The “whatever you want whenever you want it” attitude doesn´t exist. Because, although there is a wide variety of products, it is the weather and the season of the year that determine the harvest. The traditional Tolosa market, which has been held for centuries, is one of the oldest and in turn, the most well-known in the Basque Country. A market that takes place over three different squares where you can stroll among local produce.
Whether it is cold or warm, daytime or still dark, every, yes every Saturday of the year, Tolosa wakes up very early to prepare its traditional market. The three most important squares in the Old Quarter (the Tinglado, Plaza Cristales and Plaza Euskal Herria) fill with greetings while the baserritarras (farmers) and local producers arrive and fill their stalls with fresh produce. Straight away, a large crowd of people will arrive, the locals who never miss a Saturday, and even people from neighbouring towns.
In Tolosa´s Tinglado Marketplace, the stars are the fresh seasonal products from farmhouses in the surrounding area: more than 60 stalls where you can find a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, eggs, bread and other products. Here you will find, before you see them anywhere else, the first mushrooms, tomatoes, Piparra chillies and beans. Also, you can directly talk to the person responsible for growing the produce, is there anything more charming? Some of the stalls are also organic.
In the legendary Plaza Cristales, in the centre of the Old Quarter of Tolosa and surrounded by emblematic buildings, you will find plants and flowers every Saturday. Colours and aromas to decorate our balconies and interior spaces: petunias, carnations, geraniums, balsam, and also herbs such as basil, rosemary...If you would like to start a little garden, here you will find seeds from different pants with advice from the best.
On the other hand, Plaza Euskal Herria is home to the most different market. For decades, this square was a meeting point for people travelling from France, Castile and Navarre, and that is why trade is so important. In this square, on Saturday morning you will find seasonal fruit and vegetables, pickles and all kinds of textiles.
To visit Tolosa´s traditional market from within, every Saturday of the year a guided visit is organised at 11 in the morning. This visit is available in Basque, Spanish, English and French, and the general price is €3 (although there are also reduced prices). You can see all the information about guided visits, by clicking here.
Incidentally, there is the option to visit the traditional Tinglado market virtually with a 360º view, by clicking here.
Health. Earth. Nature. Closeness. Origins. Tradition. Quality. Identity. Sustainability. Authenticity. Values. For all these reasons we say that Tolosa has to be experienced: come to Tolosa market! And complement the plan with some tapas, the TOPIC (International Puppet Museum), shopping, tourism and more. You can see a plan for the entire weekend, in this article.
