Markets
La Rambla"s history is the Boqueria Market"s history. The evolution from a past of peddlers to a modern and charming present, full of colour and life. The market is a metaphor for Barcelona"s life, a human river that is the delight for those who like watching.
Barcelona Cathedral, an undulating, brightly coloured roof catches our eye. Attracted like insects to a colourful flower, we approach to discover a food market below the roof: the Santa Caterina Market. The original design of the building, as well as the treasure trove of produce displayed on its stalls, won"t disappoint visitors to the neighbourhood of Santa Caterina.
The area around the Plaça de les Glòries is packed with surprises and attractions. In addition to the imposing presence of the Glòries Tower and world-class cultural facilities such as the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, the concert hall, L"Auditori, and the design museum, the Museu DHUB, you can now enjoy the new market "Encants Barcelona", a mini retail world that is well worth discovering.
During the week, you can find in this market of Barcelona"s Eixample Esquerra stalls outside selling all kinds of goods, from clothes and shoes to homewares … and, inside, gleaming displays of vegetables, fruit, fish and meat. On Sundays, second-hand books and stamps for collectors captivate the visitors to the historic Mercat de Sant Antoni which retains the architecture, vibrancy and charm of its origins.
The market stands in the middle of this bustling shopping street of the
Sants neighbourhood, and was built during the city"s major population boom to provide foodstuffs for the people who had moved to this factory district. It retains a traditional flavour which can still be glimpsed when you shop there or take a stroll between its stalls.