Bern is the federal capital of Switzerland and one of the best-preserved medieval old towns in Europe, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. The city on the bend of the Aare is compact, elegant and shaped by an understated political self-assurance. The six kilometres of arcades – covered walkways at street level beneath almost all old town buildings – make the city explorable regardless of the weather.

The Federal Palace, Bern Minster – the tallest late-Gothic nave in Switzerland –, the Zytglogge and the famous Bernese sandstone fountains are among the defining monuments. The Zentrum Paul Klee and the Bern Art Museum are important cultural institutions. The Bern Bear Park directly on the riverbank is the modern home of the city's heraldic animal. The Matte, Breitenrain and Länggasse districts are lively neighbourhoods with their own distinct character.

Bern is by train the central railway hub of Switzerland, reachable from Zurich in around 1 hour, from Basel in around 1 hour and from Geneva in around 1.5 hours. By car, take the A1 and A12 motorways.