Mercat de Sant Antoni

This is the market where Barcelonans actually shop. While La Boqueria drowns in tourists, Sant Antoni is where locals buy their weekly groceries, argue about the price of gambas, and linger over coffee at the market bar. Designed by municipal architect Antoni Rovira Trias and inaugurated in 1882, it was the first market built outside Barcelona's old city walls and the largest in the city — technically three markets in one: food, clothing and flea market, and the famous Sunday book market.

The building is an X-shaped iron-and-glass structure that combines Modernista elements with neoclassical influences. Built by La Maquinista Terrestre i Maritima — the same industrial firm that built locomotives — the market's cast-iron framework creates bright, airy halls that feel more like a railway station than a grocery shop. Mayor Rius i Taulet inaugurated it as one of his signature public works.

In 2009, the market closed for what was supposed to be a quick renovation. Workers immediately discovered Roman remains beneath the foundations, and the project ballooned into an 80-million-euro, nine-year restoration that didn't finish until 2018. The renovated market is stunning — the original iron structure has been beautifully restored, a new basement level displays the archaeological finds, and modern amenities were woven in without destroying the building's character.

Every Sunday, the surrounding streets host one of Europe's largest open-air book markets, with 78 stalls selling everything from first editions to vintage comics. The tradition dates to the 1930s and has survived civil war, dictatorship, and the nine years of renovation. It's the kind of place where you go for a secondhand novel and leave with a bag of tomatoes, three vintage postcards, and an opinion about local politics.