Bern: Day 1 … Old City … Münster

Bern Münster Cathedral of St Vincent … an impressive landmark in the Old City.

Late-Gothic in style, the cathedral is the largest and most important late medieval church in all of Switzerland. Construction started in 1421, but it took generations for it to be completed. The steeple, being the latest addition, dates back to 1893. The main portal depicts the Last Judgment … the only image that was spared the iconoclasm of the Reformation.

Attached to the church is a panorama terrace — platform — built as a place of burial in 1334. During the Reformation, the iconoclasts dumped the shattered sculptures as fill during the expansion work that concluded in 1531. Some of the sculptural stonework was apparently recovered in 1986 and are now on exhibit at the Bern History Museum.

After wandering around the inside of the church, listening to an organ demonstration, and enjoying the beautiful stained glass windows, we spent some time on the panorama terrace, which continues — since 1531 — to serve as a promenade. Locals and tourists alike were taking full advantage of the shade offered by the trees in the park-like setting, and enjoying the expansive views over the Aare.

A pleasant interlude during our exploration of the Old City.En savoir plus