|
As the Swiss capital, Bern is an important city of diplomats and the
site of many international organizations and meetings. It's one of
the oldest and loveliest cities in Europe, with origins going back
to the 12th century. Since much of its medieval architecture remains
today, Bern evokes the feeling of a large provincial town rather
than a city. In 1983, the United Nations declared it a World
Cultural Landmark.
Over the years the city landscape has been praised by many famous
visitors, including Horace Walpole, who called it "the most Faire
city." Dorothy, sister of William Wordsworth, gushed, "There is a
beautiful order, a solidity, a gravity in this city, which strikes
one at first sight and then never loses its effect."
The modern mingles harmoniously with the old in this charming city,
and in recent years residents have discreetly added contemporary-style
homes and structures to the historic environment. Such coexistence
between the old and new is also evident in Bern's university, known
equally for traditional studies and pioneering scientific research.
Bern is also a popular starting point for many excursions,
especially to the lakes and peaks of the Bernese Oberland, a vast
recreational area only minutes from the capital.. |
