Bern vs Rouen

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Bern [bɛrn] (listen) (Alemannic German: Bärn [b̥æːrn]; French: Berne [bɛʁn] (listen); Italian: Berna [ˈbɛrna]; Romansh: Berna [ˈbɛrnɐ] (listen)) is the de facto capital of Switzerland, referred to by the Swiss as their "federal city", in German: Bundesstadt, French: ville fédérale, and Italian: città federale. With a population of about 144,000 (as of 2020), Bern is the fifth-most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 36 municipalities, had a population of 406,900 in 2014.

The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000. Bern is also the capital of the canton of Bern, the second-most populous of Switzerland's cantons. The official language in Bern is the Swiss variety of Standard German, but the most-spoken language is an Alemannic Swiss German dialect, Bernese German. In 1983, the historic old town (in German: Altstadt) in the centre of Bern became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Source: Wikipedia

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Rouen (UK: , US: ; French: [ʁwɑ̃] (listen) or [ʁu.ɑ̃]) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the capital of the region of Normandy. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, the population of the metropolitan area (French: aire urbaine) is 666,035 (2017). People from Rouen are known as Rouennais. Rouen was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy during the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th centuries. From the 13th century onwards, the city experienced a remarkable economic boom, thanks in particular to the development of textile factories and river trade. Claimed by both the French and the English during the Hundred Years' War, it was on its soil that Joan of Arc was tried and burned alive on May 30, 1431. Severely damaged by the wave of bombing in 1944, it nevertheless regained its economic dynamism in the post-war period thanks to its industrial sites and its large seaport, which today is the fifth largest in France.

Endowed with a prestige inherited mainly from the medieval era and with a plural architectural heritage that its historical monuments highlight, Rouen is an important cultural capital. Several renowned establishments are located here, such as the Museum of Fine Arts - one of the most important in France - or the Le Secq des Tournelles museum. Famous are its half-timbered houses. Rouen's religious buildings are plentifull and justify its nickname "City of a hundred steeples". The famous cathedral of Rouen is one of the highest in the world and known in arts as the subject of a series of paintings by Claude Monet. Labeled City of Art and History in 2002, it is a candidate for the title of European Capital of Culture for 2028. Seat of an archdiocese, it also hosts a court of appeal and a university. Every four to six years, Rouen becomes the showcase for a large gathering of sailing ships called "L'Armada"; this event makes the city an occasional capital of the maritime world.

Source: Wikipedia