Bern
Burned to the ground in the 1400's and rebuilt with sandstone, Bern can be seen today almost as a living museum piece representing the strategic value of it's location and layout. The old part of town stands tall like a fortress fit with old walls, towers, and large stretching bridges that link newer parts of the city. Moving around the interior of old, you can begin to imagine the security residents must have had looking out over the vast expanses below where defensive forces would've undoubtedly help a tactical advantage. On the lighter side, getting away from warring Franco-Germanic violence, there's a world famous "Bärengraben" or Bear Pit that is every bit of what it sounds like.. a pit with bears on full display for your viewing pleasure.
The center of it all
A Bit Of A Drop
Somehow Controversial
What you see is one of the 18 bridges in Bern with some as little as 13 ft high and others as tall as over 200 ft. A window into the liberal and conservative divisive history of the city, the bridges were a subject of heavy debate all the way up until WWII
They Really Love Bears
Maybe A Little Too Much
The symbol of the bear is everywhere in Bern. It's on the coat of arms, the city flag, the main statue in Karmgrasse in which it is wearing a full suit of armor, and yes, a bear pit with live bears in the middle of downtown
A River Runs Through It
A Natural Fortification
The Aare river cuts the city in two as it snakes its way all the way down to Lake Thun, a large Alpine that looks like the backdrop of the love scene for a Bond film
I'm Colorblind
No, You're Just Stupid
During the days of Napoleonic conquest, street signs were painted in different colors and you'll notice (not in this photo) they still are today as most of his troops were illiterate and needed special navigation aids like a color system
