The Food Market is a typical European institution dedicated to good food. There are hundreds of them, almost one for each city, and it is the place where local vendors come to offer their gastronomic products. Whether it’s raw materials, like meat, fruit or vegetables, complete dishes in all respects or street food, the markets will offer you all the facets of local culture. You cannot say that you have visited a city unless you first stop at one of these food temples.
Of course, the first rule is to try a little bit of everything. In some cases, you could take days to taste every single dish present, but going on the wave of tastings could satisfy you more than a restaurant lunch and cost you much less. Furthermore, sellers represent the true essence of a nation. In fact, these are rooted in their cultural roots and popular traditions, and walking among them means immersing themselves in their customs and traditions. If you really want to know a country, you need to know its inhabitants, and no place is better than a Food Market for this type of sociological research.
1 # Torvehallerne, Copenhagen
Torvehallerne is the Copenhagen market, and is a real paradise for lovers of Scandinavian street food. In this mix of products of the highest quality typical of the northern countries and German culture, you can try absolutely unique products.
2 # Rue Montorgueil, Paris
Rue Montorgueil is a true gastronomic institution in the heart of Paris. Unlike the other places described, this road no longer boasts a covered market since 1975, when it was replaced by a shopping center. Despite this, Rue Montorgueil remains the heart of the culinary tradition of Paris. Here you can find all the typical Parisian, from croissont to gressini. Along the way you can smell the smell of freshly baked baguettes and the pastry shops follow each other without stopping. Between a traditional dairy and a wine shop, in this way all the clichés of French culture are traced, but they are so timeless classics that it is impossible not to fall in love with them. Seeing is believing.
3 # Központi Vásárcsarnok, Budapest
The Központi Vásárcsarnok is the Central Market in Budapest. In the heart of the capital, this place is one of the oldest in Europe, and boasts a centuries-old tradition. In fact, it was opened in 1897, and since then it has never stopped, offering its citizens and tourists from all corners of the world the best local products. Among salami and cheese, this gastronomic temple is a real treasure of taste, in which all the flavors of Hungarian culture are exalted. In addition, it will also be possible to find top quality crafts, clothes and souvenirs. Watch out for Friday or Saturday, because these are the days dedicated to international cuisine. You could fall in love forever and never return.
4 # Mathallen, Oslo
The Mathallen in Oslo will certainly not be one of the biggest markets in Europe, but it is, without a doubt, the most important culinary and gastronomic center in all of Norway. Here you can try typical and organic products, selected in full respect of the Scandinavian tradition. Despite its dimensions are anything but colossal, chefs across the country turn to this market for its careful selection of products for sale, allowing lovers of gastronomy to find typical otherwise unobtainable or imported products of great quality.
5 # La Boqueria, Barcelona
La Boqueria is the central market of Barcelona. In the most important square of the Catalona, this place can boast more than 300 stalls closed in almost three thousand square meters. For tourists, it is a fixed and indispensable destination, as these streets contain the true essence of this Spanish region. Within walking distance of the Rambla, La Boqueria is the heart of the local gastronomic culture. Between typical tapas and fresh products, all the Catalan gastronomic tradition is contained.
6 # Dimotiki Agora, Athens
Dimotiki Agora is perhaps one of the noisiest places in Athens, but it is also the cradle of their cuisine. In fact, Greece lives on fish of the highest quality. Its geographical position, a peninsula stretched out in the Mediterranean Sea and a myriad of islands lost in the Aegean Sea, have always favored this culture of the sea and, consequently, its raw materials. Among freshly caught fish and fresh seafood, Athens is the best place in Europe where you can fully appreciate all the flavors of Mediterranean cuisine. Tourists could hardly make purchases here, if they do not have a kitchen, but it is worth visiting to understand the traditions of the place.
7 # Dezerter Bazaar, Tiblisi
For all fans of local markets, the Dezerter Bazaar in Tiblisi is a must-see. Located in some buildings next to the central station, it actually stretches along all the neighboring lanes, making this place a real center of aggregation for all Georgians. Most of the stalls are overflowing with the freshest and highest quality products, and compared to the Mittel-European sellers, Georgians are much more open and do not seek sales at any cost. Tourists are welcomed as if they were an integral part of the population, but we must have, necessarily, some rudiments of Russian to talk with them.
8 # Albert Cuyp, Amsterdam
The Albert Cuyp in Amsterdam is a real paradise for food-loving tourists. Among the two hundred and fifty banks that make up one of the largest markets in Europe, you can really find everything from local specialties to masterpieces of craftsmanship, from bicycles to fresh and top quality products. The local market in Amsterdam is also the birthplace of Dutch street food: between stroopwaffle and cheese, this lugoo will make you fall in love with Dutch traditions like nothing else before. Finally, there are huge open spaces where you can consume just purchases.
