Bern, Switzerland VR 360

Surprisingly enough, the capital of Switzerland is not the largest city of this country. Bern, with the population of around 138,000 people, is only the fifth biggest Swiss city after Lausanne, Basel, Geneva and Zürich. But this small cozy settlement is full of rather ancient sights listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 2014 Bern was declared the most beautiful city of the country by the citizens themselves.

The founding of Bern was initiated on the peninsula formed by the River Aare in 1191 by Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen. The very first buildings were wooden and in 1405 they were destroyed by a major fire. The city of Bern that we can witness nowadays began its existence in the 15th century: at that time a new city plan with stone-dominated constructions was created.

Comparing to many other ancient cities the historic center of Bern features long and wide streets covered with unique awning-arcades. The most notable architectural landmark of Bern is the Cathedral (the Bern Minster), which is also the tallest cathedral in Switzerland (with a height of 100.6 meters). Its construction started in 1421 and lasted for 150 years, but then was ceased for centuries. Only in 1893 the installation of the spire was fulfilled and the Cathedral took on its present look. Its main entrance is decorated with a series of Late Gothic statues that represent the Last Judgment and  is one of the best sculpture ensembles in Europe.