RomandyRomandy (Romandie or Suisse romande) is the French-speaking part of Switzerland. In 2020, about 2 million people, or 22.8% of the Swiss population, lived in Romandy. The majority of the romand population lives in the western part of the country, especially the Arc Lémanique region along Lake Geneva, connecting Geneva, Vaud and the Lower Valais. French is the sole official language in four Swiss cantons: Geneva, Vaud, Neuchâtel, and Jura. Additionally, French and German have co-official status in three cantons: Fribourg/Freiburg, Valais/Wallis, and Berne/Bern.
NidauNidau is a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Nidau is first mentioned in 1196 as Nidowe. In 1352, it was recorded in Latin as Nydow. The remains of a number of stilt house settlements from the neolithic until the late Bronze Age have been found along the lake shore in Nidau. A La Tene artifact was discovered in the Thielle/Zihl canal. Several iron ingots which were probably from the Roman era were found in the old Thielle/Zihl river.
Canton of BernThe canton of Bern or Berne (Kanton Bern; Chantun Berna; canton de Berne; Canton Berna) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the de facto capital of Switzerland. The bear is the heraldic symbol of the canton, displayed on a red-yellow background. Comprising ten districts, Bern is the second-largest canton by both surface area and population. Located in west-central Switzerland, it is surrounded by eleven cantons. It borders the canton of Jura and the canton of Solothurn to the north.
Swiss PlateauThe Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau (Schweizer Mittelland; plateau suisse; altopiano svizzero) is one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland, lying between the Jura Mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface area, and is partly flat but mostly hilly. The average height is between and AMSL. It is by far the most densely populated region of Switzerland, the center of economy and important transportation. In the north and northwest, the Swiss Plateau is sharply delimited geographically and geologically by the Jura Mountains.
BellmundBellmund (Belmont) is a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Bellmund is first mentioned in 1107 as Bellus mons. In 1228 it was mentioned as Belmunt. The municipality was formerly known by its French name Belmont though that name is rarely used. The oldest traces of a settlement in the area are a few, scattered neolithic items found on the Jensberg hill. Later traces include Roman era iron ingots which were found in the Wilerholz and the remains of what may have been a Roman road to Sutz.
OrpundOrpund is a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Orpund is first mentioned in 1255 as Orpunt. The municipality was formerly known by its unknown name er Orpondes, however, that name is no longer used. The oldest traces of settlements in the area were neolithic, Bronze Age and La Tène era artifacts which were discovered during construction of the Nidau-Büren Canal. A horde of Bronze Age items and a Roman era settlement were found on the Büttenberg.
SchwadernauSchwadernau is a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Schwadernau is first mentioned in 1269 as Swadernouwa. A number of artifacts indicate that the area around Schwadernau has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic. In addition to neolithic finds, many Bronze Age, Roman era and early medieval objects indicate that there were other prehistoric settlements near the modern municipality.
MurtenMurten (German, ˈmuːɐ̯tn̩) or Morat (French, mɔʁa; Morât mɔˈʁa) is a bilingual municipality and a city in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat (also known as Lake Murten). Morat is situated between Neuchâtel and Fribourg and is the capital of the See/Lac District of the canton of Fribourg. It is one of the municipalities with a majority (about 75%) of German speakers in the predominantly French-speaking Canton of Fribourg.
AegertenAegerten is a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district of the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Aegerten is first mentioned in 1225 as villa Egerdon. There has been a village here since at least the late-Roman era. It lay on the major Roman road from Aventicum to Petinesca over the Pierre-Pertuis pass to Basel. A bridge was built across Zihl river by 368-69. The ruins of the bridge have been discovered beneath the Bürglen village church and on the banks of the Flur island in the river.
SafnernSafnern is a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Safnern is first mentioned in 1251 as Savenieres. The oldest trace of a settlement in the area is the ruins of a Roman settlement in the Moosmühle section. During the Middle Ages there were several scattered villages and settlements within the modern municipal borders. The villages of Büttenberg and Stadholz (also known as Stadowe) and the castle on the Schlösslihubel hill all flourished and then were abandoned.