Day 9 – Bern (3)

We were busy with a walking tour of Bern (part 1 and part 2) but had to meet my brother Erik and his wife, Ariane.  We walked with them to Bundesplatz and the Bundeshaus.

13. Bundeshaus of Federal Palace
This is the Swiss parliament building.  Erik en Ariane left and we went to buy some food.  We returned to the Bundeshaus and sat on a bench to eat while enjoying the view of the city and river.  It started to rain again but we were under some trees and they blocked the rain.
Bundeshaus
Aare River
14. Cathedral of St.Vincent
Next we walked to the Cathedral in Münsterplatz.  It was built from 1421 to 1573.  My next post will be about our visit to the cathedral.  We also saw the Mosesbrunnen in Münsterplatz.  The statue dates from 1544 but was rebuilt in 1790-1791 after storm damage.  It shows Moses bringing the Ten Commandments to Israel.
Moses fountain
Cathedral of St.Vincent
15. Bear Pits
We crossed the Nydeggbrücke and walked to the Bärengraben.  Bern was named after the bear and bears lived in the bear pits since 1480.
Bear Pits
Aare River
Untertorbrucke

It was about 15:45 when we left the bear pits.  This was the last sight on the walking tour but we did some more sightseeing on the walk back to the station.

16.  Rathaus or Town Hall
A film crew was busy filming in one of the streets.  I think the streets of Bern Old Town is perfect for this because it feels if you are walking in a different time.  The town hall was built from 1406 to 1415.
Rathaus

Rathaus

17.  St Peter & St Paul Church
Next to the Rathaus we found St Peter & St Paul Church.  This church was built from 1858 to 1864.  We went into the church for a very quick look and then walked back to Bern Bahnhof.
Church of St Peter and St Paul

We bought food at the Migros at the station and then took the tram back to Sonja’s apartment. 
It was about 17:00 when we got there and we were exhausted.  We made coffee and rested.  Sonja came home after work but had to leave again.  We made chicken and vegetables for dinner. The rest of the evening we relaxed and after a long day went to bed early.
Location: Berne, Switzerland

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