When you approach La Boqueria, you are likely to be immediately faced with dauntingly large crowds but try not to let that put you off. There is a reason for those crowds and there is ample reason to join them yourself. Just find a vacation rental in Barcelona and make your way over for some history, culture and great food in Spain.
La Boqueria, or Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, is a large historic public market in the Ciudad Vieja district of Barcelona and is one of the city's most famous landmarks. Records show that there was a market by the name of Boqueria in the city since at least 1217, when it was noted that tables were installed near the old city gate to sell meat. After this it was a pig market for centuries and then a straw market. Then, in 1840, now with official and legal recognition, an official and permanent structure of the market was built on La Rambla under the direction of the architect Mas Vilá.
La Boqueria, or Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, is a large historic public market in the Ciudad Vieja district of Barcelona and is one of the city's most famous landmarks. Records show that there was a market by the name of Boqueria in the city since at least 1217, when it was noted that tables were installed near the old city gate to sell meat. After this it was a pig market for centuries and then a straw market. Then, in 1840, now with official and legal recognition, an official and permanent structure of the market was built on La Rambla under the direction of the architect Mas Vilá.
However, delays meant that it was not actually opened until 1853 and the metal roof that still exists today was constructed in 1914.
The Boqueria's grand iron entrance is the most iconic part of the building that stands there today and is where you will catch your first glimpse of the crowds milling about. Once you pass through this entrance, you will step into an entirely new world of all sorts of culinary delights. Foods and drinks of all varieties and nationalities are gathered under one roof. You can find fruit stalls selling fresh fruit and veg, as well as freshly squeeze juices; the famous El Pinotxo bar that is always full and charges quality restaurant prices; and a small stand in the centre of the market where an Italian man is selling wood fired oven pizzas by the slice that is a known favourite of El Bulli's founder Ferran Adria.
The Boqueria's grand iron entrance is the most iconic part of the building that stands there today and is where you will catch your first glimpse of the crowds milling about. Once you pass through this entrance, you will step into an entirely new world of all sorts of culinary delights. Foods and drinks of all varieties and nationalities are gathered under one roof. You can find fruit stalls selling fresh fruit and veg, as well as freshly squeeze juices; the famous El Pinotxo bar that is always full and charges quality restaurant prices; and a small stand in the centre of the market where an Italian man is selling wood fired oven pizzas by the slice that is a known favourite of El Bulli's founder Ferran Adria.
If you are a serious foodie, make a point of trying Catalonian specialities like bacallà salat (dried salted cod), calçots (a cross between a leek and an onion), cargols (snails) a la llauna, peus de porc (pig's trotters) and percebes (goose-necked barnacles). But if none of that tickles your fancy, there are plenty of other treats and cuisines to try out. For lunch on the fly while exploring Barcelona, this really is a must.