Bern gets to know its onions

It's surprising what a few onions can be made to do. Keystone

Tens of thousands of visitors from all over Switzerland and neighbouring countries have poured into the Swiss capital for the traditional onion market, which is always held on the fourth Monday of November.

On sale in the stalls that line the narrow streets and spread over the squares of the Old City are not only elaborate strings of onions and onions made into whimsical figures of all sorts, but garlic bread, and onion and cheese tarts, as well as more general items.

The market opens officially at six in the morning and ends 12 hours later. One highlight – at least for younger people – is the confetti fight that takes place in the afternoon.