Biel/Bienne is a city in the canton of Bern in Switzerland . It is located on the language boundary and is throughout bilingual. Biel is the German name for the town, Bienne its French counterpart. The town is often referred to in both languages simultaneously. Since January 1, 2005, the official name is "Biel/Bienne". The city expands itself at the foot of the first mountain range of the Jura Mountains area, guarding the only practical connection to Jura in the area, on the N.E. shores of Lake Biel (Bielersee, Lac de Bienne), sharing the Eastern tip of the lake with its sister city, Nidau, head of the District of Nidau. Whereas Neuchâtel, Solothurn & Bern (the capital of Switzerland) lie W., E. and S.E. of Biel/Bienne, all less than 30 minutes away, either by train or car. Main sights at Biel are the town centre of Biel/Bienne features a Gothic church which dates from 1451. The town hall dates from 1534. The population is an estimated 51,900.