On Monday, 23 November 2026, Bern’s Old Town belongs to the Zibelemärit (onion market). According to the city, the first goods are sold even before the official 6am start. Anyone wanting to browse the onion plaits at leisure and experience something of the market should therefore plan to arrive in the early dawn – and consider not just the journey, but the night before as well.
The Zibelemärit is a good reason to discover Bern in November as a city of lanes, squares and food culture. The market revolves around a vegetable that here serves as a store-cupboard staple, a craft material and a festive motif: onions are woven into plaits, wreaths and figures. There are also cheese and onion tarts, garlic bread and sweet fairground treats. The market itself officially runs from 6am to 6pm; the city reports sales from as early as 4am.
A plaited harvest in the Old Town
The market area extends across the Upper Old Town, taking in Waisenhausplatz and Bundesplatz, among other locations. According to the City of Bern, textiles, jewellery, ceramics and toys can also be found among the onion stalls. The culinary focus, however, remains on the onions: carefully bundled, plaited and offered in a variety of shapes. The plait is more than packaging. It makes the harvest portable and puts it on display, transforming a vegetable grown for storage into a gift for the kitchen.
Typical foods include onion and cheese tarts, as well as garlic bread. Anyone strolling through the lanes can treat the market as a little tasting tour: something warm to eat on the go, with a chance to admire the handiwork at the stalls. Nidletäfeli (cream fudge), Bäremutz (bear-shaped sweet pastries) and Magenbrot (spiced sweet bread) are also among the offerings listed by Bern Welcome for the occasion. The Zibelemärit is thus both a farmers’ market and a popular festival – with a clear culinary focus.
The market’s history is often traced back many centuries. The City of Bern points out, however, that there are various explanations for its origins. More recent research places its beginnings in the mid-19th century, when women farmers from Seeland and Fribourg came to Bern with vegetables around St Martin’s Day. A connection with the older St Martin’s Fair is plausible, but according to the city, there is no evidence for the popular story that the market was a reward for help after the city fire of 1405.
Plan your journey around the early market start
Anyone already staying overnight in Bern can reach the Old Town without a long-distance journey that morning and combine the market visit with another day in the city. For a day trip, feasibility depends on where you are setting off from: the published information does not support a general recommendation for any particular long-distance connection. The city gives the official start time as 6am, while BERNMOBIL has announced that services will begin almost an hour earlier on 23 November 2026 so that visitors can reach the market by public transport. The right connection depends on your departure station and any changes; check the timetable for that exact date before travelling.
The return journey also needs consideration: the market officially runs until 6pm, but a visit need not fill the entire day. Anyone wishing to explore Bern beyond the market will gain more time by staying overnight beforehand and can take the early start at a more relaxed pace. For a day trip, it is worth finding the earliest suitable arrival in Bern first, then looking for the return journey. That way, Onion Monday becomes a short, easily planned outing – or the start of a longer stay in the federal capital.
A Monday filled with kitchen aromas
The Zibelemärit tells the story of regional food culture in a particularly tangible way: the harvest is plaited, sold and eaten on the spot. For food-loving travellers, the appeal lies in the interplay between produce and craftsmanship, between an onion plait to take home and a warm pastry in the hand. On 23 November 2026, the early morning is the crucial time to be there – and travel planning is best begun by asking how to reach Bern in good time.
Original reviewed by the editors · 11 November 2026
