Mercado de la Ribera

Whenever we plan a city trip, we check if there's a market and if there is, we will most definately visit it and spend a couple of hours there.

Bilbao was no exception. The "Mercado de la Ribera" claims to be the largest indoor market in Spain. I'm not totally convinced of that, but it sure is a big place, I'll give you that.

Located just south of the old town, on the bank of the river, you will find this 3 story market, bustling with people checking out the produce. At the time that we visited, the top floor was closed to the public, which was a shame.

But fear not, the 2 remaining floors proved to be entertaining enough.

Taking the stairs up one floor from street level, we found stalls selling fruit and vegetables, meats, poultry and spices. I don't think we had ever seen peppers this big, skinned goats hanging from the ceiling or smiling pig heads. Very funny.

The lower level however, is even more interesting. This whole level is completely dedicated to fish and seafood. You name it, they have it. All kinds of mussels and shells, shrimp, lobster, fish... It is quite entertaining to watch the fishmongers clean and slice their produce with these gigantic knives that could pretty well be used to chop your head off. No haggling about the price with these people.

If you don't mind the smell, this place should definately be on your list of places to visit in Bilbao.