The artery running through the medieval sector is called Spittalgasse and offers a stunning view of the characteristic arcaded houses that line it.
Beneath the ancient vaults nestle shops, antique dealers, small art galleries, the unmistakable cellars, and atmospheric little bars. A microcosm to discover without haste, with an eye also on the series of splendid fountains (Bern counts many, including about fifteen historic ones) with bright colors and lively spouts: one of these is the Pfeiferbrunnen, the fountain of the bagpipe player, a work by the master Hans Gieng.
Stops not to be missed are the Bundesplatz, the heart of federal political life, as it hosts the imposing Bundeshauser, seat of the Swiss government and parliament; Kramgasse with the splendid Clock Tower; the Kunstmuseum, a fine arts museum rich in ancient and modern masterpieces; the Botanical Garden nestled on the right bank of the Aare, the river that laps the city; the Franzosischekirche, the oldest Bernese church, from the late 1200s, despite its Baroque facade; the famous bear pit, symbol animals (or rather, tutelary deities), around which a small crowd of curious onlookers and children gather, busy throwing carrots and everything that might tempt the friendly plantigrades. Finally, the Cathedral of St. Vincent, one of the most significant late Gothic architecture examples in Switzerland, and the galaxy of museums around Helvetiaplatz: the Alpine Museum, Bern Historical Museum, the Shooting Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the gargantuan Swiss National Library, which houses over a million volumes, prints, and historical maps.
