Barcelona Outdoor Markets, Underrated Treasures Of The City
THERE ARE OUTDOOR MARKETS IN BARCELONA FOR EVERYONE – DISCOVER THE ONE FOR YOU!
When people think about Barcelona, they usually think about soccer, museums, public art, theaters, historic monuments and its nightlife. Yet, what many tourists ignore is the importance of outdoor markets as part of the culture of Barcelona. Everyone who lives in Barcelona knows that there are a lot of outdoor markets around the city, and for anyone that may be a pretty common and trivial thing, yet what most people ignore is that every single one of them has its unique qualities and history.
This is our curated list of open air markets in Barcelona:
1
Sunday market in Sant Antoni
The Sunday Market of Sant Antoni works since 1936, and is known for having three sections, the section of food, the section of clothes, and, the most special, the section of books. You’ll find pretty often antiquities. At first, the market worked exclusively with book sales and other kind of publications, right now, it still is one of the best markets in the city to buy all kinds of magazines and ancient books, comics, and others.
Today, more than 5,000 persons come to the market every Sunday. You can go any time in the year, yet it is not recommended to go in August, as most of the stands will be closed. The market is near to the metro station that has the same name, Sant Antoni (L2). The food and clothes sections open from Mondays to Saturdays, from 07:00 a.m. to 02:30 p.m., and from 05:00 p.m. to 08:30 p.m (so far, in temporary tents for as long as the restoration works of the market building last). The Sunday Sant Antoni market opens from 08:00 a.m. to 03:00 p.m., when you can see the old books sales.
2
Art market by the Pi church
In the Art Market in Plaça del Pi local painters show their artworks, an example of the art culture in the city. Its official location is the Plaça Sant Josep Oriol, it’s done weekly and it has two work schedules, depending on the season. During summer, it opens Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m., and from 04:00 p.m. to 08:00 p.m., it also opens Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m.
Have a walk around the art displays and then enjoy a drink in one of the many outdoor cafes of the plaza. By the way, since you are there, make sure to visit the impressive Santa Maria del Pi church. There are other weekend art markets by the Passion Façade of the Sagrada Familia Church and at Park Guell.
3
Flower market of La Rambla
This market located in La Rambla is famous for being the oldest place to buy flowers in town (two centuries ago the flower vendors there were said o be the most beautiful girls in Barcelona), and in said manner it guarantees you will find diversity and quality for reasonable prices.
You can find The Flower Market as you walk down La Rambla when you start approaching the Boqueria Food Market (actually, the flower stalls depend administratively on the food market).
4
Gothic antiques market
Known as the Mercat Gòtic d’Antiguitats in Catalan, it is a small Barcelona flea market in the Barri Gotic area of Barcelona. It is not a very big market, yet its dealers are famous for being well stocked and packed with a lot of surprises. As the name says, its specialty are antique sales: here you can find lots of vintage stuff. People often find antique jewelry collections at very good prices.
The Gothic Market of Antiques is located in front of the Barcelona Cathedral, in Plaça Nova. It opens every Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 09:00 p.m all year around (except for 3 or 4 weeks in August and in December). One last tip, some of the sellers aren’t camera-friendly, so try not to take many pictures if you are planning to do so or ask permission first.
5
Toy market in Sant Andreu
This outdoor market in Masadas Square (Sant Andreu district) is famous for its vintage toys, train models and slot cars. A lot of people come to this market for different reasons: some come for mere curiosity, others are collectors looking for rare treasures, a lot of families come just to have a good time, parents teach their kids how they used to entertain themselves at their ages. It’s a pretty special place for the people that live in Barcelona.
If you’re planning on going with your kids, it’s better to go early, as it fills with a large crowd after. The market can be found on Masada Square, in the following address: Carrer de les Filipines, 08027 Barcelona. It opens through the whole year, except in August, on the first Sunday of every month, from 10:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m.
AND BONUS! This is the most important flea market in town:
6
Els Encants
In Barcelona, people know this market as “Encants Vells” as well as Mercat Fira de Bellcaire. While searching about how ancient it is and when the first stands started, there are documents from the XIV century. There are approximately 500 sellers in it, within a space of 15,000 square meters. Els Encants flea market is known for being pretty easy to find second-hand articles for low prices.
You’ll find clothes, special furniture and fabrics, hardware products, antiques, and many more types of merchandise! You can find it under a very fancy and contemporary roof made of mirrors, in Plaça de les Glòries. It opens Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 09:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m.
When you are done, you might want to take the opportunity to explore the nearby Poblenou quarter.
Did you know there was such a variety of outdoor markets in Barcelona? Which one is your favorite?
Marta
Marta is the founder of ForeverBarcelona. She is a passionate tour guide that loves Barcelona and loves writing too. She is the main author of our Blog, and is committed to sharing her knowledge about Barcelona and her best tips with our readers.
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