature in the city is -3.6 degrees Celsius in January and the highest temperature in July is 24.3 degrees Celsius.
What is life like in Bern, Switzerland?
In Bern, Switzerland, life is safe, the environmental quality is high and healthcare is above average.
According to current Teleport data, Bern ranks 9th in terms of health services, 9th in terms of environmental quality, 9th in terms of safety, 5th in terms of education and 1st in terms of high cost of living among approximately 265 cities. In general, living in Switzerland is ahead of most similar countries.
What are the educational opportunities like in Bern?
Studying in Bern is ranked 2nd in Switzerland by international students with a score of 9 out of 10 in the 2014 StudyPortals International Student Satisfaction survey, with students surveyed being pleased with the academics, compact class sizes, hands-on courses and diverse research opportunities.
In Bern, English, French and German language courses are widely available, but there are also courses in a total of 15 different languages. Language courses in Switzerland focus particularly on integration.
There are 3 universities in Bern, with the University of Bern ranked 114th in the list of best universities, the Bern University of Applied Sciences ranked 1235th, and the University of Teacher Education ranked 7025th.
What are the universities in Bern, Switzerland?
Universities in Bern, Switzerland are listed below.
- University of Bern
- PHW Business School Bern
- Bern University of Applied Sciences
- University of Teacher Education
Where is the University of Bern?
The University of Bern is a public university located in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, founded in 1834. The University of Bern is one of the top 150 universities in the world and was ranked 139th in the QS World University rankings in 2019.
The University of Bern has faculties of law, medicine, economics and social sciences, technology, philosophy and history, veterinary medicine, philosophy, human relations and philosophy and natural sciences. According to the current student report of the University of Bern in 2020, there are a total of 18,576 students at the university.
Annual tuition fees for local and international students for undergraduate or graduate studies at the University of Bern vary between 750 Euros and 1,800 Euros.
What are the Language Schools in Bern, Switzerland?
Language schools in Bern, Switzerland are listed below.
- ILS-Bern, International Language School
- Inlingua School of Languages
- ESL
- Academy Languages Berni
- Flying Teachers GmbH Sprachschule Bern
- EF Sprachaufenthalte
- English Speaking Playgroup/School
- The Cambridge Institute Bern
- ECAP Bern
- Learning Institute AG
- English Gallery
- Eule Sprachschule
- Institut für Spanische Sprache und Literaturen
The Swiss language school education in Bern mainly focuses on English, French and German.
What are the job opportunities in Bern?
Job opportunities in Bern are spread across many different sectors, but the most important sectors and the sectors with the most job opportunities are technology, food, tourism, manufacturing and agriculture. Bern's unemployment rate is below the Swiss average, and around 80,000 people are employed in various sectors.
What are the working conditions like in Bern?
Working conditions in Bern are a maximum of 45 hours per week according to Swiss labor law, but working hours in Switzerland vary depending on the employer, position and sector. People in full-time positions in Bern generally work an average of 41 hours per week, while private sector employees work around 42 hours per week.
Working full-time or part-time in Switzerland entitles employees to at least four weeks of paid leave per year, but the status of leave on public holidays varies depending on the sector of employment.
What are the transportation conditions like in Bern?
Bern is accessible by bus, tram, cable car and train. The Canton of Bern has 65 railway routes, 233 bus and tram lines, 8 cable cars and a total of 300 railway stations and 2,900 bus and tram stops.
According to Tomtom 2021 data, an average of 1-minute traffic density increase was observed in the city of Bern compared to the previous year, and it was calculated that the density was 50% between 18:00 and 21:00, when Bern is at its busiest.
Bern to Zurich by train takes 56 minutes, by bus takes 1 hour 35 minutes and by private car takes 1 hour 19 minutes, and Geneva takes 1 hour 57 minutes by train, by bus takes 3 hours and by private car takes 1 hour 40 minutes.
What are the Cost of Living Like in Bern, Switzerland?
In Switzerland, a person's monthly food expenses vary between 400 euros and 650 euros, monthly transportation expenses are an average of 80 euros, rent prices are an average of 1,036 euros, bills are an average of 225 euros and other expenses vary between 250 euros and 550 euros, depending on the person's spending habits.
The average monthly cost of living for an individual in Switzerland is 2,445 euros, while the total monthly cost of living for a family of four is 6,700 euros.
What are the House Prices Like in Bern, Switzerland?
Bern, Switzerland house prices vary depending on the distance of the house to the city center, the age of the house and the square meter. Bern, Switzerland rental house prices are 1,450 euros on average, but 1-bedroom apartments close to the city center cost 1,211 euros on average, 3-bedroom apartments cost 2,235 euros on average, 1-bedroom apartments far from the city center cost 862 euros on average and 3-bedroom apartments cost 1,494 euros on average. Bern, Switzerland house prices for sale are calculated per square meter and prices in the city center are around 8,321 euros per square meter, while apartments far from the center cost around 6,533 euros.
What are the grocery costs in Bern?
In Bern, the monthly grocery expense for a person varies between 391 Euros and 636 Euros. The grocery expenses in Bern are 1.58 Euros for 1 liter of milk, 2.44 Euros for bread, 5.37 Euros for a pack of 12 eggs, 23 Euros for 1 kilo of cheese, 24 Euros for 1 kilo of chicken, 46 Euros for 1 kilo of beef, 3.50 Euros for 1 kilo of apples and 2.79 Euros for 1 kilo of bananas.
