Three-day itinerary in the canton of Bern (Switzerland) around the Zibelemärit 2026: castles of Schadau, Hünegg, Berthoud, Landshut and Jegenstorf
Zibelemärit 2026: Three Days in Bern Between Onion Market and Thun and Emmental Castles
On 23 November 2026, Bern is filled with onion braids for the Zibelemärit. A three-day itinerary to arrive via the castles of Schadau, Hünegg, Berthoud and Jegenstorf, with what remains open in November.
Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux ·
Canton de Berne, fin novembre
Once a year, on the fourth Monday of November, Bern’s Old Town smells of onions from as early as four in the morning. In 2026, the Zibelemärit falls on 23 November, and the onion braids take over the upper town right up to the Federal Palace. Rather than arriving on the day itself, you can make the market the final stop of a long weekend. Saturday by Lake Thun, Sunday in the Emmental, Monday in Bern’s alleys: the route links five castles in the canton, taking into account what remains open at the end of autumn. For in German-speaking Switzerland, many castle museums close in mid-October and do not reopen until May. This guide therefore distinguishes between interiors you can visit, parks you can wander freely and façades you can admire from the path.
Berthoud Castle
Did you know? Two Swiss figures who passed through these castles
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
1746-1827
A Zurich educator, he set up an educational institute in Berthoud Castle around 1800, where he developed his teaching method based on observation and experience. The Bernese government asked him to vacate the premises by 1 May 1804; he then moved his school to Münchenbuchsee and later to Yverdon.
Henri Guisan
1874-1960
Swiss army commander-in-chief during the Second World War, he set up his headquarters at Jegenstorf Castle in October 1944. He remained there until August 1945 and held his final report there on 19 August, a few months after the end of fighting in Europe.
Organising the weekend
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The route on the map
From Lake Thun to the Emmental
The five castles on the itinerary, from south to north: Schadau and Hünegg on the shores of Lake Thun, Berthoud, Landshut and Jegenstorf between the Emme and Bern.
Markers follow the suggested visiting order. Select a castle to open its page.
Sources
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Day by day
The itinerary
Day 1 — Saturday 21 November: Thun
Morning at Schadau Castle and the Thun Panorama (open until 29 November, 11 am to 5 pm), then a stroll in the park at Hünegg in Hilterfingen. Possible overnight stay at the Schadau Castle hotel.
Day 2 — Sunday 22 November: Emmental
Visit Berthoud Castle and its museum (10 am to 6 pm), lunch on site, then a stop by the moat at Landshut and a walk in the park at Jegenstorf before heading to Bern. The following day, Monday 23 November, the Zibelemärit opens at 6 am in the Old Town.