Mercado Central
Mercat Central de València
One of Europe's largest traditional markets, with hundreds of stalls under a modernist iron-and-glass dome selling seafood, cured ham and fresh produce.
Built in 1928, the Central Market is a landmark of Valencia's modernist (Art Nouveau) architecture. Its iron frame, stained glass, ceramic tile decoration and soaring dome make it feel like a 'cathedral of food', and the parrot weathervane atop the dome has become the market's emblem. Inside the roughly 8,000-square-meter hall, hundreds of stalls sell Mediterranean seafood, Iberian ham and sausages, cheese, olives, fruit and vegetables, spices, the short-grain rice used for paella, and saffron. Saffron makes a good souvenir, but meat products cannot be taken back to China. A few small counters inside serve freshly sliced ham, horchata (a tiger nut drink) or tapas of the day's seafood for brunch. The market generally opens Monday to Saturday from about 07:30 to 15:00 and is closed on Sundays and public holidays; arriving between 10 and 12 a.m. is recommended. Across the square stand the Silk Exchange and the Gothic Church of Saint John, and the surrounding lanes are full of long-established shops. Getting there: Metro lines 1, 3, 5 and 9 to Àngel Guimerà or Xàtiva, then about a 10-minute walk; about 5 minutes on foot from City Hall Square.
Opening hours
Mon–Sat approx. 07:30–15:00; closed Sundays
Nearby sights
- Church of the Santos Juanes
- La Lonja de la Seda
- Church of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir
- Plaza del Ayuntamiento
- Palace of the Marqués de Dos Aguas (National Ceramics Museum)
- Valencia Cathedral & Micalet
- Plaza de la Virgen & Basilica of the Virgin
- L'Almoina Archaeological Centre