With its time-honoured sandstone buildings, historic towers and unique fountains Bern is one of the finest examples of mediaeval civic architecture in Europe. The city's appearance has remained virtually unchanged for centuries, earning Bern a place on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Thanks to this honour the city with its popular Bear Pits (the bear is Bern's heraldic symbol) is on a par with Rome, the Egyptian pyramids and the Taj Mahal. Bern is also the seat of the Swiss government.