Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Produce, Mercat de Santa Caterina
Most Fascinating Markets
!
Mercat de La Boqueria
£
Fira de Santa Llúcia
Barcelona's most famous food
market is conveniently located on
La Rambla
(see pp12-13)
. Fresh-
ness reigns supreme and shop-
pers are spoiled for choice, with
hundreds of stalls selling every-
thing from vine-ripened tomatoes
to haunches of beef and moist
wedges of Manchego cheese. The
city's seaside status is in full evi-
dence at the fish stalls.
d
La Rambla
91 • Map L3 • Open 7am-8pm Mon-Sat
The Christmas season is
officially under way when local
artisans set up shop outside the
Cathedral for the annual Christmas
fair. Well worth a visit if only to
peruse the row upon row of
caga-
ners
, miniature figures squatting
to
fer caca
(take a poop). Uniquely
Catalan, the
caganers
are usually
hidden in the back of nativity
scenes. This unusual celebration
of the scatological also appears
in other Christmas traditions.
d
Pl de la Seu • Map N3 • Open 1-23
Dec: 10am-8pm (times may vary) daily
@
Els Encants
Barcelona's best flea market,
Els Encants (east of the city) is
where you'll find everything you
want, from second-hand clothes,
electrical appliances and toys to
home-made pottery and used
books. Discerning browsers can
fit out an entire kitchen from an
array of pots and pans. Bargain-
hunters should come early.
Discussions are being held
regarding the market's location.
d
Pl de les Glòries Catalanes • Map H3
• Open 7am-5:30pm Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat
$
Book & Coin Market at
Mercat de Sant Antoni
For book lovers, there's no better
way to spend Sunday morning
than browsing at this market
(west of the city). You'll find a
mind-boggling assortment of
weathered paperbacks, ancient
tomes, stacks of old magazines,
comics, postcards and lots more,
from coins to videos.
d
C/Comte
d'Urgell • Map D2 • Open 8am-3pm Sun
Fira de Santa Llúcia, Plaça de la Seu
52
