Since 1930, a shooting day has been organised on Sunday 22 June or the Sunday following that date, in memory of the Battle of Murten (1476). The event takes place at Bois-Domingue (Bodemünzi), a hill near Murten where the camp of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, was located at the centre of his military operations.
The participants belong to shooting societies. They meet in the morning near the school in front of the Porte de Berne and march in a procession through the town, which is decorated with flags and flowers to mark the Solemnity, to the sound of the brass band, on their way up to Bois-Domingue, one and a half kilometres from the town. The firing line is established from this point southwards on the Villars-les-Moines/Münchenwiler commune.
After the service, a speech is given by a guest: since 2000, several editions have seen the participation of the Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport. This is followed by a two-hour firing session, after instruction and weapons inspection by an official. Only prescription weapons are allowed, and the range is 180 to 200 metres.
The shooting line is made up of around 15 groups of 10, each of which shoots 12 times during the allotted time; two shooters share the same target. Only the results of the whole group are counted; there is no individual count. But the shooters have a trick: if one of the two shooters who have the same target marks his bullets with lipstick, it is possible to tell from the red halo left on the card how many points each shooter has scored. The shapes of the targets are only revealed on the spot, so participants cannot prepare for them. After each round, the cards are collected and taken to the office to be counted.
The rankings are announced at 4pm on the school square, at which point each company can collect its targets. The best group is awarded the famous "Morat pennant". The top finishers, around 10% of the teams, receive crowns for each of their participants. Out of a theoretical total of 360 points, the result of 300 points, considered excellent, is not reached every year.
In 2007, a publication marked the 75th edition of the historic shoot. In its long history, the shoot has only been cancelled three times, in 1939, 1940 and 1943. While participation in 2012 was around 155 groups of ten, in 1976 - the year of the 500th anniversary celebrations - the event recorded 2,250 participants.
Commemorative shootings of this kind are also organised elsewhere, at around fifteen historic battle sites. The special location of the event, the shooting programme and the participation of families and accompanying persons make the Morat Historical Shoot unique. In the past, companies would even have foregone a federal shooting festival in order not to miss the Morat event. However, the organisers regret to say that the demonstration of the will to defend oneself with weapons in hand and the spirit of belonging that this event was intended to reinforce are now taking a back seat.
Information
Verband historisches Murtenschiessen
3280
Murten
Dates and timetable
21 June 2026
Sunday07:00 - 17:00
Bodenmünzi
3280 Murten
