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Bern , from the Celtic Berna 'Gap', referring to the geology of where the city is situated), is the "Bundesstadt" (administrative capital) of Switzerland, and is the fourth most populous Swiss city (after Zürich, Geneva and Basel).

Language: German, or more specifically, Bernese German, which is a high-Alemannic dialect. The Canton of Bern has a French-speaking part. Very few people still speak the i, but several words have found their way in the Bernese German.

Bern also functions as the capital of the Canton of Bern, the second most populous of Switzerland's cantons.

Illustrious Bernese include the reformer Albrecht von Haller, the poet Albert Bitzius and the painters Ferdinand Hodler and Paul Klee. The German-born physicist Albert Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while employed as a clerk at the Bern patent office. A culturally important person was Mani Matter, a songwriter performing in Bernese German.

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Duke Berthold V of Zähringen founded the city on the River Aare in 1191 and allegedly named it after a bear (i in German) he had killed. It was made an Imperial Free City by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in 1218 after Berthold died without an heir. In 1353 Bern joined the young Swiss Confederation, becoming a leading member of the new state. It invaded and conquered Aargau in 1415 and Vaud in 1536, as well as other smaller territories, thereby becoming the largest city-state north of the Alps. It was occupied by French troops in 1798 during the French Revolutionary Wars, when it was stripped of most of its territories. In 1831 the city became the capital of the canton of Bern and in 1848 it additionally became the Swiss (administrative) capital.

The city grew out towards the west of the boundaries of the peninsula formed by the river Aare. Initially, the i (located close to today's train station) until 1622. During the time of the Thirty Years' War two new fortifications, the so-called big and small i (entrenchment), were built to protect the whole area of the peninsula. The protection by these edifices was sufficient for the prosperous growth of the City of Bern up to the 19th century.

Bern lies in the Swiss plateau part of the Canton of Bern, somewhat west of the center of Switzerland. The landscape around Bern was formed by glaciers in the last ice age. The two mountains closest to Bern are the Gurten with a 200 000) of the CH1903 coordinate system, its international coordinates are 46°57′08.66″N, 7°26′22.50″E.

The city was originally built on a peninsula engulfed by the river Aare but outgrew the natural boundaries of the river in the 19th century. The following bridges were built to allow the city to grow outside of the boundaries imposed by the river:

difference from the quarters down at the Aare (e.g. Matte, Marzili) to the higher ones (e.g. Kirchenfeld, Länggasse).

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As of 2005, the representatives of the Social Democratic Party and of the three Green fractions hold a majority in both councils (3 to 2 and 43 to 37, respectively). For this reason, it is they, collectively referred to as "Red-Green-Center" (i), who mostly determine City policy, although no formal coalition agreement exists and, under the system of direct democracy that prevails in Switzerland, most important issues are settled by general referendum. The other major political parties of Bern are the Free Democratic Party (i (First among equals) in the executive council, is mostly representative. As of 2005, the mayor of Bern is Alexander Tschäppät of the Social Democrats.

Bern's city centre is largely medieval and has been recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural World Heritage Site. Perhaps its most famous sight is the i, an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets. It also has an impressive 15th century Gothic cathedral, the i, and a 15th century town hall. Thanks to 6 kilometers of arcades, the old town boasts one of the longest covered shopping promenades in Europe.

), dating from 1902, which houses Parliament and part of the federal administration, can also be visited at opening hours.

The Garden of Roses (i), from where a scenic panorama view of the medieval city core can be enjoyed, is a well-kept Rosary on a hill, converted into a park from a former cemetery in 1913. Probably the newest attraction of Bern is the set of fountains in front of the Bundeshaus. It was inaugurated on August 1, 2004, the Swiss national holiday.

Bern has several dozens of movie theaters. As is customary in Switzerland, movies are generally shown in their original language (e.g., English) with subtitling in German and French. Only a small number of screenings are dubbed in German. Program information is available through e.g. the Cineman website.

Reithalle [6] - the old riding school of Bern, now a meeting place for the alternative scene, with concerts, parties, flea market and much moreZibelemärit - The Zibelemärit (market of onions) is an annual fair held on the fourth Monday in November.

Bern has a University, a technical college and several vocational schools.

The University is spread over several buildings which are mainly located in the i quarter. Currently ([2005]) there are around 13'000 students registered. It consists of the following faculties:

Currently (2005) there are around 5000 students registered to the technical college of bern. It consists of the follwoing units:

Many vocation schools are present in Bern. Some of them are the following:

Bern is well connected to other cities by several highways (A1, A12, A6).

The public transport works well in Bern, there are at the moment 3 tram lines and several Bus lines which connect the different parts of the City. Bern Rail Station connects the City to the national and international train network. Notable is a cable railway which leads from the i. This railway is, with a length of 106 m the shortest public cable railway in Europe. Several bridges connect the old parts of the city with the newer quarters outside of the peninsula.

A number of celebrities are natives of the city or canton of Bern: Category:Natives of Bern