Central Market (Mercado Central)

The Mercat Central is the great food market of Valencia, and its building is one of the finest examples of Valencian Modernisme, the local version of Art Nouveau. It stands in the Plaça del Mercat, in the middle of the old town, facing the Lonja de la Seda, the Silk Exchange, and the Church of Santos Juanes, so that three very different buildings from different centuries sit side by side. The market was designed by the architects Alejandro Soler March and Francisco Guardia, known in Valencian as Francesc Guàrdia, and it was built over more than a decade from the 1910s, before opening in 1928. It replaced the older open-air market that had occupied the square for centuries.

The structure is a combination of iron, glass, brick, wood and ceramic. A framework of slender iron columns supports a high roof that lets in daylight through glass and stained glass panels, and the effect inside is of a bright, airy hall. The outside is decorated with coloured tiles, the sort of ceramic work for which Valencia is known, and the entrances have wrought-iron gates and ornamental details. The central dome is crowned by a weather vane in the form of a parrot, which has become a local emblem and a landmark within the market. The building is protected as a national monument and is considered one of the largest markets in Europe in terms of floor area, at about eight thousand square metres.

The market holds hundreds of stalls, many of them run by families who have traded here for generations. Fishmongers display the catch of the Mediterranean, including prawns, squid, mussels and fish for stews, and butchers sell the meat that goes into local dishes. The fruit and vegetable stalls feature the produce of the Valencian huerta, the irrigated farmland around the city, with oranges, tomatoes, artichokes and the flat green beans used in paella. Rice is a central ingredient in the region, and several stalls sell the round-grained varieties, such as bomba, that are used for paella and other rice dishes. Cheese, cured ham, spices, nuts and dried fruit are also on sale, and a few counters offer horchata, the sweet drink made from tiger nuts, and the pastries that go with it.

For those who want to eat, the market has bars and small restaurants. Central Bar, run by the chef Ricard Camarena, has made a name for serving market produce in a modern style, and a number of other stalls offer tapas and sandwiches. Entry is free, and you are welcome to wander without buying.

Mornings are the best time, when the stalls are full and busy, and the market closes in the afternoon and on Sundays. It is a few minutes’ walk from Valencia Cathedral, the Plaza de la Virgen and the Barrio del Carmen. The market is crowded at weekends, so keep an eye on belongings. Allow about an hour.