Coloured lantern slide of a view across Berne. The city lies on the Swiss plateau in the Canton of Bern, slightly west of the centre of Switzerland and 20 km (12 mi) north of the Bernese Alps. In 1983 the historic old town in the centre of Bern became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Bern is ranked among the world?s top ten cities for the best quality of life (2010).. Slide number 49 of Box 181 entitled 'Swiss No.1'.