Bern lies on the Swiss plateau in the Canton of Bern, slightly west of the centre of Switzerland and 20 km north of the Bernese Alps. The countryside around Bern was formed by glaciers during the most recent Ice Age. The two mountains closest to Bern are Gurten and Bantiger. The site of the old observatory in Bern Bern has river Aare around town. As a natural fortress on three areas: the north, south and east. The west wall of the city had created. And bridges that can whip up and down.