The town, rebuilt in yellow-green sandstone after a terrible fire in 1405, remains an iconic example of adaptation to a site, with its spiralling streets and terrace gardens overlooking the river. Arcades all over the town have been home to countless vaulted cellars since the Middle Ages. Opening onto the street, they are now shops, cinemas, theatres and restaurants. The medieval heart of Bern is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
