Bears hold a special place in the hearts and minds of the citizens of Bern,Switzerland.
There are legends about its connection to bears going back to the twelfth century. Bern's very name is said to be derived from a bear.
The bear is on the heraldic seal of the city since the thirteenth century,and everywhere you walk in Bern you will find evidence of its fondness for bears.
A recent visit there turned into a kind of photographic bear-hunt for images of bears