The best places to discover the local life when travelling are the street markets. Surrounded by the best seasonal products you can watch how people interact, find out what they really eat and get to know a little bit of the everyday life of the city you have chosen to visit.
I’ve heard wonders about Asian and Latinamerican street markets. Unfortunately, we have never visited one of them ( it’s in our bucket list, though!) but we have enjoyed the lively and fragant Italian street markets.
Our favourites are Rialto, in Venice, and Campo dei Fiori, in Rome. To avoid crowds, you’d better wake up early. The early morning hours are great to find the best products, even more if you want to buy fine local fish in La Pescheria, the fish market in Rialto. Sadly, nowadays they don’t sell too much local fish from the Laguna, most of the product comes from overseas.
Both markets offer great Italian vegetables. We highly recommend buying fondi di carciofi, that is artichokes, tiny zucchini and fiori di zucchini, that is courgettes and courgettes flowers, and simple but really juicy tomatoes. Campo dei fiori has great flowers stalls too. Spices are also a must in this famous street market and they are a nice present to take home.
Other beautiful Italian streets markets are La Vucciria, in Palermo and Campo delle erbe, in Padova. Almost every single city, town or village in Italy has its own street market. Most of the time they just take place one or two days a week, so just ask and prepare your visit. You won’t regret it.
PS. The prettiest street market in London, Borough market
