Market sights in Europe
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Central Market
Located in five huge hangars behind the bus station, this colourful, Soviet-style market is one of the largest in Europe and has Rīga's cheapest produce.
A 1330 manuscript provides the first written reference, alluding to the market near the Dome Cathedral being moved to what is now called 'Riflemen Square', east of Akmens Bridge, where it remained until 1570, when it was moved to the banks of the Daugava to facilitate trading along the river.
The market stayed on the Daugava for more than 350 years. By the mid-1600s when Rīga, then under Swedish rule, outgrew Stockholm, the market flourished with over 1000 merchants trading goods from all over the region.
In 1930 the m…
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Campo de’ Fiori
Noisy and colourful, ‘Il Campo’ is a major focus of Roman life: by day it hosts a much-loved market, while at night it turns into a raucous open-air pub. For centuries, it was the site of public executions, and in 1600 the philosophising monk Giordano Bruno, immortalised in Ettore Ferrari’s sinister statue, was burned at the stake here for heresy. Many of the streets surrounding Il Campo are named after the artisans who traditionally occupied them: Via dei Cappellari (hatters), Via dei Baullari (trunk makers) and Via dei Chiavari (key makers). Via dei Giubbonari (jacket makers) is still full of clothing shops.
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Borough Market
On this spot in some form or another since the 13th century, ‘London’s Larder’ has enjoyed an enormous renaissance in recent years, overflowing with food-lovers, both experienced and wannabes, and has become quite a tourist destination.
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Grand Bazaar
Before you visit this, the most famous souq in the world, make sure you prepare yourself properly. First, make sure you’re in a good mood and ready to swap friendly banter with the hundreds of shopkeepers who will attempt to lure you into their establishments. There’s no use getting tetchy with the touts here – this is their turf and it would be delusional of you to think that you’re anything more than putty in their hands (and liras in their cash registers). Second, allow enough time to look into every nook and cranny, drink innumerable cups of tea, compare price after price and try your hand at the art of bargaining. Shoppers have been doing this here for centuries and,…
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Smithfield Market
Smithfield is central London’s last surviving meat market. Its name derives from it being a smooth field where animals could be grazed, although its history is far from pastoral. Built on the site of the notorious St Bartholomew’s fair, where witches were traditionally burned at the stake, this is where Scottish Independence leader William Wallace was executed in 1305 (there’s a large plaque on the wall of St Bart’s Hospital south of the market) as well as the place where the leader of the Peasants’ Revolt, Wat Tyler, met his end in 1381. Described in terms of pure horror by Dickens in Oliver Twist, this was once the armpit of London, where animal excrement and …
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Büyük Han
The Büyük Han is a wonderful example of Ottoman architecture and a rare surviving example of a medieval caravanserai. In the Ottoman world during the Middle Ages, travellers and traders could find accommodation at these hans (inns), as well as a place to stable their horses, trade their goods and socialise with fellow travellers. The Büyük Han was built in 1572 by the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus, Musafer Pasha.
Renovated in the recent years, it has once again become the centre of the Old City's bustle, with cafés, shops and traditional craft workshops housed in the 67 small cells that originally served as the inn's sleeping area. The central courtyard has in its …
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Markt
With tall, old buildings looming over a relatively small space, Bremen's Markt is one of the most remarkable in northern Germany.
The twin towers of the 1200-year-old Dom St Petri (St Petri Cathedral) dominate the northeastern edge, beside the ornate and imposing Rathaus (town hall). Although the Rathaus was first erected in 1410, the Weser Renaissance balcony in the middle - crowned by three gables - was added between 1595 and 1618.
The one obviously modern building on the Markt is the Haus der Bürgerschaft (State Assembly; 1966), whose geometrical steel-and-concrete structure features artfully moulded pieces of metal attached to its façade, helping it to blend in with t…
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Tzermiado
Tzermiado (dzer-mee-ah-do) is a sleepy town with dusty little streets lined with houses overgrown with vines and hanging plants. It's the largest and most important town on the Lasithi Plateau and has a fair amount of visitors from the tour buses going to the Dikteon Cave. A number of shops sell rugs and embroideries, although they're not of a particularly high quality. Of better quality are Lasithi's superior potatoes, which are celebrated in a three-day festival at the end of August in Tzermiado.
There is only one main road running through town that takes you past the town square, with a couple of ATMs and a post office.
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Hoge Raad voor Diamant
To get a glimpse of the amount of diamonds (and gold) being traded, just wander along Pelikaanstraat, Vestingstraat or Hoveniersstraat at any time during the day (on Saturday many shops are closed for Sabbath, the Jewish holy day). These high-security streets are also home to important financing banks and the industry's governing body, the Hoge Raad voor Diamant.
Don't expect fanfare or glitz - most of the trade goes on behind discreet, even shabby, façades and in the four beurzen voor diamanthandel (diamond exchanges) dotted along two pedestrianised streets - Hoveniersstraat and Rijfstraat.
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St George's Market
South of the courts is this elegant Victorian covered market, built in 1896 for the sale of fruit, butter, eggs and poultry; it's the oldest continually operating market in Ireland. Restored in 1999, it now hosts a variety market on Friday, selling fresh flowers, fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, plus general household and second-hand goods, and the City Food and Garden Market on Saturday, which often has live music. The Sunday market combines food, antiques and local arts and crafts. There's also a two-day Christmas Fair and Market in early December.
