Biel/Bienne is Switzerland's only officially bilingual city — German and French coexist here on every street sign, in every shop, and in the everyday conversations of its residents. The city sits at the northeastern end of Lake Biel, where the Jura mountains meet the Swiss plateau.
The old town and its Ring square climb the hillside above the lake with well-preserved medieval lanes and a Gothic ring church dating to the fifteenth century. Down by the water, the modern city is the centre of Switzerland's watchmaking industry — Omega, Swatch, and Rolex all have headquarters here. The free Omega Museum tells the story of the brand from its 19th-century founding through the Apollo moon landings. The lake itself is beautiful, with boat services running to St. Peter's Island, where Rousseau spent what he called the happiest weeks of his life. Above the city, two funiculars climb the Jura plateau — the Biel-Magglingen funicular gives access to walking country and connects to the Taubenloch Gorge, a narrow limestone canyon that sees almost no tourists. The vineyards along the northern lake shore produce some of Switzerland's best white wines.