​How much do the 50,000 sheets of gold on the dome of the Parliament Building weigh? What did Bundesplatz look like 60 years ago, and in which hotel did the French Emperor Napoleon III once reside? The answers to these questions can be found in the new Federal BE audio guide app, which the Parliamentary Services are offering as a free download to complement the existing guided tours. It allows you to explore the heart of Bern’s government district on your own. The app is your personal tour guide and provides you with background information and anecdotes about Bundesplatz, the Parliament Building, the adjacent federal government buildings, the National Bank, the Bernerhof, the Media Centre and the Bellevue Palace.

Turn on the sound and GPS location services of your smartphone and activate the notification function in the app settings. If you tap on the map icon, you will see your current location and the surrounding points of interest.

To explore all twelve points of interest on the tour around the Federal Palace precinct, follow the route marked on the app. However, the information is still fascinating even if you just visit individual locations or put together your own tour. No internet on your smartphone? No problem. All of the content is also available offline.

The app also contains an insightful tour of the inside of the Parliament Building. That way on open days you can make your way around the building on your own.

Download the app free from the App Store for iPhones and from Google Play for Android devices and begin your tour. The content is available in all four national languages and English. No personal data is collected when using the app.