The Zytglogge, the famous clock tower of Bern, strikes six on a cold November morning. It’s a Monday, the temperature a chilly 3 degrees Celsius, and yet, the streets of old town Bern brim-full with people. Did the hardworking Swiss decide to go to the office extra early today? What would bring people out on the streets at such an early hour in the cold? It is the Zibelemärit, or Onion Market, a festival held in Bern each year on the fourth Monday of November.
Bern’s onion market dates back to the 15th century where farmers from the surrounding areas bring their onion harvest to town each year on this day. The exact year the first market was held is not precisely known – but legend has it dating back to the 1405 fire in the city. Though the origins may be shrouded in the fog of history, the Zibelemärit today is a very popular and beloved annual tradition.
Experiencing Zibelemärit
We arrived a little before six, and the market was already in full swing. Despite the official opening hours being 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, the locals star arriving as early as three or four in the morning. The streets of Old Town Bern, including the Bundesplatz, are lined with stalls selling onions: large and small, white, yellow, red and garlic, braided and painted, decorated with flowers or turned into figurines. You can also buy colourful “onion necklaces” made of candy to wear like Mardi Gras beads or Hawaiian leis. People stroll the aisles wearing multiple strands of these around their necks.
Children (and often grown-ups too!) throw confetti by the handful: you can buy bags of it everywhere around the market. Smiling bystanders watch the action as two groups armed with confetti engage in a bit of battle. We got showered with the tiny paper shreds a few times, although we never reciprocated the gesture. By eight in the morning, the cobblestoned old town streets are unrecognisable amid the covering of rainbow confetti – definitely a task for the cleanup crews in the evening!
Of course, no market would be complete without culinary delights: the Zibelemärit has a range of onion-based offerings for the hungry. We decided on a delicious onion tart, hot and a bit gooey with cheese on top, very much like a quiche. If you are not an onion fan, you can find the regular fair type food you come to expect in Switzerland: bratwurst, hot dogs, cotton candy or sweetly roasted almonds. Then, of course, there was glühwine to drink (though this year all was non-alcoholic, due to the pandemic, I assume), as well as hot chocolate, coffee and tea. All are much welcomed to keep you warm as you wander the streets in the November cold. And while most stalls sell onions, the market also has other produce as well as many gift items, including ceramics, souvenirs, and comfort items such as warm hats and gloves.
Tips for Traveling to Bern’s Onion Market
SBB schedules special trains to Bern on this day to help ferry the crowds in comfort. Though usually a big fan of Swiss train travel, this time we arrived by car, on our way home from having spent a long weekend in France. To make sure we got to Bern early, we decided to overnight in Fribourg, and after a 20-minute drive, we had no problem finding parking at 5:45 am near the Casino. So, if you too decide to come by car, I highly recommend arriving before eight.
Another reason for a timely arrival is that the prettiest onion creations sell out quickly. I guess that is why the locals arrive even before the 6 am official opening, not wanting to miss out on a truly spectacular onion wreath or a gorgeous braid adorned with dried flowers. But with over two hundred vendors, those who come in the later morning, there are still plenty of pretty braids to chose from.
And while this year, the onion wreaths have already found homes, the confetti cleaned off the streets, and the trams on Kramgasse run on schedule again, there is always next year. So reserve the fourth Monday in November, early in the morning, for a visit to Bern.
About Zsuzsa
Together with her family, Zsuzsa moved to Switzerland in 2018 from Hawai’i. She loves it here! Swiss people embrace the outdoors just as much as the people of Hawai’i do. From their home by Lake Zurich, Zsuzsa and her family have been busy exploring all that this awesome country has to offer. You can follow Zsuzsa’s Swiss journey over Instagram
