SWITZERLAND'S CAPITAL

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1923, Page 14

SWITZERLAND'S CAPITAL

iW.pNDEESvQF SWISS, TOWN.

-PLANNING,

;l It is tq l;tl?e~ aifiiitrary 1 winding course Z' of .the RweX £aj'/that/Berne, Switzerland; owe&ats'existence, declares the

"Christian" Science-Momior.." Flowing

i. t ™. * hprsesho.ejrasftiqn on three.sides of :;' a. sftseji, tpjskif.p'^flSUlai,.tjie river forms Z * a $at^*K"*ft*te|;i£Lp'Qißt\'which Count — Berchtibld.' oi^Zahririgen I.quickly recogj.' nis^^anS-cftps&'-ibi't.lie'jiounditig.of the ~ ' city ■ in-ih6"'-year"i]M*'-'^'^During these - eight/sacceediflg''centa'ries; l'thi3'city has X OHtgtp^-thiaJ-sm'ail^^.e'riujsula, and in r, iv^^>'. two p tr^rhen'dbu^ bridges^ the Kir- ; ;- chenfeldbrnckej- to 'the south and the '■•■■ Kornhausbrucke to the north, have archZ, ed not only the water itself "but also the Z. whole narrow .cavernous yalley of the ';, Aar connecting ■%3riginal^pai;t,,.of the *. city with its sin-roundings. ■"-' « The southern edge of the rocky penintL eula has been crowned with that impres5, sive and imposing structure, the Bundej» sj)alast,r truly. -Swiss -in--concept ■ and in »i exeoutiori as may b"e~seeri' in the' accom-

% panying picture. Directly in front of ;£•. this, national capitol, and stretching ~> . along its whole length, sweeps a spaci--s'. oua,esplanade, .which is the favourite £ haunt of many a visitor to Berne, and Z ■ incleed, -of many Bernese themselves. ~& '6° -there- is -to understand its attraci tion..., .We stand enraptured gazing to ~[ ■ the south at the magnificent panorama ••■• . of the snow-topped Alps. Far above the '£ ■ roofs and steeples of the city, far be- £ yond the-; grey foot-hills, we behold a

;;■ scene surpassing imagination, that gem -v of the Alpine range known as the Bein- -* ■■ ese Oberland. We admire the familiar outline of the Jungfrau, rising with her :; faithful companions, the Monch, the ~ Eiger, and, farther to the left, the Fin- .- steraarhhorn, Schreckhorn, and Wetter- .'„•. horn. "'■ " ti Although actually fifty, miles away, .;i yet., at times,. through the wonderfully it transparent atmosphere peculiar to ~ Swrtzerland, the peaks seem so close .„ that, you feel you can almost reach out .„■ ■ and touch' them.:. When the sun beats £ down very-vividly, deep blue shadows ;■ are cast by the rugged crags making a ■; ; - wonderful contrast to the dazzling white , t ' of adjacent snow. ,s ■ In' different seasons the Bernese Ober- ;■; land assume manifold appearances. Aut- ;•• umnal months produce a singular spec- -. ' tacle 'there. When the shadows of sur- « rounding peaks fall at certain angles on ■;;; the, Jungfrau, they form boldly engrav- - ed on- its broad white side the Swiss - cross. ; The national emblem written in v terms of .nature. Again when winter / months are over, the foehn, the warm '- spring wind, rushes through the valleys :; and around the peaks, and even from " . £ ne esplanade we can see clouds of snow - being gathered in its course and whirl- ., ed from projecting rocks by its blnster- -.-:,■ ing force.'

:-,.. We are fortunate indeed to wander "past the Bnndespalast jusf at sunset ...Far to the. right the sun may already have disappeared, but the entire mountain, range seems deluged in a fiery red atmosphere which moment by moment assumes rose tints, then lavender, then daxk hlue ' and then—it is night. Whatever the natural elements may perform upon these sturdy mountains, in contour and in form each individnal. peak remains the same, always recognisable to mountain-lovers and by them always nameable. _ Surely Count Berchtoid chose a good site for the city Berne.