City of Bern: The city of Bern is located in the west center of Switzerland. It was designated as the capital of Switzerland in the 1848 Federal Constitution. It is also called the "Federal City" and is also the capital of the canton of Bern. It covers an area (including suburbs) of more than 230 square kilometers, has an urban population of 124,000, and is 550 meters above sea level. It is located at a natural bend of the Aare River, a tributary of the Rhine River. The rapid river water surrounds the old city of Bern from three sides, forming a peninsula. Legend has it that in order to name the city, the ruler at the time, Duke Zalingen, decided to go out hunting and named the city after the first beast he shot. As a result, he killed a bear, so the city was named after the word "bear". The name Bern is derived from the German word "bear". The pronunciation of the word bear in German is "Bayer", which later gradually became "Bern". The "Bear" naturally became the city emblem of Bern, and then became the symbol of the state of Bern. There are still sculptures of bears on some ancient buildings in the city of Bern. There is also a bear garden near the Niederger Bridge on the east bank of the Aar River, where some bears are fed for tourists to watch.
The city of Bern was founded in the 12th century and reached its current size in the 18th century, with a history of 800 years. Some of the original wooden buildings in the old town of Bern were destroyed by many fires in the Middle Ages, and were later rebuilt into stone structures. They are still intact: gravel-paved carriageways, long arches connected to each other on both sides of the streets, red tiles The ancient houses with white walls, the colorful fountain columns in the street with their own allusions, the 16th-century bell tower and the late Gothic cathedral built in 1421 make Bern look antique and retain the style of the Middle Ages. Now the main streets have been designated as pedestrian zones, and the environment is very quiet. The Old Town of Bern has been listed among the world's cultural cities by UNESCO.
Switzerland did not have a fixed capital for a long time. On November 28, 1848, Bern was designated as the capital of the Swiss Federation, becoming the seat of the federal government and the national political and diplomatic center. The federal government and the Federal Parliament are located in the copper-green Federal Building on the north bank of the Aar River. This is a large palace-like building complex built of granite, built from 1852 to 1857. On the left and right wings of the building are the office buildings of the federal ministries, and under the central dome are the conference halls of the two houses of the Federal Parliament. The building was expanded from 1894 to 1902, and was repaired again in 1993, and electronic voting equipment was added.
Due to citizens' objections to the noise and terrain, Bern has not built a large airport. It has only a small airport with routes to major cities in Western Europe. Bern has highways leading to all parts of the country and is also one of the national railway hubs.
After World War II, Bern’s machinery, instrumentation, electrical appliances, pharmaceuticals, textiles, food, construction and printing industries developed year by year, but they were all small and medium-sized enterprises and did not occupy an important position in the Swiss economy. Bern is primarily an administrative and banking center, but it is also a cultural and tourist city. There is one of the oldest universities in the city, the University of Bern, which was founded in 1834 and is famous for its research on cosmic rays. In addition, there are many museums of different types such as history, natural history, art, weapons, etc. Bern is also the seat of the Universal Postal Union and the General Administration of International Railway Transport.
Historically, many revolutionary activists lived in Bern. Engels went to Bern in the autumn of 1848 to guide the Swiss workers' movement. Lenin also stayed in Zimmerwald and Kuntal near Bern from September 1914 to early 1916, and wrote many articles exposing the opportunist traitors of the Second International. When the famous physicist Einstein was working at the Federal Patent Office in Bern, he studied physics in his spare time and published his astonishing work "The Theory of Relativity". Bern is proud of this and still retains Einstein's residence (already turned into a museum).
Olympic capital - the famous Swiss city of Lausanne
Lausanne is located in southwest Switzerland, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, and in the south of the Jura Mountains. It is a famous tourist resort and health resort.
Lausanne began to be built in the 4th century AD and became the capital of Vaud (Watt) in 1803. The city is surrounded by mountains and lakes. The Furlong and Loof rivers pass through the urban area, dividing the city into three parts.