Where to Visit in Bern, Switzerland?
Places to visit in Bern, Switzerland are listed below.
- Bern Old Town
- Rose garden
- Bern Cathedral
- Swiss Parliament Building
- Kafigturm Prison Tower
- Einstein House
- Barengraben
- Gewerbeschule Bern
- Eidgenössisches Archiv für Denkmalpflege
- Kirchenfeld Estate
- Thunplatzbrunnen
- Federal Mint Building
- Federal Archives
- Swiss National Library
- Bern Historical Museum
- Alpine Museum
- Museum of Communications and Museum of Natural History
- Zytglogge Clock Tower
The fountains, which are found everywhere in Bern and called "brunnen" by the Swiss, are among the places to visit in Switzerland , but since it is difficult to see all the fountains, the popular ones are; Anna Seiler Brunnen, Zahringerbrunnen, Pfeiferbrunnen, Kindlifresserbrunnen.
Where is the Swiss Museum of Fine Arts?
The Swiss Kunstmuseum is located on Hodlerstrasse and is very close to Einstein's House, the Old Town of Bern and the Bern Historical Museum. The Swiss Kunstmuseum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00, but is closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Opened in 1879, the Swiss Museum of Fine Arts houses works by Paul Klee, Ferdinand Hodler, Meret Oppenheim and Pablo Picasso.
The Swiss Art Museum collection exhibition fees are €9.81 for adults and €4.90 for students, but adults must pay a total of €17.65 and students €9.81 to attend one of the temporary exhibitions at the museum. Adults who go to the Swiss Art Museum and want to attend all exhibitions must pay €23.51 and students must pay €11.75, but all tickets are free for those under 16.
Where is Einstein's House?
Einstein's house is located at Kramgasse 49 in Bern. The Einstein House is a museum dedicated to the life and work of Albert Einstein. Einstein's House, where he lived with his first wife Mileva Maric from 1902 to 1909, was furnished in the style of the period and opened to the public to commemorate Einstein's stay in Bern.
Einstein's House is open every day of the week from 11:00 to 16:00 and the entrance fee is 5.90 euros for adults and 4.42 euros for children under 18, seniors and students.
Where is the Bern Clock Tower?
The Bern Clock Tower is a medieval tower built in the early 13th century and is part of the Old Town of Bern, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.
Built in the medieval, Baroque and Gothic architectural styles, the Bern Clock Tower has served as a prison, clock tower, center of urban life and civic monument.
Where is Bern Rose Garden?
The Bern Rose Garden is located in the Alter Aargauerstalden and is very close to Einstein's House, the Old Town of Bern and the Bern Art Museum. The Bern Rose Garden is one of the most famous parks in Bern and is surrounded by views of the historic Old Town, Münster and the Aare River. Over 400 species of roses and irises, 28 different rhododendrons, water lily ponds and large lawns can be found throughout the Bern Rose Garden.
Bern Rose Garden is open every day of the week between 09:00 and 23:00 and entrance is free.
What are the activities to do in Bern?
Activities to do in Bern are listed below.
- Seeing the Zentrum Paul Klee and the two large exhibitions inside
- See the important works from prehistory to the present day and the exhibition about Einstein's life and works at the Bern Historical Museum
- Take the Gurtenbahn train to the top of Gurten Hill and watch the Alps and the city view.
- Going to Einstein's house to learn about Einstein's ties with Bern and Switzerland and all the historical details
- See the historic centre of Bern's Old Town
- Strolling near the Aare River surrounding the Old City
- Visit the Bern Minster Gothic cathedral, the tallest cathedral in Bern
- Take a walk in the Bern Rose Garden, which has over 400 varieties of roses
What is Useful Information to Know About Bern, Switzerland?
Useful information to know about Bern is given below.
What is the Bern Currency?
The currency of Bern is the Swiss franc. The international short code for the Swiss franc is CHF, which is the abbreviation for Confederatio Helvetica Franc.
What is the Postal Code for Bern, Switzerland?
The postal code for Bern, Switzerland is 3030.
What is the dialing code for Bern, Switzerland?
The telephone code for Bern, Switzerland is 31.
How Many Hours Does It Take to Fly from Istanbul to Bern?
The flight from Istanbul to Bern takes approximately 2 hours and 37 minutes.
The flight distance between Istanbul and Bern is 1840 kilometers and the flight duration varies depending on weather conditions, transfer status, aircraft route and speed.
Where is Bern Airport?
Bern Airport is located in the Kehrsatz municipality of Bern, Switzerland. The address of Bern Airport is Flughafen Bern AG, Flugplatzstrasse 31, CH-3123, Bern.
Bern Airport image is given below.
Where is the Turkish Consulate in Bern, Switzerland?
The Turkish Consulate in Bern, Switzerland is close to the city center of Bern and the consulate address is Lombachweg 33, 3006 Bern, Switzerland.
How to get to Bern from Türkiye?
It is possible to go to Bern from Türkiye by plane, car or tour.
Citizens of the Republic of Turkey who hold an ordinary (maroon) passport and want to go to Switzerland are subject to a visa; however, holders of special (green), diplomatic (black) or service (grey) passports are exempt from visas for travels to Switzerland of 90 days within 180 days.
People who want to travel to Bern must apply for a Schengen Swiss visa to authorized visa centers or accredited agencies; and to apply for a national visa, they must apply through accredited agencies or in person to the Consulate General of Switzerland in Istanbul.