Biel / Bienne is a bilingual Swiss city located on the border between the French and German language zones. It is a watch production center with the headquarters of the most important companies operating in this industry.
The history of the city dates back to Roman times, and in the Middle Ages it was an important commercial center. The Old Town located in the highest part of the city, centered around the Ring Square, comes from this period. There are many well-preserved tenement houses here, the baroque Fountain of Justice, the 15th century church of St. Benedict and the Renaissance house of the foresters' guild.
From the 18th century, Biel / Bienne developed as a center for the production of watches. To this day, many small artisan watchmakers are operating here, but also giants such as Omega, Swatch, Tissot and Rolex have their headquarters here. The highlight of Biel / Bienne is the Omega Museum showing the history of the brand's watches and its historical and contemporary models.
The new part of the city stretches on the shores of Lake Biel. There is a promenade and a port from which you can take a cruise on the BSG Biel. The so-called Three Lakes cruises through Lakes Biel, Neuenburg and Murten are very popular. Their shores are covered with vineyards and farmland, and the area is known for numerous wine farms organizing shows and tastings.
The mountainous surroundings of Biel / Bienne invite to hiking and biking tours. There are many marked trails and walking paths here, and communication is facilitated by mountain railways, including the Biel-Magglingen cable car.