The city has beautiful scenery, and many famous European writers such as Byron, Rousseau, Hugo and Dickens have lived here, so Lausanne is also known as the "International City of Culture".
The famous ancient buildings in Lausanne include the Gothic Catholic Cathedral, which was built in the 12th century AD and is known as the most exquisite building in Switzerland. The Catholic Palace Tower was completed in the 14th century and part of it has been turned into a museum. , a Protestant seminary founded in 1537. The seminary later became a center for studying the teachings of the French religious reformer Calvin, and has now become the University of Lausanne, a comprehensive institution of higher learning.
Olympic Committee Headquarters
In addition, there is the Lausanne Hotel School, the world's first hotel school founded in 1893. In the suburbs, there is the Chilom Castle built in the early 14th century, which contains a weapons depot, a bell tower and a suspension bridge.
Sang City is located in a wealthy agricultural area, with developed trade and commerce, especially the wine brewing industry. Famous. The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee and the European Cancer Research Center are located here. Many international conferences are also held here. After the opening of the Simplon Tunnel in 1906, Lausanne became the only route from Paris, France to Milan, Italy, and from Geneva to Bern. Today's Lausanne has become an important railway hub and air station.
Lausanne is also the location of the International Olympic Committee headquarters (not the original location of the International Olympic Committee headquarters). For a considerable period of time after the establishment of the International Olympic Committee,
Olympic Committee Headquarters
Coubertin's residence in Paris was the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee. The First World War broke out in 1914, and the whole of Europe was filled with smoke. In order to protect the precious historical materials and archives of the Olympic Movement from the damage of the war, Coubertin moved the International Olympic Committee headquarters to Lausanne, Switzerland, a neutral country, in April 1915. Since then, Lausanne has been closely associated with the Olympic Movement and has become a city that has a major influence on the international sports world. In 1982, the International Olympic Committee announced Lausanne as the "Olympic City". On December 5, 1993, the International Olympic Committee announced Lausanne as the "Olympic City". Lausanne now has the Olympic Museum, the Olympic Research Center, a street and a stadium named after Coubertin. As the heart of the international Olympic movement, Lausanne has made significant contributions to the development of the Olympic movement
The famous Swiss city - Lucerne
The famous Swiss city of Lucerne can be described in four words - Beautiful lakes and mountains! Although the city is small, it is a famous tourist and commercial city. Lake Lucerne lies peacefully at the foot of the snow-capped mountains. Beyond the agate-green Lake Lucerne, you can see the black-green mountains and the white snow on the top of the mountains. A wooden bridge with a promenade spans the lake, and whooper swans wearing snow-white feathers wander leisurely in the lake. Outside restaurants and bars by the lake, men and women either toast to drink or stare into the distance, enjoying the beautiful scenery. Sunshine
Famous Swiss city - Geneva
Geneva is one of the most well-known cities in the world. She faces the rippling blue waters of Lake Geneva and is surrounded by mountains. The air is fresh and the weather is sunny. Because of these superior conditions, Geneva has become a famous international conference center.
Geneva is a modern metropolis. The symbol of the city is the large fountain located on the lake opposite the city center, surrounded by beautiful gardens along the coast. Bounded by the Rhone River, the left bank is the old city, with the ancient cathedral as the center, with compact buildings, narrow streets, and many historical sites and Gothic buildings. The right bank is the new city, built along the river, with beautiful lakeside avenues, various modern buildings and parks planted with roses and various flowers. The French plane trees on both sides of the road are full of green shade and graceful trees. The most lively areas in the city are Mont Blanc Avenue and the areas along both sides of the lake.
After the Ice Age, humans settled on both sides of the mouth of the Rhone River, which flows into Lake Geneva today. In the first century AD, Geneva was already an important commercial center. The city is filled with all kinds of brand-name products, both local and from all over the world. The jewelry industry is an ancient traditional industry in Geneva. In recent years, the tourism industry has developed rapidly, with more than 25 million tourists visiting Geneva every year.