Bern is the odd capital, one that never calls itself a capital: the Swiss federal government sits here but the official term is federal city. It is also one of the best places in the country to park a bike and walk, because the old town fills a tight loop of the Aare river, with the water running green and fast on three sides far below the bridges. UNESCO put the medieval centre on its list in 1983, and the sandstone arcades along the main streets, about six kilometres of them in total, mean you can shop in the rain without an umbrella.
The founding story is the usual mix of legend and politics. The Zähringen dukes established the town around 1191 on the peninsula, and by tradition they named it after the first animal they killed on the hunt, a bear, which is why bears are everywhere, from the coat of arms to the pit by the river where live ones are kept in a park. The clock tower, the Zytglogge, puts on a little show of mechanical figures a few minutes before each hour, which draws a small crowd. Einstein lived on the Kramgasse while working at the patent office and developing his early papers, and his flat is open as a museum.
For a rider, the place is a city stop on the Grand Tour of Switzerland, with all the fuel, food and sleep that implies, and not much of a route in itself. Traffic is dense on weekdays, with trams, buses and restricted zones in the centre, and parking for motorbikes is well provided at the edges. The pleasant approach is from the Aare valley or from the Emmental hills, with their big farmhouses and cheese dairies, and the way out towards Thun and Interlaken is a gentle run to the foot of the Alps.
A good tip is to cross the river by the Nydeggbrücke and ride up to the rose garden on the hillside for the classic view of the old town, then stop for a coffee in one of the cafés. In summer, Bernese locals drift down the Aare in the water on their backs, and on warm days you will see swimmers in the river. Be careful with tram rails when they are wet.