The Old City is the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. Built on a narrow hill bordered on three sides by the river Aare, its compact layout has remained essentially unchanged since its construction during the twelfth to the fifteenth century. Despite a major fire in 1405, after which much of the city was rebuilt in sandstone, and substantial construction efforts in the eighteenth century, Bern's old city has retained its medieval character.
The Aare wraps around the Old City of Bern, pictured here is the old stone bridge at Nydegg
An illustration of the Large and Small Redoubts (Schanzen) added from 1622 to 1634
Arcade in the Old City of Bern
The Christoffelturm about 5 years before its removal
Bern, or Berne, is the de facto capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city". With a population of about 133,000, Bern is the fifth-most populous city in Switzerland, behind Zürich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 36 municipalities, had a population of 406,900 in 2014. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000.
Aerial view of the Old City and the Aare
Construction of the Untertorbrücke (Lower Gate Bridge) in Bern, Tschachtlanchronik, late 15th century
Bern in 1638
Bern c. 1870. Etching by Heinrich Müller
