Els Encants, the biggest flea market in Barcelona
Do you like to shop? Surely if you’re thinking about hitting the shops in Barcelona, you’ll have a pretty clear picture in your head of sweeping avenues full of grand department stores, renowned brands and major international fashion houses… but if you’re looking to find something charming, perhaps some antiques, a few relics of days gone by, or even some great second-hand goods, Els Encants is the biggest market in Barcelona and the right place for you.
How to find your way around Els Encants
The best way to stumble upon all the one-of-a-kind items in this market is to simply immerse yourself in its 15,000+ square metres of space. Els Encants, or Encants Vells or Mercat Fira de Bellcaire as it is also known, has market stalls offering up all kinds of goods, from the strange to the traditional, all with an air of something very special indeed.
Its history goes back to the 14th century, where we can see the very first references in writing to the Els Encants marketplace. Tradition is one of the cornerstones of this special place, where you’ll see market stalls that have been in one family for generations, handed down from grandparents, to parents, to children.
If you’re looking for something a little different, a little quirky, then this is sure to be your favourite shopping destination in the city. Furniture, toys, vinyls, antiques, textiles, clothing and artisan products. Practically everything you can imagine can be bought at Els Encants.
How to get to Els Encants
You can reach Els Encants Vells market by bus, metro or car, and it’s located on Avenida Meridiana at number 69. By bus you can take lines H12, V21, 7, 92, 192 and metro lines Glòries (L1) or Monumental (L2). If you decide to travel by car, private parking is available to avoid having to find a space on the street.
Open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9:00 to 20:00. The busiest day is Saturday, but the market welcomes lots of people whenever it opens its doors. To give you an idea of the scale of popularity, more than 100,000 people pass through the market every week.
Els Encants Vells, a wonderful opportunity to discover different and unique items you won’t find elsewhere in the city.
Categories: barcelona