Berne also functions as the capital of the Canton of Berne, the second most populous of Switzerland’s cantons.

Illustrious Bernese include the reformer Albrecht von Haller, the poet Albert Bitzius and the painters Hans Fries, Ferdinand Hodler and Paul Klee. The German-born physicist Albert Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while employed as a clerk at the Berne patent office. A culturally important person was Mani Matter, a songwriter performing in Bernese German.

Wandering through Bern’s UNESCO-protected Old Town can be a magical experience – few cities in the world are so visibly wedded to their distant past, with architecture and a street plan essentially unchanged since medieval times.

The most hectic shopping goes on in the western half of the Old Town, on Marktgasse and Spitalgasse in particular; the older, eastern half is slow paced and tranquil. However, not for nothing does the tourist office tout the famous arcades, lining both sides of every street in the Old Town, as being “the longest covered shopping promenade in the world”. In a strange turnaround of expectations, it’s when you walk under the crowded arcades that you get a full-on blast of modern consumerism, with music, shop windows and advertising vying for your attention.

Step a few metres to the side to walk in the open air and – with a little imagination – it’s easy to picture yourself in the Bern of the sixteenth century.

Einstein lived with his wife Milena Maric and their son Eduard for two years in this modest apartment which has been owned by the Albert Einstein Society since 1977. It has been restored to its original condition to enable visitors to immerse themselves in the world of the scholarly couple; contemporary furniture and objects have been installed here. The exhibition outlines Einstein’s pioneering discoveries while a 20 minute video explains his life, thought and action.

There are not just rifles, but also shooting trophies on display, watches and cups for which every shooter with a keen eye would give his or her level best. Then there is the collection of medals and coins and extensive pictorial material on the subject of shooting.

Last but not least: a sharp and keen eye is called for on the airgun shooting stand. And sharp thinking is essential for the knowledge and laser shooting competition.

«Hall of Skeletons» brings a 150 year old collection of skeletons back to life. The «Beetles & Co.» display tells the story of the colourful world of invertebrates.

«Fins???Feet???Wings» explains the evolution of mammals across millions of years. The «Spectrum of diversity» presents the rich variety in nature: shellfish, snails, rocks, fossils. etc. can be admired through the video camera enlarged up to 20 times their normal size.

different cultures to the exchange of information via the old and new media: postal services and telecommunications, radio and television, computer and the Internet. The permanent exhibitions tell exciting stories about our daily relations. Amazing interactive installations with virtual scenes and entertaining games encourage exchanges and encounters. The museum focuses on man, placing him at the very heart of the pressing issues which concern us at the beginning of the new millennium.

further highlights.

The Museum of Fine Arts Bern does not just look back at the past with special exhibitions (e.g. in 2008: «Ferdinand Hodler. A Symbolist Vision»). The Department of Contemporary Art with its planned new building emphasises the fact that it is one of Switzerland’s leading art galleries.