Markets Basque Country

The La Bretxa shopping center has a fresh produce market, a supermarket and stores. Every morning, small producers display their products on open-air stalls. You will find an impressive selection of local products. This historic market was designed by architect Antonio Cortázar and later expanded by José de Goicoa. It takes its name (The Breach) from the place where it is located, having twice seen invaders enter the city through a breach created in the city walls.

Every Sunday morning, the Plaza Nueva fills up with passers-by and the curious at its Sunday market. Under the arcades of the square, about fifty stalls sell records, books, old toys, and even fish and birds. It is also the meeting place for fans of cromos (trading cards). On this day, the bars in the square are always full; it is customary to have an aperitif with rabas (fried squid).

Located on the ground floor of the Mendibil shopping centre, this charming covered market is very well stocked with cheese, vegetables, fruit, fish, meat and delicatessen. Here you won't be out of the ordinary, as many of its customers come from Hendaye, and even from Saint-Jean-de-Luz, to buy anchovies, olives or croquetas. Among its many stalls, don't miss the butcher Zubikoa, whose selection of Bellota ham is a marvel. Be patient, however, as it is often crowded in front of his stall.

Once a month, on Saturdays, this great open-air market is celebrated in the streets of the old town. There are a total of around 180 traders and exhibitors offering food, clothing, antiques and tastings of local products. You can take a look at the Rincón de la Artesanía (Craft Corner) to sample some local artefacts, or head to the Plaza de la Burullería, where there are activities for the little ones and a tasting area. A highlight in the life of Vitoria.

Until the middle of the 20th century, the weekly market in Gernika was held every Monday in the open air. Shortly after the bombing of the city, a large hall was built to house its stalls. The current building, rebuilt in 1991, continues to house the stalls of greengrocers, florists, butchers and cheese makers every Monday morning. Its reputation is such that the tourist office organizes guided tours! On the^first Saturday of the month, a local product is celebrated: txakoli, beans (alubias), Gernika pepper...

In this market, you will find organic and good food: about fifteen small producers of the area meet there on Thursdays and Saturdays to sell their fruits and vegetables of the garden, but also flowers and plants. Since 1718, the market stalls have been located around the beautiful kiosk in the plaza del solar. The latter, built in an eclectic style, dates from 1912. Take advantage of this opportunity to stock up on good regional products, including the typical green peppers of Gernika, and don't forget to bring back a few bottles of txakoli.

This flower market is held every Sunday morning on the promenade of El Arenal, a few metres from the Town Hall. The stalls are set up along the ría, offering all kinds of plants and flowers at low prices. The emblematic tinglados (metal shelters), inherited from the industrial era, become the showcase of this pretty market where it is good to stroll among the freshly cut flowers. Many small producers come here to sell their products.

This market is an unmissable event in the Basque Country, where the reference prices for each product are established every week! Since 1512, local products have been sold every Wednesday, and the streets of Ordizia are filled with the aroma of local produce. Stalls selling local fruit and vegetables, Idiazábal cheese, lamb, etc. are grouped together in a large hall built in 1925 in the Plaza Mayor. Special fairs are held there (see calendar).

Its location as a crossroads between Navarra, France and Castile has favoured the economic development of Tolosa. The Saturday markets are very lively: fresh produce at the Mercado del Tinglado, along Calle Solana, near the river, the flower and plant market in the Plaza Verdura, and textile products in the Plaza Euskal Herria. The Tinglado Market, built in 1899 and recently renovated, forms a beautiful architectural ensemble. Underneath their metal structure, people come here to buy good local produce, especially the famous beans!