One day in Bern: the onion market starts before daylight
On Monday 23 November it is Zibelemärit in Bern. The first onion braids change hands as early as 4 am. In 2025 almost 35 tonnes of onions were on sale, against almost 51 tonnes in 2019 and almost 20 tonnes in 2021.
At 4 am, long before daylight, the first onion braids are sold in Bern. The Zibelemärit, the onion market, always falls on the fourth Monday of November. In 2026 that is 23 November, not the last Monday of the month, which is the 30th. The city calls it the best-known and largest market in Bern. It draws visitors from all over Switzerland and from nearby countries.
The market covers the city centre, including the Münsterplatz, the Münstergasse, the Waisenhausplatz and the Bundesplatz. It is a fair with the character of a folk festival. At 6 pm it is officially over.
It is mostly about the onion. It is a traditional farmers’ market in November. The stalls hold onion braids, wreaths and figures made of onions. Anyone hungry will find onion tart, onion soup, onion pizza and bratwurst with onions, and also mulled wine, roasted almonds, Magenbrot and candyfloss. Other stalls sell textiles, jewellery, ceramics and toys.
The city keeps track of how many onions arrive. In 2025 almost 35 tonnes were on sale, in 359 stalls, 98 of which sold onions. All onion sellers who had applied were given a place. The market area was comparable to the year before. On the Kornhausplatz and in the Aarbergergasse, stallholders were allowed to keep selling until 10 pm, four hours longer than the rest of the market.
The amount varies a lot. In 2016 and 2017 it was still 56,825 and 56,595 kilos. In 2018 it was 47,760 kilos and in 2019 50,660 kilos. In 2020 the market was cancelled because of Covid. In 2021 it returned, with a poor onion harvest: 19,885 kilos. After that the amount grew every year: 29,440 kilos in 2022, 32,000 in 2023, 33,655 in 2024 and 34,980 in 2025. The record from 2014, almost 60 tonnes, was not reached in 2025 either.
The market itself is smaller than in 2019. That year there were 590 stalls, 145 of them with onions, and 90 applicants were turned away for lack of space. In 2021 there were 325 stalls, 120 of them with onions. About a third fewer stallholders came to Bern, partly because of the poor harvest and because stallholders were not allowed to serve alcohol. In 2021, because of the pandemic, alcohol could only be drunk seated on terraces or indoors in regular catering. The market then lasted until 6 pm and there was more room for visitors. In 2025 there were 359 stalls and 98 onion stalls. In 2019 the stalls on the Kornhausplatz were allowed, as a trial, to stay open until 10 pm instead of 6 pm for the first time.
The railway company BLS recommends coming by train, to avoid traffic jams and the search for a parking space.
Practical
Date: Monday 23 November 2026 (always the fourth Monday of November)
Where: Bern city centre, including Münsterplatz, Waisenhausplatz and Bundesplatz
First sales from about 4 am; the market ends at 6 pm
Admission: free
Info: Bern Welcome, bern.com