The Burnt Green of Bern in Switzerland

The street scenes of Bern left an everlasting impression on my mind. At first sight of Bern, I was surprised by its colors. The main color is a burnt green, consistently present in most of the sandstone buildings in the Altstadt. This burnt green is a shade lighter, and creamier, than the camouflage green used in the U.S. army. The buildings look very elegant. It is a kind of color that gives an aged vibe, perfectly befitting to Bern being a city that has stood the test of time. Yet on top of the Műnster St Vinzenz, I looked onto a completely different impression of Bern. The tops of the buildings are all in red. The warm hue seemed to express welcome, quite unlike the slightly colder tone of burnt green as I observed on the ground. The founder of Bern was Berthold V, Duke of Zahringen. Legend had it that he decided to name the settlement after the first animal that he hunted. It turned out to be a bear (Bär) and thus Bärn was the name of this settlement. In 1353, Bern joined the Swiss Confederation. A fire destroyed Bern’s then timber-made buildings in 1405. Thereafter its people rebuilt the town in stone, and thus, the beautiful sandstone buildings we see today in this archaic city. According to my guide book, the town has retained its character since. In 1528, the Bernese declared itself Protestant. It has since brought Protestantism to other regions in Switzerland, including Lausanne. The cobbled streets of Bern were once treaded upon by the troops of Napoleon, who made, in the history of Switzerland, the only invasion ever into this country in 1798. In 1848, Bern was chosen as the federal capital of Switzerland. The Altstadt is an incredibly pleasant walk. My only regret was that the Zytglogge closed for renovation. If given a chance, I would visit Bern again just to see it. #bern #switzerland #alstadt #capitalcity #europe #europeanarchitecture #swisshistory