Marktgasse (Market Street), Bern

The Old City of Bern is at its most lively on Marktgasse, or Market Street. This street runs from between the clock towers of Käfigturm and Zytglogge, making it a short but important street in the center of Bern.

Visitors to Marktgasse will find numerous points of interest as they walk along the paved street. Old world charm is alive in the buildings that now house retailers and restaurants. In the midst of the street tourists will see Schützenbrunnen, a 16th century fountain featuring a rifleman who carries a sword and a banner honoring the Gesellschaft zu Schützen.

Schützenbrunnen was originally a wooden fountain, which was replaced by stone and repaired many times over the course of its life. The fountain's water is said to be tested regularly so that it may remain suitable for drinking.