Bern

Marc's Journal

Today was a Seattle-like day: cloudy, gray, drizzle with occasional rain. We hopped on the train which is a few minutes walk from the Weiss' home and headed into Bern -- about 20 minutes.

Immediately I preferred the city to Zurich. It was smaller with old city charm on every street. The walkways are mostly covered, keeping shoppers protected from the weather.

HP and I climbed the 344 steps to the top of the Berner Münster (the Bern Cathedral). It was more ornate than Zwingli's church in Zürich, possibly because it was built by the Catholics before the reformation took control.

Walking the city streets, stopping for coffee and chocolate, window shopping, it all was a treat.

Is he real, or a mannequin? Diane didn't find out until she got cozy and personal.

Bern is the Capital of Switzerland, and the capitol building is behind us. 

The capitol from the river side.

Diane's Journal

(Above) Wichtrach train station, two blocks from the Weiss's home.

Stopping for cappuccino in Bern.

In Bern, our afternoon meal at Luce Italian restaurant.

(Above) The Clock Tower in Bern is famous for its age and unique mechanism that regularly puts on a show with all sorts of mechanical figures. It was a bit anti-climactic for us after waiting for the top of the hour only to be reward with the gongs of the bells. No show! Not sure what went wrong. 

(Below) Bern is home to Albert Einstein. We walked by his old apartment in the city that has been converted into a museum and a novelty shop. Who woulda thought...

The bear (Bär in German) is the enduring symbol of Bern, and it runs deep in the city’s identity:

Name origin: Legend says Duke Berchtold V of Zähringen, Bern’s founder (1191), vowed to name the new city after the first animal he hunted nearby. That animal was a bear → hence Bern.

Coat of arms: Since the Middle Ages, Bern’s flag and coat of arms have featured a black bear on a red-and-yellow background.

Living bears: For centuries, bears were kept in the city as living symbols. Today, they live in the modern BärenPark by the Aare river, near the Nydegg Bridge.

Culture & identity: You’ll see bear statues, fountains, flags, pastries (like Bärentatzen “bear claws”), and even sports teams named after bears.

🐻 In short, the bear is not just a mascot but a founding legend, heraldic symbol, and living tradition.