Warm weather draws people out of their homes and down to the squares of their towns and villages for the weekly market, a place where flowers, fruit, vegetables and much more are on offer.
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Gaby Ochsenbein worked at Swiss Radio International and later at SWI swissinfo.ch from 1986 to 2018. She lives in Bern.
Whether it’s organic fruit or traditional produce, rare species, flowers and seedlings, fish or various breads, there is a vast and colourful array. Unlike the supermarkets, the farmers don’t just offer a few varieties of apples, but a big selection with names hardly anyone knows. Here you see that an apple is not just an apple.
Weekly markets of seasonal produce have a long tradition in Switzerland, as elsewhere. In cities like Lucerne, Bern, Zurich and in Carouge near Geneva, life would be unimaginable without them. Markets are also often a common photo subject for tourists.
At the weekly market, it’s about more than just picking up some groceries – these are sociable places where people meet up, say hello, stop for a chat. Here, you can both see and be seen.
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