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Piazza de' Ciompi
Named after the textile workers who met around here to plan their 14th-century revolt, this piazza is best known for its Mercato delle Pulci (Flea Market) and Vasari's graceful 16th-century Loggia del Pesce (Fish Market), which is decorated with terracotta seafood and was moved here when the Mercato Vecchio (Old Market) was torn down. It is also a top spot for mums and dads to take the young kids for squeals of delight on the swings and mucking around with equally contented local little 'uns.
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Leadenhall Market
Like stepping into a small slice of Victorian London, a visit to this dimly lit, covered mall off Gracechurch St is a minor time-travelling experience. There’s been a market on this site since the Roman era, but the architecture that survives is all cobble-stones and late-19th-century ironwork; even modern restaurants and chain stores decorate their facades in period style here. The market also appears as Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
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Fish Auctions
They say the early bird catches the worm but if you want to catch the heartbeat of Skagen's fishing community head down to the fish auctions at the port when the boats return with their catch. The theatre of it all is infectious, as the auctioneers and buyers go toe-to-toe in rapid Danish. The proud fishermen have harsh, weather-beaten faces and some fantastic yarns up their sleeves, so it's well worth sparking up a conversation once the sales are over.
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Porta Nolana & Mercato
At the head of Via Sopramuro stands the 15th-century Porta Nolana, one of the medieval city gates. Two cylindrical towers support an arch decorated with a bas-relief of Ferdinand I of Aragon on horseback. Under and beyond it, is the most vivacious street market in all of Naples. Street theatre at its rawest, it's an intoxicating scene of glistening seafood, buxom vegetables, plump cheeses, contraband cigarette stalls and pink inflatable dolphins.
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Raekoja plats
Raekoja plats , the Town Hall Square, has been the centre of Tallinn life since markets began here probably in the 11th century. It's dominated by the only surviving Gothic town hall in northern Europe, and faced by pretty, pastel buildings from the 15th to the 17th centuries. Usually lasting four days, the Old Town Days festival in early June sees Raekoja plats come alive with market stalls, concerts, dancing and medieval-themed merry-making.
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Psyhro
Psyhro (psi-hro)is the closest village to the Dikteon Cave. It has one main street with a few tavernas, and plenty of souvenir shops selling 'authentic' rugs and mats of largely non-Cretan origin. It is prettier than Tzermiado and makes for a better rest stop. Buses to Psyhro drop you at the end of the town where it's about a kilometre's walk uphill to the cave (the bus may take you all the way if lots of passengers are going there).
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Mercado Atarazanas
North of the Alameda, in what's now the commercial district, you will find the neo-Islamic Mercado Atarazanas, entered through its huge horseshoe-shaped arch. The daily market in here is pleasantly noisy and animated and there is a whole host of food on sale. You can choose from swaying legs of ham and rolls of sausages or cheese, fruit, fish and sweets. Nearby are plenty of cafés on pedestrian Calle Herredería del Rey.
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Pētertirgus (Peter's Market)
Vendors have touted their wares at the outdoor market on Kuršu laukums since the mid-17th century. The market expanded in 1910, when a pavilion was constructed adjacent to the square. Today you'll find stalls inside and out this bustling complex, selling everything from furniture, pirated CDs, DVDs and local crafts to fruit, vegetables and slabs of meat.
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Plague Pillar
Maribor's marketplace in the Middle Ages, Glavni trg is just north of the river and the main bridge crossing it. In the centre of the square is perhaps the most extravagant Plague Pillar found anywhere in Central Europe. Designed by Jožef Straub and erected in 1743, it includes the Virgin Mary surrounded by half a dozen saints.
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Ponte Milvio
The scene of a famous battle in AD 312, the 2nd-century-BC Ponte Milvio is now the scene of a great monthly antique market along the riverbank. On the first Sunday of every month stalls spring up along the Lungotevere Capoprati (between the Ponte Milvio and Ponte Duca d’Aosta) laden with antiques and collectable clobber.
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Östermalms Saluhall
Stockholm’s market diva, Östermalms Saluhall is a must-see mix of 1880s architecture, heady aromas, gorgeous stalls and old-fashioned neighbourly hobnobbing. Lust over lobsters, pig out on salmon pudding and get the low-down on Swedish gourmet from the veteran market vendors.
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Palats Mastatsva (Art Palace)
While it doesn't necessarily hold the largest or most impressive collection of Belarusian art, Palats Mastatsva is a cool place to hang out. There are several exhibition halls showing modern art, used book and antique stalls and a general buzz of free-spirited activity.
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Schrannenhalle
A few paces southwest of the Viktualienmarkt stalls is the Schrannenhalle , a 19th-century grain market hall reconstructed in 2005. The 400m-long glass-and-iron structure itself is quite impressive but the overpriced and often tacky shops and cafés inside are not.
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Waterfront Fish Market
The Waterfront Fish Market at Torget has a happy, bustling vibe that's hard to tear yourself away from. Here, fishy odours assault the olfactory senses, spilt effluent turns the quay into a slippery mess, and you'll find a range of tasty seafood snacks .
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Handwerkerhof
A recreation of an old-world Nuremberg crafts quarter, the Handwerkerhof is a self-contained tourist trap by the Königstor. It's about as quaint as a hammer on your thumbnail, but if you're cashed up you may find some decent merchandise.
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