Bern’s Engine Room

Several times a year the Swiss government opens their chambers to the public. These are the rooms where democracy crafts.

The parliament building, colloquially known as the "Bundeshaus", was built from 1894 to 1902 according to the plans of architect Hans Wilhelm Auer. It was inaugurated by the United Federal Assembly on April 1, 1902.

The parliament building fills the space between the Federal Parliament West (built 1852-1857) and the Federal Parliament East (built 1888-1892) as a keystone. It thus forms the conclusion of this series of buildings and the architectural highlight of the "Federal Palace" project. The materials used are 95 percent Swiss. They are a symbolic representation of Switzerland and illustrate the country's cultural and material diversity.

Between 2006 and 2008, for the first time in its more than 100-year history, the Parliament building underwent a comprehensive renovation, which also included significant alterations.

You can visit and witness any parlamentiary session. For this a simple ID check is enough. And you can tour the parliament building and all rooms during one of the open house events.