Perched on a steep hill in the lovely neighborhood of Alfama, you will in no doubt leave with a great souvenir or gift. Sellers throw down blankets or rugs in rows and sell a variety of hand-made goods, antiques, books, clothes, military objects, etc. I took home two wonderful brass bottle openers and a couple of old world maps. Getting to the market is easy and the trip there is quite beautiful; take the Tram 28, or Tram 12 up the hill through the tight, and narrow neighborhood streets (becos). After you’ve spent all of your Euro, take a short walk over to the Santa Engracia Church, Museum of Decorative Arts, or the National Pantheon. Oh, and don’t forget to take in the views and snap a few pictures.
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Thieves' Market
Perched on a steep hill in the lovely neighborhood of Alfama, you will in no doubt leave with a great souvenir or gift. Sellers throw down blankets or rugs in rows and sell a variety of hand-made goods, antiques, books, clothes, military objects, etc. I took home two wonderful brass bottle openers and a couple of old world maps. Getting to the market is easy and the trip there is quite beautiful; take the Tram 28, or Tram 12 up the hill through the tight, and narrow neighborhood streets (becos). After you’ve spent all of your Euro, take a short walk over to the Santa Engracia Church, Museum of Decorative Arts, or the National Pantheon. Oh, and don’t forget to take in the views and snap a few pictures.
Hidden treasures at Lisbon's gypsy flea market
Be sure to take the historic yellow Tram 28 into the Heart of the Alfama district on a Tuesday or Saturday to the Feira Da Ladra, Lisbon’s gypsy flea market. This is a great opportunity to get a dose of local flavor as you mingle with the residents buying and selling their wares on Campo de Santa Clara. Anything from broken-in shoes to axe body spray, x-rated videos to classic vinyl records, vintage soda cans to childrens books, you’ll be sure to find something unique and even useful to bring back home with you. Not overrun with the tourist trade yet, jump in and put your Portuguese to practice as you bargain with the vendors – simple knowledge of numbers will go a long way to get a good price.
Alfama Flea Market
In the old neighborhood of Alfama, you can find this flea market, called Feira da Ladra (Thief Fair). It is the oldest fair in Lisbon, with origins in the Middle Ages. It’s a very popular street market where any kind of object can be found in a tent, stall, or spread on the ground. Most of the objects are secondhand, and you can find furniture, antiques, books, magazines, vinyl records, B&W pictures, old cameras, tiles, frippery, and so on. Take your time, and don’t be afraid to haggle, as it’s part of the game.
A great bargain
Lisbon’s flea market is every Tuesday and Saturday, from dawn to dusk. A myriad of small stalls sell all sorts of second-hand and new products, and other traders simply display their in front of their stores to attract customers. I got this wooden man on his unicycle for 8 Euro.
