Barcelona Shopping Guide: Best Shops for Souveniers, Clothes, Interior Design and Flea Markets

Spotlight

Barcelona

Shopping

In keeping with its reputation for being Europe's capital of cutting-edge urban cool, Barcelona abounds with great shopping opportunities. From chain fashion shops to flea markets and from trendy design stores to offbeat, locally made couture, the Catalan capital is a shoppers' paradise. Tip: Most major stores stay open all day on weekdays and are open Saturday mornings; small independent shops will traditionally close for siesta between 2 and 5pm. Almost all stores are closed on Sunday.

The Gothic Quarter is the place to browse for souvenirs, antiques, and handicrafts in its many specialist shops like Cereria Subirà (Baixada de la Llibreteria 7), a candle store dating back to 1761. Various treasures and knick-knacks are found at the Barri Gòtic Antiques Market in front of La Seu cathedral (Plaça de la Seu; Thursdays 9am-8pm) To pick up colorful fans, mantillas (cloaks), and shawls, go to Almacenes del Pilar (C/Boqueria 43; www.almacenesdelpilar.com). If flea markets are your thing, don't miss a browse around Barcelona's best, Els Encants (Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat 7am-6pm) at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes in the area of Glòries, where the market is the top draw.

Fans of cool design will appreciate El Born, home to the city's best interior design outlets. At Ici et Là (Plaça Santa Maria 2; www.icietla.com), over 30 international artists sell their one-off or limited-edition wares ranging from furniture to decorative items. Mercado del Born (C/Rec 37-39 & Plaça Comercial 3; www.mercadodelborne.com) is an artist cooperative where unique art and design pieces – from stationery and collectibles to graphic art and house wares – are on display and for sale.

For funky urban couture by homegrown and international designers, stop by On Land (C/Princesa 25; www.on-land.com) in El Born. Back in Barri Gòtic is the flagship store of Catalonia's own Custo Barcelona (C/Ferran 36), famous for its colorful printed shirts. For quirky women's clothes, pop in for a look at vibrantly colored collections at Gimenez y Zuazo (C/Elisabets 20 or C/Rec 42; www.gimenezzuazo.com) in El Raval. Haute designers like Josep Font (C/Provença 304), Lydia Delgado (C/Minerva 21; www.lydiadelgado.es), and Antonio Miró (C/Consell de Cent 349) have stores in L'Eixample and Gràcia.

For one-stop shopping, a visit to the El Corte Ingles department store (Plaça de Catalunya 14; www.elcorteingles.es) is a must. Passeig de Gràcia is the city's mainstream shopping strip, lined with chain stores like Mango (www.mango.com/paises.htm), Zara (www.zara.es) and the trendy Mallorcan shoe outfit, Camper (www.camper.com).