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Biel/Bienne, Switzerland facts for kids

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For Municipalities of Valais, see Biel, Valais.
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Biel/Bienne
Coat of arms of Biel/Bienne
Coat of arms
Country Switzerland
Canton Berne
District Biel/Bienne
Area
 • Total 21.19 km2 (8.18 sq mi)
Elevation
434 m (1,424 ft)
Population
 (Dec 2020 )
 • Total 55,206
 • Density 2,605.3/km2 (6,747.7/sq mi)
Postal code
2500-2510
Surrounded by Brügg, Ipsach, Leubringen/Magglingen (Evilard/Macolin), Nidau, Orpund, Orvin, Pieterlen, Port, Safnern, Tüscherz-Alfermée, Vauffelin
Twin towns Iserlohn (Germany)

Biel/Bienne (official name; Biel is German, Bienne is French) is an industrial town in Switzerland. It is in the part of Switzerland named Bern and near the city also named Bern. The town is known for many companies that make watches and machines.

Description

"Angel fountain"
"Angel Fountain"

The town of Biel, the capital of Swiss watch-making, lies at the end of Lake Biel, at the foot of the Jura Hills in the Lake Region. The wonderful old town with its town church and its location as the gateway to the three Jura lakes (Lakes Biel, Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Murten) with vineyards on the hillsides and extensive vegetable cultivation make the town very attractive. Biel is the only town in Switzerland in which German and French are spoken side by side We can feel the relaxed mentality here coming from the mixture of these three languages.

Biel was awarded the Wakker Prize in 2004 by the Swiss Heritage Society for the way it conserved its 20th century buildings, especially the ‘new construction’ from the 1920s and 30s.

Swatch, Rolex, Omega, Tissot, Movado and Mikron all come from this town. But Biel has also become important in the field of other industries and in communication.

It is possible to travel on various routes along the lakes on passenger boats in summer. The day trip through all three Jura lakes is especially popular. Of course there are all types of water sports on Lake Biel.

Old town

The town of Biel was built by the Prince-Bishop of Bale between 1220 and 1230. The old town is the smallest part of Biel with only 9 hectares (22 acres). Most buildings there still look as in the 18th century. The biggest part of the old town is without any traffic. There aren’t any big stores or industries or any big companies. Each Saturday there is a market. The castle, “the ring” and the theatre are very popular. The town church is on the “Ringplatz” and was built between 1451 and 1470.There they burned the witches in the 18th century. From the 6 medieval city gates only one and two towers survived.

Heritage sites

The entire town of Biel is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. Several individual buildings in the old town have also been protected for their cultural heritage.

The Reformed City Church is one of the most important late-Gothic buildings in the Canton of Bern. The church has a main floor, two second floors and four small chapels. There are some wall-paintings in the church. Most windows are among the oldest ones in Switzerland. The church was first written about in an index in 1228. After a horrible fire in the old town the church was destroyed. It was rebuilt between 1367 and 1451. The town church got on a new organ on 6th November 2011. The church was closed for more than half a year to put the new organ in and to improve the inside of the church. It cost about 1,74 million Swiss francs. The old organ was sent to Poland.

Language

About 57% of the people in Biel speak German as their mother tongue. The remaining 43% speak French as their mother tongue. That is why the city has two names.

Images for kids

  • Biel um 1546

    Biel/Bienne in 1546

  • Merian Biel 1642

    Biel/Bienne in 1642

  • Biel

    The City Church is one of the most important late-gothic buildings in the Canton of Bern

  • Biel von Westen 1805

    Biel/Bienne in 1805, while part of the First French Republic

  • Biel Volkshaus 02

    The Volkshaus/Maison du Peuple (People's House) is a symbol of the Social Democratic era of the town in the 1930s

  • Plan der Stadt Biel 1906 c

    town map from 1906

  • CH-Biel-Panorama

    Lake Bienne with part of Biel in the background

  • Biel Bahnhofquartier 01a

    Apartments and street market near the train station

  • Biel Moesli 2

    Small apartments in the Mösliquartier/Petit-Marais

  • 2005-Biel-Quellgasse

    Bilingual street sign

  • Biel - Candino

    Candino building in Biel/Bienne

  • Rolex Bienne 03

    Rolex building in Biel/Bienne

  • BFH Biel, Gebaeude Solothurnstrasse 02 09

    Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) Bienne, building of the architecture, wood and civil engineering department, rue de Soleure in Bienne

  • 20020719 Expo Biel 22

    National Exposition in 2002

  • Biel-Bienne Bahnhof Gare

    Biel/Bienne's central railway station

  • EduardBloesch

    Eduard Bloesch

  • René Felber

    René Felber

  • Franz Hohler, 2008 (cropped)

    Franz Hohler, 2008

  • Ares October 2010 crop

    Ares, 2010

  • Luge world cup Oberhof 2016 by Stepro IMG 7065 LR5

    Martina Kocher, 2016

  • Daniel Gisiger

    Daniel Gisiger, 2011

  • Swiss-bienne-city-1

    Lake Bienne

  • Parc municipal2005

    town's park

  • CH Biel Schüss

    the river Suze

  • CH Biel Altstadt-8

    old town

  • Biel

    Place du Ring

  • CH Biel Altstadt-2

    old town

  • CH Biel Altstadt-6

    old town

  • Picswiss BE-98-55 Biel Bienne- Funiculaire nach Magglingen (Macolin)

    Funiculaire Bienne–Macolin

See also

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