Sternenmarkt Bern 2026: dates, opening hours and the fondue chalet

When is the Sternenmarkt 2026 open?

The Berner Sternenmarkt opens on Thursday, 19 November 2026, at 4 pm. The last day is Sunday, 27 December. An Instagram post by the market said 28 December. The website says the 27th, and that is what we go by.

• Monday to Saturday: 11 am to 10 pm
• Sunday: 11 am to 8 pm
• 24 December: only until the afternoon. The start page says 4 pm, the pages on the market and the fondue chalet say 5 pm. If you want to go late on Christmas Eve, better plan for 4 pm.
• 25 December: closed

Where is the Sternenmarkt?

On the Kleine Schanze, on the Europapromenade right next to the Federal Palace (Bundeshaus). According to the organisers it is about three minutes on foot from the station. From the promenade you look over the Marzili, and on a clear day as far as the Alps. The Weltpostdenkmal stands in the same park.

What is there at the market?

About 80 huts. The stallholders change every week. If you come back in early December, you will see other stands than in November. The market's page names, for example, candles and ceramics, but also socks and woolly hats.

For food there are more than 25 stands, from waffles and burgers to bao buns and momos. Some stands have vegetarian and vegan dishes. Drinks come in reusable cups and dishes. You get the deposit back at the “Depothüsli”.

The Gstaader Fondue-Chalet

The chalet seats up to 200 people. It stays open longer than the market: Monday to Saturday 11 am to midnight, Sunday 11 am to 10 pm. They serve a house fondue with bread from the Berner Beck bakery and potatoes boiled in their skins. Gherkins and silver onions come with it. Before it there is a salad, after it a dessert.

You book a table online on the chalet's page. A few tables stay free every day for people who drop by. Groups of 20 or more book by e-mail. The table is yours for 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The page shows a price of CHF 64.50 per person, drinks extra. The linked menu, however, still carries the year 2025. So check what applies in 2026 before you go.

Programme: sing-along and Samichlaus

On two Saturdays, 5 and 12 December, BernCityPiano puts a piano with a microphone on the market. Anyone who wants to can play and sing, from 11 am to 10 pm. At 6 pm each day a big sing-along concert starts and lasts an hour. On 5 December it is the “Hits Edition”, on 12 December the “Christmas Edition”.

According to the programme, the Samichlaus (St Nicholas) comes on Sunday, 6 December, and Sunday, 13 December, from 2 pm to 6 pm. Children aged 3 to 12 have their own Kinder-Chalet.

Paying, getting there, dogs

No cash. The Sternenmarkt is cashless. You pay by card or with Twint. So charge your phone before you go.

Getting there: Come by public transport or on foot. There is no parking on Taubenstrasse and Rainmattstrasse. If you come by train from further away, you can use the SBB RailAway offer. It gives up to 50 percent off the train ticket. On top of that you get 30 percent off a raclette with a soft drink.

Wheelchair: According to the organisers, the market and the fondue chalet are accessible by wheelchair.

Dogs are welcome on a lead.

What else is on in Advent?

On 28 November the Christmas market on the Münsterplatz begins. All markets with their dates are in the article Christmas markets in Bern 2026. On two Sundays in December the shops in the city centre are open, more in Sunday shopping in Bern 2026. If you want to warm up in between without buying anything, Kühl & warm shows rooms that are open to everyone.

Questions and answers

Can I pay cash at the Sternenmarkt?
No. Only cards and mobile payments such as Twint.

How late is the fondue chalet open?
Monday to Saturday until midnight, Sunday until 10 pm. On 24 December it closes in the afternoon, on 25 December it stays closed.

Is there parking?
Not at the market. The organisers ask you to come by public transport.

Sources: Berner Sternenmarkt, bernersternenmarkt.ch: start page, “Markt”, “Gstaader Fondue-Chalet”, “Programm” and “Sing mit! Christmas Edition”; Berner Münster Weihnachtsmarkt (bernerweihnachtsmarkt.ch). Read on 7 November 2026. The organisers' pages always apply.