El Rastro is the most popular open-air flea market in Madrid and one of the oldest in the city. Founded in 1496, this bimonthly flea market offers a wide variety of used and new products.
Located around the Ribera de Curtidores, El Rastro de Madrid, with its 3,500 stalls, occupies a large, almost triangular block bounded by Calle de Toledo, Calle Embajadores and Ronda de Toledo, and extends into various streets in the area, such as San Cayetano, Fray Ceferino González, Carlos Arniches, Mira el RĂo, or Plaza de General Vara del Rey and Plaza de Campillo del Mundo Nuevo. Some of the antique shops in the area are also open on Sundays.
From antique furniture and collectibles displayed in some of the small squares and galleries to second-hand clothes, jewelry, old flamenco records, old photographs of Madrid, fake designer purses, grunge T-shirts, appliances and electronics, it is possible to take home anything you can imagine from El Rastro.
But unlike the flea markets in Paris, London, Rome or Brussels, which are full of high-end items, El Rastro is an honest flea market. Most of the items sold at El Rastro are of low quality, and offered at bargain prices. And although there's a real gem for every ten pieces of junk, it's unusual to find valuable treasures along the main thoroughfares. But if you're lucky and willing to get your hands dirty, who knows, you might just find a vintage designer dress, a mid-century modern chair, a rare painting, or the inner workings of an old door lock. Your best bet for more unique discoveries is the side streets. There you'll find shops selling antiques and retro goods.
The organizers of El Rastro suggest that those looking for a more touristy experience arrive at 11:00 a.m., when the market is at its busiest. Those looking to haggle for a bargain should get there a little earlier, between 08:30 and 09:00. The crowds usually begin to thin around noon, as people head to the bars on the fringes of the market and around the Plaza de Cascorro for a drink and some tapas. The stalls gradually close, around 15:00 or 16:00, depending on whether it is winter or summer.
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