Bern (Swiss Canton)
The Canton of Berne is like a miniature Switzerland: to the north, the Jura chain and the vineyards of the Three Lakes region; to the south, the Alps with their wild peaks, some of which are over 4,000 metres high. In between, the Swiss Plateau, or Mittelland, and the Pre-Alps. And of course the magnificent city of Bern, the capital of Switzerland.
The Canton of Berne is one of the three most important tourist destinations in Switzerland. It is made up of six major regions:
- Bernese Oberland, with its majestic mountains and spectacular lakes
- Emmental, whose valleys are home to imposing flower-filled farms
- Upper Aargau, with its meadows and forests
- the region of Bern-Mittelland, with the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old City of Berne at its heart
- Seeland, with its lakes and crops
- the French-speaking region of Bernese Jura with its regional natural park of Chasseral.
The best-known Bernese tourist destinations are the city of Bern, the Jungfrau Aletsch-Bietschorn area (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Gstaad, Grindelwald, Interlaken and Adelboden. Tourism is the main economic activity in the Bernese Oberland.
Since 2011, the Lake Biel pile dwellings (stilt houses) have also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Like the Canton of Vaud, the Canton of Berne is a bit like a miniature Switzerland: to the north, the Jura chain and the vineyards of the Three Lakes region, to the south, the Alps and their wild peaks, some of which exceed 4000m. In between, the Swiss Plateau, or Mittelland, and the Pre-Alps. And of course the magnificent city of Bern, the capital of Switzerland.
A whole universe to discover in summer as in winter, from the gentle shores of Lake Biel to the snowy slopes of Gstaad!
