Federal Palace of Switzerland

Why go

The Parliament Building in Bern, which Parliament's own site says is also called the Federal Palace, was built between 1894 and 1902 to plans by Hans Wilhelm Auer and stands between the Federal Palace's West Wing and East Wing; its central domed hall lies between the National Council and Council of States chambers. Parliament's visitor pages say that when Parliament is not in session the building can be entered only on a guided tour, booked online no earlier than three days ahead for individuals or up to six months ahead for groups, and that no tours are offered while Parliament is in session. They say visitors aged 16 and over must deposit an official identity document at security, and that the visitors' entrance is on the Bundesterrasse on the south side. Its page on visits during sessions says individual visitors can follow debates from the public gallery with places reserved in advance. This record is the building, not the Parliament as an institution or the Bundesplatz in front of it.