Bern (Swiss Standard German: [bɛrn] ⓘ), or Berne (French: [bɛʁn] ⓘ), [ note 1 ] is the de facto capital of Switzerland, referred to as the " federal city ". [ note 2 ][ 3 ] With a population of about 133,000 (as of 2022), Bern is the fifth-most populous city in Switzerland, behind Zürich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne. [ 4 ] .