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The city of Bern or Berne (German: Bern, French: Berne, Italian: Berna, Romansh: Berna, Bernese, German: Bärn is the Bundesstadt (federal city, de facto capital) of Switzerland.
The official language of Bern is German, but the main spoken language is the Alemannic dialect called Bernese German; most residents of the city speak both. English and French are fairly widely spoken, but to a lesser extent. In 1983 the historic old town in the center of Bern became a UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Bern is ranked among the world's top ten cities for the best quality of life.
The structure of Bern's city center is largely medieval and has been recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural World Heritage Site. Perhaps its most famous sight is the Zytglogge (Bernese German for "Time Bell"), an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets. It also has an impressive 15th century Gothic cathedral, the Münster, 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.
Since the 16th century, the city has had a bear pit (the Bärengraben). The extended and renewed pit off the far end of the Nydeggbrücke actually contains four bears, including two young. During his visit in Bern in 2009, the Russian president and his wife gave two more young bears as a private present. They are actually in Dählhölzli, Bern's zoo.
The Federal Palace (Bundeshaus), built from 1857 to 1902, which houses the national parliament, government and part of the federal administration, can also be visited.
Albert Einstein lived in an apartment at the Kramgasse 49, the site of the Einsteinhaus, from 1903 to 1905, the year in which the Annus Mirabilis Papers were published.
The Garden of Roses (Rosengarten), from which a scenic panoramic view of the medieval town centre can be enjoyed, is a well-kept Rosary on a hill, converted into a park from a former cemetery in 1913.
Bern features many heritage sites of national significance. Apart from the entire Old Town and many sites within it, these include the Bärengraben, the Gewerbeschule Bern (1937), the Eidgenössisches Archiv für Denkmalpflege, the Kirchenfeld mansion district (after 1881), the Thunplatzbrunnen, the Federal Mint building, the Federal Archives, the Swiss National Library, the Historical Museum (1894), Alpine Museum, Museum of Communication and Natural History Museum.
Switzerland (German: die Schweiz, French: Suisse, Italian: Svizzera, Romansh: Svizra), officially the Swiss Confederation (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, hence its abbreviation CH), is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
The Swiss Confederation has a long history of neutrality-it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815-and did not join the United Nations until 2002. Switzerland is home to many international organisations, including the second largest UN office, the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization, International Labour Organization and sports federations such as the International Olympic Committee and FIFA. On the European level it was a founder of the European Free Trade Association and is part of the Schengen Agreement -- although it is notably not a member of the European Union, nor the European Economic Area.
These are lists of cities in Switzerland. Municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants are considered to be "cities" (in German: Städte, in French: villes, in Italian: città). See Municipalities of Switzerland for a table of the largest and smallest.
1. Zurich
2. Geneva
3. Basel
4. Lausanne
5. Bern
6. Lucerne
7. St. Gallen
8. Lugano
9. Winterthur
10. Thun
11. Olten-Zofingen
12. Biel/Bienne
13. Chur