Bern City Hall

The Rathaus of Bern rises above the cobblestones with a grand, two-story stone staircase leading directly to its portal, a feature meant to showcase the independence of the city republic. Built in the fifteen hundreds, this late Gothic structure replaced an earlier, wooden hall destroyed by fire. Local leaders chose the location carefully, placing their seat of government between the upper and lower city. It remains the active heart of local politics, where the cantonal parliament meets behind those sturdy, weathered walls.