Three markets under one roof
Mercat de Sant Antoni Barcelona: hours and visit
The Mercat de Sant Antoni is one of the largest markets in Barcelona. It combines a food market, non-food shops, and on Sundays, a famous book and collectibles market. Less touristy than La Boqueria, it is also worth a visit for its spectacular, fully renovated iron building.
A large Barcelona market combining fresh produce, shops, and a famous Sunday market under a remarkable iron building.
- Free entry
- Three markets
- Sunday market
- In the Eixample
At a Glance
The Mercat de Sant Antoni at a Glance
| Type of place | Food market, shops, and Sunday market |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood | Sant Antoni – Eixample |
| Address | Carrer del Comte d'Urgell, 1, 08011 Barcelona |
| Food Market | Monday to Saturday, from 8:00 AM to 8:30 PM |
| Charms of Sant Antoni | Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, from 10 AM to 8 PM |
| Sunday Market | Sunday, from 8 AM to 3 PM |
| Entry | Free |
| Visit Duration | Approximately 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Must-See Attractions | Fresh produce, Encants, Sunday market, and architecture |
| Best Time | Sunday Mornings: Books and Collections |
| Metro | L2 Sant Antoni |
| Official Site | mercatdesantantoni.com |
| Good to Know | The three markets do not operate on the same days and hours |
The food market is open from Monday to Saturday. The Encants de Sant Antoni are closed on Tuesday, while the Mercat Dominical takes over on Sunday morning.
Not to be missed
What to See at Mercat de Sant Antoni?
© Barcelona.com
The Food Market
© Barcelona.com
The Sant Antoni Market
© Barcelona.com
The Sunday Book Market
© L736E, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Cross-Shaped Building
To see Sant Antoni at its most unique, come on Sunday morning: the food market is closed, but the stalls of books, comics, vinyl records, and collectibles give the place a truly special atmosphere.
For fresh produce and a glimpse of everyday neighborhood life, opt for a weekday morning or Saturday instead.
Why Go
Why Visit the Mercat de Sant Antoni?
Sant Antoni is much more than just a food market. Its uniqueness lies in bringing together three different activities around the same building.
The covered market is dedicated to fresh products: butcheries, poultry shops, fishmongers, fruits and vegetables, delicatessens, canned goods, and prepared dishes.
Around it, the Encants de Sant Antoni offer fashion, shoes, accessories, haberdashery, and home equipment. Finally, on Sundays, the market completely transforms with booksellers and collectors.
The Sunday Gathering
The Sant Antoni Sunday Market
Sunday morning is a special time. The Mercat Dominical de Sant Antoni gathers nearly a hundred stalls dedicated to new, old, or second-hand books and collectibles.
You'll find comic books, manga, magazines, postcards, stamps, posters, trading cards, vinyl records, and video games there.
Created in the 1930s, this market has become a true Barcelona institution. For book and collection enthusiasts, it's probably the most unique part of the Mercat de Sant Antoni.
© Barcelona.com
A Bookseller at the Sunday Market
Let's Eat
What Can You Find at the Food Market?
The covered market brings together all the major trades of a traditional Barcelona market: fishmongers, butchers, poultry sellers, delicatessen vendors, fruit and vegetable merchants, olives, preserves, and prepared dishes.
Sant Antoni is primarily frequented by local residents. The atmosphere is therefore very different from that of La Boqueria: fewer products aimed at visitors and more shops where Barcelonans actually come to do their shopping.
A few bars and counters also offer the opportunity to have a coffee, a vermouth, or to eat on-site.
© L736E, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A Fishmonger Stall
A neighborhood landmark
The History of the Mercat de Sant Antoni
The Mercat de Sant Antoni was designed by architect Antoni Rovira i Trias and built between 1872 and 1882. It was the first major market in Barcelona constructed outside the old medieval walls after their demolition.
Its immense metal structure in the shape of a cross occupies an entire block of the Eixample.
A complete renovation began in the late 2000s. The work was notably slowed down by the discovery of archaeological remains, including elements of the Roman Via Augusta, a necropolis, and remnants of the Sant Antoni bastion. The renovated market finally reopened in 2018.
© Barcelona.com
Exterior View of the Market
In the neighborhood
The Mercat de Sant Antoni and the Eixample
The market has given its name to the Sant Antoni neighborhood, located at the southwestern end of Eixample.
Around the market, Parlament, Comte Borrell, and Manso streets have become particularly pleasant for walking, having a coffee, enjoying lunch, or sipping a vermouth.
The Raval and the historic center are also within walking distance, making it easy to include Sant Antoni in a day of sightseeing.
To continue your day, check out our ideas for things to do in Barcelona.
Different Atmospheres
What Other Markets to Visit in Barcelona?
Food markets, flea markets, or neighborhood markets: each has its own specialty. Discover our complete selection of Barcelona markets.
© Barcelona.com
Boqueria Market
© Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mercat dels Encants
© Enric, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mercat del Ninot
Getting there
Getting to Sant Antoni
Mercat de Sant Antoni occupies its own block where the Eixample meets the Raval, on the corner of Comte d'Urgell and Tamarit. Metro L2 stops at Sant Antoni, three minutes from the iron hall.
Getting there
Nearby
El Raval
Cross the Ronda and the grid gives way to the Raval's narrow streets, the Rambla del Raval and Botero's bronze cat.
Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)
Richard Meier's white gallery opened in 1995 on a square that has been Barcelona's skateboarding ground ever since.
Old monastery of Sant Pau del Camp
One of the oldest churches still standing in the city, Romanesque, with a small cloister of lobed arches from the 13th century.
Palau Güell
The mansion Gaudí built for Eusebi Güell between 1886 and 1890, with twenty trencadís chimneys on its roof terrace.
Royal Square
The arcaded square holds its own small market of coins and stamps on Sunday mornings, under lamps designed by a young Gaudí.
FAQ
FAQ: Mercat de Sant Antoni Barcelona
The food market is open Monday to Saturday from 8 AM to 8:30 PM. Actual hours for some vendors may be shorter.
The food market is closed, but the Mercat Dominical is open on Sundays from 8 AM to 3 PM with its book and collectible stands.
You'll find new and old books, comics, manga, magazines, postcards, stamps, posters, vinyl records, collectible cards, video games, and other collectible items.
Yes. It is both one of Barcelona's major food markets, a remarkable historic building, and a must-visit destination on Sundays for book and collection enthusiasts.