Bears have been around in Bern since 1513. Until 1857 they were in the city itself, then kept as a tourist attraction in the «Bear Pit». From 2009, the Bears got a bigger, better and more expensive home. The «BearPark». What Bern city tourism is missing is a cute Mascot. Here is it the unofficial Bern-Bear-Character called «Bärni Bär». Kids-Tshirts available here.