The Old Town of Bern is one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It occupies a peninsula formed by a horseshoe bend of the Aare River, which forms a natural moat on three sides. The street layout, largely unchanged since the 12th century, runs along a single ridge with arcaded walkways — Lauben — covering nearly 6 kilometres of continuous covered pavement. The arcades are not decoration but a practical feature: Bern's weather required them, and the medieval city ordinances mandated that every new building maintain the arcade line.
The Old Town divides informally into the Zähringerstadt (the original 12th-century settlement) and the later eastern extensions. The main street axis runs from the Zytglogge clock tower east to the Nydeggbrücke, passing through Kramgasse, Gerechtigkeitsgasse, and Junkerngasse. The medieval fountains along this route — brightly painted figures atop each one — are among the finest in Switzerland. Walking the full length, exploring the side streets and descending to the Aare terraces, takes a full half-day.