La Boqueria Market
A monument to gastronomy, an explosion of colors, aromas, and sounds
The Mercat de Sant Josep, better known as La Boqueria, is the oldest and most visited market in the city. It was inaugurated in 1840, but its origins date back to the 13th century. Today, it occupies 2,583 m² and, in its nearly 300 stalls, you can find products from all over the world.
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A must-see to understand the city's gastronomic culture
Catalan gastronomy is extraordinarily rich, and La Boqueria is a testament to that. You'll find everything: fruit and vegetables, fish and seafood, meat, preserves, legumes, cheeses… Both locally sourced products and imported food, Catalan specialties, and cuisines from around the world, traditional and contemporary. Additionally, around the market, in spaces defined by the porch, you’ll see numerous restaurants where you can taste the products sold inside.
While the current market was inaugurated in 1840, its origins go back to the Middle Ages. In the space it occupies, as early as the 13th century, traders and farmers set up stalls to sell their products to travelers entering or leaving the city. Over time, the stalls moved until they were positioned at the foot of the now-disappeared Sant Josep convent, which was burned down in 1835 during the Convent Burning.
Today, La Boqueria is a must-stop due to its architecture, atmosphere, and offerings. In 2005, it was awarded the Best Market of the Year at the sixth edition of the International Public Markets Conference, and in 2017, the American network CNN considered it the best market in the world.
On the site, located on La Rambla, the Barcelona City Council built a square with a porch. The new market was inaugurated in 1840 under the name Mercat de Sant Josep, and its roof was completed in 1916.
How to get to La Boqueria?
You can reach it from the Plaça Catalunya stop on the Blue and Red Routes of the Barcelona Bus Turístic, which drops you very close to La Rambla. Just walk down this avenue, and on the right, you’ll find La Boqueria.
For the curious
- At the market entrance, there is a modernist arch designed by architect Antoni Falguera in 1913, restored in 2012. It features geometric stained-glass designs and rests on two columns decorated with ceramic mosaic.
- If you want to discover La Boqueria’s rural origins, cross the market and, halfway through, turn right towards Sant Galdric Square, popularly known as “the farmers’ square,” where farmers still sell their products just as they did in the past.
