How Bern's Market Week Works
Bern still runs its food shopping the old way: twice a week, stalls fill the squares and lanes of the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main produce market sets up every Tuesday and Saturday morning, all year, on Bundesplatz (in front of the Federal Palace), Bärenplatz and the neighbouring streets. Farmers from the surrounding canton bring vegetables, fruit, eggs, flowers, bread and cheese, and many locals do their weekly shop here rather than in a supermarket.
In the warmer months the schedule expands, with extra market days on Bärenplatz between roughly May and October. Exact days and hours change from year to year, so check the market listings on bern.com or the city of Bern's website before you plan around a particular morning. As a rule, come early: the best choice is before mid-morning, and food stalls start packing up around midday.
What to Buy at the Produce Market
The produce market is seasonal in the literal sense. Spring brings asparagus and the first strawberries, summer is cherries, apricots and berries, and autumn means apples, pears, pumpkins and mushrooms. Year-round you will find:
- Cheese from Bernese and other Swiss dairies, including Emmentaler, Gruyère and alpine cheeses (look for "Alpkäse", made on summer pastures).
- Bread and Zopf, the plaited butter loaf Swiss families eat on Sunday mornings.
- Honey, jams and syrups from small producers.
- Cut flowers and plants, which take over much of Bundesplatz in spring.
Prices are in line with Swiss shops rather than cheaper, but the quality and the chance to buy small amounts make it worthwhile for picnic supplies. Most stalls take cash and many now accept cards or the Swiss TWINT app; carrying some Swiss francs is still sensible.
Meat, Crafts and Flea Markets
A few specialised markets run alongside the main one:
- Meat and dairy market on Münstergasse, on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, with butchers and cheese sellers under the arcades near the cathedral.
- Goods market on Waisenhausplatz, where stalls sell clothing, accessories, jewellery and household items rather than food. It runs on market days, with extra days in summer.
- Crafts market on the Münsterplattform, the terrace beside Bern Minster, held on the first Saturday of the month for much of the year, with handmade ceramics, textiles, woodwork and jewellery.
- Flea market on Mühleplatz in the Matte quarter down by the Aare, on the third Saturday of the month from about May to October.
The crafts and flea markets are the places to look for souvenirs made in Switzerland rather than imported trinkets.
Zibelemärit: Bern's Onion Market
Bern's most famous market day is the Zibelemärit (onion market), held on the fourth Monday of November. Growers from the region arrive in the early hours and the Old Town fills with stalls selling braided onion and garlic strings, often decorated with dried flowers, as well as onion tart, cheese tart and mulled wine. Stalls are already busy before dawn, and by mid-morning the lanes are packed. In the afternoon the event turns into a confetti fight, with children and teenagers armed with plastic hammers.
Practical tips: arrive early if you want to browse rather than shuffle, dress warmly, and expect public transport into the centre to be crowded. Hotels in Bern fill up around this date, so book ahead.
Christmas Markets
From late November until Christmas, Bern has several Christmas markets within walking distance of each other:
- Waisenhausplatz, the largest, with food, drink and gift stalls in the middle of the Old Town.
- Münsterplatz, in front of the cathedral, focused more on handicrafts and decorations.
- Sternenmarkt on the Kleine Schanze, a park near the Federal Palace, with food stands, music and a more modern feel.
Opening dates vary slightly each year and are usually published in autumn. Evenings are the most atmospheric time to go, while weekday afternoons are the quietest. A cup of Glühwein is sold with a deposit on the mug; return it or keep it as a souvenir.
Shopping Beyond the Markets
On non-market days, Bern's shopping is under its arcades. The Old Town's main streets, Spitalgasse, Marktgasse, Kramgasse and Gerechtigkeitsgasse, have around six kilometres of covered arcades, so you can shop in any weather. Look out for the cellar shops below street level, reached by steep stairs from the pavement; many house small boutiques, galleries and bars. Swiss chocolate, cheese and watch shops cluster near the Zytglogge clock tower, while the lower end of the Old Town toward the bear park has more independent stores.
Planning Your Visit
- Best days: Tuesday or Saturday morning for the produce market; Saturday also has the most going on overall.
- Getting there: All the markets are a short walk from Bern station. Bundesplatz is about five minutes away on foot.
- Sundays: Most shops are closed, and there is no market, so plan purchases for the rest of the week.
- Bags: Bring your own shopping bag; plastic bags are not always offered.
Combine a market morning with a walk along the arcades, a look at the Zytglogge and an afternoon at the Rose Garden above the river for a full, unhurried day in Bern.
