The Bears of Bern

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Today we took the train to Interlaken, the jumping off point for excursions to the Jungfrau. We made a quick 1 hour stop in Bern and had just enough time to check out the main street and see the famous bears of Barengraben. We found Bern to be quite bustling, with lots of shoppers and businessfolk alike. Bryan told us the main street, Marktgasse, was all torn up for construction back in September however we found it to be pristine!

What's the deal with the bears?
Well, in 1191 Bern was founded by Berthold V who named the new settlement after the first animal that he killed in the next hunt (a bear). The coat of arms of the town also features a bear. Brown bears have been kept in pits in town since the early 16th century. The area where they are kept will soon undergo a massive renovation to improve their living conditions, to the great relief of animal rights activists.

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