Bern

In 1191, Duke Berchtold V of Zaehringen founded the city of Bern. According to the founding legend, the duke declared the city would be named after the first animal killed in the surrounding forest during a hunt -- that animal was a bear (Baer). The more likely etymology is from the Celtic word 'berna' meaning cleft or gorge, referring to the dramatic Aare peninsula. Bern sits on an elevated peninsula formed by the Aare river bending sharply, creating a natural fortress surrounded by water on three sides.

The Zytglogge was built around 1200 as the western city gate. In 1530, locksmith Kaspar Brunner completed an astronomical clockwork for 1,000 Gulden -- one of the oldest functioning mechanical clocks in Switzerland. It shows hours, minutes, day, date, month, zodiac signs, moon phases, sunrise, and sunset. Animated figures perform every hour: the Golden Rooster crows three times, Chronos (nicknamed 'Hans von Thann') turns an hourglass, and dancing bears in Bern's red and black colours were added in 1610.

Einstein moved to Bern in 1902 to work at the Swiss Federal Patent Office as 'Technical Expert, Third Class.' He and his wife Mileva Maric rented an apartment at Kramgasse 49 in 1903, directly overlooking the Zytglogge clock tower. Between March and September 1905, he published five groundbreaking papers including the photoelectric effect (Nobel Prize 1921), Brownian motion, and special relativity (E=mc2) -- all written in his spare time after full days at the patent office.

The Zytglogge's dancing bears were added in 1610, eighty years after Kaspar Brunner built the clockwork. The bears are dressed in Bern's colours (red and black) and dance in a circle at every hour, symbolizing the city's power and honouring the founding legend. Bears are everywhere in Bern: on the cantonal coat of arms, on fountains, as chocolate bears in shops, and in the BaerenPark -- a 6,000 square metre park opened in 2009 where real bears roam freely on the Aare riverbank.

The Kindlifresserbrunnen (Child Eater Fountain) at Kornhausplatz was created in 1545-1546 by sculptor Hans Gieng. It depicts a seated ogre devouring a naked child, with more children in a bag at his side. Its true meaning is one of Bern's great mysteries -- theories include the Greek Titan Kronos, a medieval bogeyman, an anti-Semitic caricature, a carnival figure, or a political allegory. Bern has over 100 public fountains, with 11 historic ones created by Hans Gieng in the 1540s.

The Aare drops about 30 meters in steep cliffs below Bern's old town, encircling the city like a protective belt. Aare swimming (Aareschwimmen/Aareboetle) is a beloved summer tradition where locals float down the turquoise river in inflatable rafts. The modern BaerenPark, opened on 22 October 2009, is a 6,000 square metre riverside park where bears can roam freely. The Bundeshaus (Federal Palace), built in 1902, houses the Swiss parliament on the Aare's high bank.

The Berner Muenster is Switzerland's largest late-medieval church and its tallest cathedral at 100.6 metres. Construction began in 1421 under Matthaeus Ensinger from Strasbourg and was only completed in 1893 -- nearly 500 years later. A 344-step spiral staircase leads to the top for panoramic views. The main entrance features the Last Judgment portal with 234 human figures from all ranks of society, created by Erhard Kueng -- one of the most important Late Gothic sculptural programs in Europe.

In 1513, Swiss mercenaries captured a live bear after the Battle of Novara in Northern Italy. Bartholomaeus May, Bern's most prominent citizen, led the captured bear ceremoniously into the city. In 1515, the first bear pit (Baerengraben) opened at the current Baerenplatz. The bear became the living embodiment of the city's name and coat of arms. Bears have been kept in Bern continuously since then, moving through multiple locations before the modern BaerenPark opened in 2009.