 The cradle of the watchmaking industry in
Switzerland is also the nation’s largest bilingual city, known as Biel to its
Germanspeaking residents, and as Bienne to French speakers. The city has
numerous cultural attractions, and every year stages international events. It
also makes an ideal base for excursions into the “Three Lakes Region” and into
the Jura mountains.
Art, architecture, design.
Wakker Prize. In 2004 Biel/Bienne received the Swiss Heritage
Society’s coveted prize for its commitment to high-quality urban development.
The commendable treatment of its 20thcentury buildings is particularly apparent
in the new town.
Old Town. With its splendid Gothic city church, its venerable guild
houses and its fountain strewn with flowers, the Old Town is a delight to
explore on foot.
Cultural Quarter. Three museums in a leafy
lakeside setting — Neuhaus Museum, Schwab Museum and Centre PasquArt — make up
the city’s “Museum Mile”.
Highlights
Congress Centre. Designed by Max Schlup; when it opened in 1966, its
suspended roof was the largest in Europe. Renovated in 2002.
Centre PasquArt. This museum of contemporary art was renovated in
2000, and extended into a new building by the Basel architects Diener &
Diener.
Ring. The former market place in the Old Town is where justice was
once dispensed. The Ring was the heart of the city, and the base of the old
guilds. The original buildings date from the 15th century.
The Abegg Foundation. The Abegg Foundation, established in 1961, is a
cultural institution that houses one of the most valuable collections of
textiles in the world. Its museum, not far from Bern, displays fabrics and
hand-crafted textiles from Europe, the Mediterranean region and the Near East,
dating from antiquity up to the 18th century.
Dragons of Silk, Flowers of Gold.
Textile Treasures of the Chinese Liao Dynasty (907—1125). This special
exhibition highlights the refinement and rich colours of medieval Chinese dress.
Woven lions and dragonfish, embroidered phoenixes and bouquets of flowers
decorate boots, trousers, jackets and coats as well as a lady’s headdress.
Together with exquisite porcelain vessels mounted with gold, they reveal a world
of luxury and beauty that accompanied the princes of the Liao Dynasty to the
grave.
A highlight of the collection is the 7-metre-long Dionysius wall
hanging, which dates from the 4th century. It is astonishingly well preserved,
and shows just how ambitious and magnificent textile wall hangings once were.
Highlights of the collection initiated by Werner and Margaret Abegg are
textiles, unrivalled in quality and significance, from the European Middle Ages
and from the region of the Silk Route. Exhibited alongside are numerous works of
applied art, dating from antiquity up to 1800. The former home of the founders,
the Villa Abegg, with its charming Mirror Cabinet, is also open to the public.
Special exhibition 2007 Opening hours, 29 April to 11 November, daily
2–5.30pm |
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