Sunday shopping in Bern 2026: shops open on 13 and 20 December

In short

• Sunday, 29 November 2026 (1st Advent): Advent shopping in the lower Old Town, 11 am to 5 pm.
• Sunday, 13 December 2026: Sunday shopping in the city centre, 11 am to 5 pm.
• Sunday, 20 December 2026: Sunday shopping in the city centre, 11 am to 5 pm.
• Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve (24 and 31 December): open until 5 pm.
• Closed: 25 and 26 December 2026, 1 and 2 January 2027.

The hours are recommendations by BernCity, the association of the shops in Bern's city centre. Each shop decides for itself whether and how long it opens. If you want to be sure, check with the shop.

Why only two Sundays?

In the canton of Bern, shops and market stalls may open on at most two Sundays a year, between 10 am and 6 pm. This is set out in the cantonal Trade and Commerce Act (Art. 11 para. 2 HGG).

Which Sundays are possible is fixed every year by the canton's Office for the Economy (Amt für Wirtschaft). For the municipality of Bern there are four Sundays in 2026: 29 November and 6, 13 and 20 December. On these days the shops do not need to apply for a permit for their staff. Each shop may use at most two of them. BernCity recommends 13 and 20 December to the shops in the city centre. For any other Sunday a shop needs a permit from the canton, which is only granted for an urgent need.

What may open on Sundays anyway

Even on ordinary Sundays and public holidays some shops may open from 6 am to 6 pm:

• bakeries, confectioners, butchers and dairy shops
• other food shops with a sales area of up to 120 square metres
• flower shops
• all shops in the lower Old Town of Bern

Petrol station shops of up to 120 square metres and kiosks may open every day from 6 am to 10 pm. Which pharmacies, shops and petrol stations are open right now is shown by Jetzt offen in Bern (open now).

The normal opening hours

On the other days the law allows Monday to Friday 6 am to 8 pm, plus one late opening until 10 pm per week, and Saturday 6 am to 5 pm. BernCity recommends to the shops in the city centre: Monday to Wednesday until 7 pm, Thursday and Friday until 8 pm, Saturday until 5 pm.

Tips for a Sunday in town

• Getting there: With public transport you do not need to look for a parking space. If you come by car, Parkieren in Bern shows free spaces in the car parks.
• Christmas markets: the Sternenmarkt, the Münsterplatz and the Waisenhausplatz markets are also open on Sundays. Dates and hours are in the article Christmas markets in Bern 2026.
• Warming up: warm places open to everyone are listed in Kühl & warm (cool and warm).

Sources: Office for the Economy of the Canton of Bern, ruling on permit-free Sunday work 2026; Canton of Bern, “Verkauf”; BernCity, “Besondere Ladenöffnungszeiten 2026/2027”. Read on 28 October 2026. The shops' own information always applies.