If you are looking to explore Barcelona like a local and shop ’til you drop at the same time then head to the Sant Antoni Market on Carrer del Comte d Urgell. A delightful breath of fresh air compared to its more famous market counterpart on the tourism routes on Las Ramblas, the St Antoni market is found in the Eixample Esquerra area of Barcelona, near the Plaça de Catalunya, making it very centrally located. The Eixample disctrict is one of Barcelona’s middle-class neighbourhoods with cafés, restaurants, cosmopolitan foods shops and individual clothes shops dotted along its streets.
Constructed in 1882 by Antoni Rovira i Trias in a neoclassical style and built in the shape of a Greek cross, this historic building flaunts a wrought iron and metal structure that is typical of those built across Europe during this period. Locals shop here at this more down to earth version of Barcelona markets during the week for clothes, fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, meat and even shoes and home and kitchenware.
On the weekend, the market expands its wares to sell second-hand books, comics, magazines and stamps for collectors. Shopping here on a Saturday or Sunday means brushing shoulders with the locals, making it one of the truly unique experiences in Barcelona you could wish for when on holiday in this stunning acrhitecturally rich city. You could even pick up a unique first edition for your bookcase back home as a personal memory of your stay in Barcelona. The weekend market finishes around 1 pm but gets very busy so head here early for the best bargains and to escape before the crowds head in.
A stone’s throw from the market you will find two excellent shopping streets that are worth a visit for original souvenirs from your visit. Carrer del Tamarit, a long avenue leading to the Montjuic fountains has some excellent food shops to tickle your tastebuds. From turrón at Bombons i Torrons 1916 to sweet pastries and French style patisseries at Pastisseria Bonastre, you can find anything to indulge a sweet tooth on this street.
On Carrer del Comte Borrell you can find Italian foodshops, vintage furniture shops and of course fine wine shops. When in Barcelona or any Spanish city for that matter, food is of the utmost importance after all. For something a little different to take home or enjoy whilst there, head to La Salumeria, an Italian deli that has been bringing the delights of Italy to Barcelona since 1962. This is the place to go to for olives, bread, fresh basil pesto, olive oil, conserves and even freshly shipped in cherry tomatoes – straight off the boat from Italy. It is just over the water after all.
For a unique place to stay in this artistic hotspot in Barcelona, the Hotel Catalonia Eixample 1864 is the perfect choice for hotels in Barcelona center. Just a pleasant twenty-minute walk from Manso street near the market and named a Historical Monument thanks to its eclectical design style, it has its own art collection to rival the private art galleries of Barcelona. It is the only building within the El Eixample district to be decorated with paintings which were restored by a team of 12 restorers under the techincal scrutiny of the Barcelona’s town council and the Generalitat de Catalunya governing body. Ornamental paintings, rosettes, themed colours mark the distinctions between the floors of this much-studied building which boasts a roof-top swimming pool, gym and luxurious sun loungers.
L736E [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
