the Travel Enthusiast
- 11 May
Top 5 flea markets in Europe
photo by Frederique Voisin-Demery
One of the pleasures of traveling is buying souvenirs, and if you manage to get away without spending a fortune on gifts and mementos, all the better. Souvenir shops, however, are notorious for exploiting the tourist’s passion for little reminders of their travels, and most of the time you just end up with a cliche object that you don’t even like that much.
If you want a unique souvenir or a gift, flea markets are a much better place to hunt for interesting bargain items, and European flea markets are so fascinating that they could make great travel destinations in their own right. So here are the top 5 markets in Europe, for those tourists who like browsing through old, fascinating and unique things.
Waterloo, Belgium
One of the most delightful flea-markets in Europe is held every Sunday in the parking lot of a Carrefour supermarket in Waterloo. This market is a real paradise for amateur treasure hunters, where you can find anything from valuable antiques to affordable collectibles (but also some replicas). There are about 300 stalls laid out in a neat way in the market, and you can easily while away the afternoon here.
La Braderie, Lille, France
photo by Jean-Francois Gornet
La Braderie in Lille is the largest flea-market in France, but sadly, this treasure trove of bargain items, curiosities, collectibles and antiques takes place only once a year, on the first weekend on September.
On the plus size, the sellers who come to La Braderie have an entire year to assemble their stocks, which are laid out over several kilometers of pavement.
Mercantic, Barcelona, Spain
The indoor market of Mercantic is open every day until evening, and it is the perfect hunting ground for those who are interested in pretty and valuable things that might cost more than your average replica, but are definitely worth their price. Many of the sellers specialize in art-deco items or delicate decorations.
Carmagnola, Turin, Italy
photo by Raffaele Sergi
Carmagnola market is a stone’s throw away from Turin, and it is located in a pretty little town center and side streets with lots of space for those 250 stalls of more or less valuable treasures.
It is held every second Sunday, and it is great for those market-goers who are interested mainly in handmade items like jewelry, glassware or even furniture.
Flohmarkt am Mauerpark, Berlin, Germany
If you’re not against some serious hunting, you will enjoy rummaging through the wares displayed at Flohmarkt am Mauerpark. There is new merchandise as well as old merchandise, and the best part about this market is that you can find almost anything you want, if you’re prepared to comb the stalls for it.
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