What is the capital of Switzerland?
Bern occupies a hilly peninsula wrapped by a bend of the Aare river; its medieval old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Bern is the capital and seat of government of Switzerland, a role it has held since 1848. Switzerland itself has an estimated population of 9,092,436 (2025).
Bern is not the largest city in Switzerland. That is Zurich, which makes Switzerland one of the countries whose capital is not their biggest city.
Bern at a glance
| City population | 134,794 (2020 census) |
|---|---|
| Country | 🇨🇠Switzerland |
| Capital since | 1848 |
| Largest city in Switzerland | Zurich |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| Currency | Swiss franc (CHF) |
About Bern
Bern has been the capital of Switzerland since 1848, Bern became the seat of the Swiss federal government in 1848, though the constitution calls it the 'federal city' rather than naming an official capital.
Bern is only Switzerland's fifth-largest city, behind Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne.
Switzerland deliberately has no constitutional capital; Bern is designated the federal city and seat of government.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Bern.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Switzerland?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Switzerland on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.