On the first Wednesday in November, the Swiss city of Aarau hosts its annual Rüeblimärt (carrot market). With 60 varieties of carrots for sale, the market has over a hundred stands and thousands of visitors. When I arrived at the market just after 7:30 a.m., it was already bustling! When you plan your trip to Aarau, I recommend getting there early.

The canton of Aargau is known for growing carrots. One of its most famous is the Küttiger Rüebli, a special white carrot has been recognized as part of Switzerland’s culinary heritage. In 1981, the city of Aarau hosted its first Rüeblimärt, and the tradition has continued ever since.

Along with all colorful carrots, you’ll find many other culinary specialties made with carrots. These include sausages, bread, quiche, cakes and more. The wonderful thing about carrots, of course, is you can use them in both sweet and savory dishes.

Carrots appear everywhere at the market and in creative ways. The first stand I visited had a sign made from a mosaic of carrots. A number of fountains had ornamental carrots in flower bouquets and flowerpots. At this year’s market, a heart made of carrots surrounded a sign that stated, “Make Rüeblisuppe, Not War.”

How to get there:

The best way to travel to the Rüeblimärt Aarau is by public transportation. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk to the carrot market from the Aarau train station. From Zürich, the train takes about 25 minutes. From Geneva, the travel time is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes.

For more information:

Verein Rüeblimärt Aarau, Postfach, 5001 Aarau, +41 (0)79 964 12 10, mail@rueblimaert-aarau.ch

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