Bear Pit (Baerengraben)
The Bear Pit is a branch of the Bern City Zoo. It is a circular stone arena buried in the ground and surrounded by a metal fence. At different times it has been based at different locations in the city. The current location was its fourth localization.
General Information
The Bear Pit used to be the main tourist attraction of the city. Many tourists came here to look at the funny animals and take a few photos as a souvenir. But in 2008 tragedy struck – the last bear from the dynasty of leopard bears, who had long lived in this place, died. As it turned out, the animal suffered from arthritis, provoked by hypodynamia, the cause of which was a sedentary lifestyle of the bear in the confined space of the enclosure. After this case, the authorities seriously undertook the reconstruction of the Bear Pit, repaired and landscaped it, and created a grand Bear Park. It is currently home to two adorable bears, Bjork and Finn.
And what was the Bear Pit was turned into an architectural monument – a kind of small “memorial”. A kind of memorial to the past, just walls without any living content. Now instead of real bears this pit is inhabited by wooden bears. And the bear tracks on the floor are covered with paint.
.The Legend of the Bear Pit and Bern
According to legend, one of the sons of the founder of the future capital of Switzerland vowed to name the city after the beast he could defeat in the hunt – it was in 1191. The victim of the brave young man was a huge bear, and it was thanks to him that Bern got its name (Bär in German means bear). It is said that the bear stayed alive, but only in a special pit in the center of the city. Since then, this wild animal is a symbol of Bern, its image can be found on coats of arms and flags, and in a specially designated place in one of the city squares a couple of bears are constantly kept. Legend also says that the city will stand as long as bears inhabit it. And indeed, the town lives on, and the locals’ love for their pets knows no bounds.
.Bear Zoo
Instead of the old bear pit, a spacious bear zoo was opened on the gentle slope of the Are River in the fall of 2009. Now it is possible to see the bears simply by walking outside the enclosure fence. Unlike the rather modest pit, the zoo is spread over an area of six kilometers. Its modern inhabitants have the opportunity to walk along the long enclosure, equipped especially for them on the gentle slope of the picturesque river Are. There are massive fallen trees, fortified dens and many natural features found in the natural environment. The bears also have the opportunity to swim in the waters of the Are – not in the river itself, but in a specially equipped pool. Tourists can no longer feed the animals, but the bears feel much freer in such conditions.
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To see the famous bears of Bern, on an excursion to the city should go to the period from spring to deep fall, as in winter they go into hibernation, as well as their wild relatives. You can walk around the park around the clock, but the best time to visit is during the day, when the bears are frolicking on the riverbank and climbing trees.
.Address and opening hours
Address: Grosser Muristalden, 6
.Opening hours: you can stroll around Bear Park around the clock. You can observe how the bears are cared for during opening hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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