Lago Lodge • Uferweg 5 • CH-2560 Nidau • +41 32 331 37 32 • sleep@lagolodge.ch • www.lagolodge.ch • N 047° 07.745' / E 007° 14.260
Biel/Bienne close X
Biel, (Bienne in French) is the largest officially bi-lingual city in Switzerland. Of the Swiss in Biel, around 60% speak German and 40% speak French. Including the foreign population, however, the proportion is more like 50-50%.
This strong cultural mix amongst the population is a typical trademark of the city, and brings with it a very special attitude towards life which, for instance, is expressed in an almost bable of languages on Biel's streets.
Biel is one of the centres of horology. Global brands such as Omega, Swatch, Rolex, Tissot and others are at home here. As an industrial and working-class town, however, Biel was always subject to economic fluctuations. Whereas in the 1970's, Biel had a population of almost 70,000, today it is a good 50,000.
The cityscape at large is marked by many industrial buildings and, as a result of the too-fast development Biel saw, many residential blocks for workers who needed somewhere to live during the boom years. In recent years, great pains have been taken to modernise the city centre and to make it more attractive - this resulted in the city winning the Wacker Prize in 2005. The town city, with its many shops and places to go, access to the lake and the very original and beautiful old town were discovered by a large number of Swiss during the 2002 national exhibition.
The aged image of a grey industrial city changed in favour of a modern, green and culturally diverse city.