The local markets in La Spezia, Liguria are a colorful experience with vendors selling a variety of goods, from fresh organic produce to artisanal hand crafted goods.
These street markets are an important part of Italian life. But they’re also popular with visitors and travelers looking to immerse themselves in local culture. These markets offer a taste of authentic Italian life, with the chance to shop like a local and interact with La Spezians going about their business.
Why am I writing this post? To encourage visitors to reward local businesses who turn up in rain, snow, and sunshine. These hard-working local stall holders add to the cultural texture of our holiday destinations and deserve our tourist Euros.
So, my list of local markets isn’t a ‘best of’ list. Instead, it’s a go-to list of street markets that you can visit, experience, and support when you’re here in La Spezia!
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La Spezia Daily Food Markets
Price Range: €€ to €€€
Address: Piazza Cavour, La Spezia
Opening Times: (Every day except Sunday and Public Holidays) 7.30 am to 1.30 pm
About La Spezia Food Markets
The first spot on our list has to go to a place that truly captures the heart of local life in La Spezia: the covered food markets. Located in Piazza Cavour (known locally as market square) is where you can find all kinds of delicious fresh produce and local delights.
You'll find everything you need to savor the flavors of Liguria. It's a simple, honest place, perfect for those who appreciate good food and local traditions.
What to Buy and Try
The market is bustling with vendors who stock an abundance of seasonal fruit and vegetables, seafood, cheeses, cured meats, and even rotisserie meats.
But since this is Liguria you should make a beeline for the fresh seafood, pesto, and focaccia.
Or make your own pesto from ingredients (basil, pine nuts, olive oil, parmesan) that are readily available in the market!
Around the market, you’ll also find other shops and cafes that are worthy of a stop. Two of our favorites include La Casina (for excellent coffee and mouthwatering pastries) and PLUS (for gourmet deli produce, bread, and Italian wines)!
If all the delicious foods stimulate your appetite then we recommend you stop for lunch at Osteria all' Inferno. It’s is one of our favorite local eateries, serving homestyle local specialties, and is just a few steps from the market.
Craft Market
About La Spezia Craft Markets
The local craft market is always a surprise. The stall holders are sometimes chatty grandmas selling hand-stitched linens and craftsmen with Italian leather goods and other times hip artists with beautiful collections to admire.
To make things even more exciting, this market has no fixed location. It seems to randomly pop up at locations around the old town.
However, the weekend market dates also coincide with the arrival of cruise ship passengers. I’ve managed to track down a schedule and location for the remaining dates in 2024.
Saturday 30 November: Via Vittorio Veneto facing Piazza Europa
Sunday 8 December: Piazza Cavour
Saturday 14 December: Piazza Garibaldi
Saturday 21 December: Via Vittorio Veneto facing Piazza Europa
Sunday 22 December: Via Vittorio Veneto facing Piazza Europa
What to Buy
The market is always worth a look. You never know what you’ll find or who you’ll meet.
Just a couple of weeks ago I came across two immensely talented artists who make artisanal jewelry.
If you’re browsing, then make sure to look out for their Pomoblu and Sciurilli artisan jewelry stall.
Supporting local businesses is a great way to give thanks to the places that we visit.
Hobbyist Market
About La Spezia Hobbyist Market
The local hobbyist market sells a mix of vintage curiosities, collectibles, toys, models, and various other stalls.
This is one of those markets where you can browse and find a random (and unusual) item that you never knew you wanted. But will suddenly feel compelled to buy. I guess you can call it FOMO!
This is another local market with no fixed address. Here is a schedule for the remaining dates and locations for 2024.
Saturday 7 December: Piazza Garibaldi
Sunday 15 December: Via Vittorio Veneto facing Piazza Europa
Antique and Vintage Market
About La Spezia Antique Market
Every first Sunday (except August), La Spezia's Piazza Cavour transforms into a vintage lover's paradise. This is a little world of antique treasures, where you can hunt for elegant furniture, delicate porcelain, and collectible curios.
We stopped in at this market a few weeks ago. It was a soggy Sunday in October, and we were on our way to the Centre of Modern and Contemporary Art (CaMeC). But the stalls all have such quirky knickknack and interesting objects that I couldn’t help but browse the stalls instead! I got a little too distracted and CaMeC had to wait until after Lunch.
If you’re looking for something extra special to remind you of your vacation, then you might find it here!
What to Buy
The ceramics are particularly beautiful with flamboyant patterns and characteristic colors that conjure a feeling of the Mediterranean.
You’ll often find Testa di Moro (Moor’s Head) vases that are popular in Sicily. But have also been adopted by Ligurians.
Folk law mentions that basil was traditionally planted in these vases (known to be a symbol of royalty). And of course, basil growing is also synonymous with Liguria!
La Spezia Weekly Street Market
Every Friday morning, La Spezia's bustling street market takes over Viale Garibaldi (5 minutes south of the train station). From early morning until early afternoon, you can find an array of cheap and cheerful goods. Including clothing, shoes, costume jewelry, toiletries, and household items.
This is an everyday market for everyday shoppers and not an attraction for tourists. But if you want to soak up the local atmosphere of a genuine Italian city then this is where you can get your fix!
I was at the markets this week and you can see from the photos that even on a chilly November morning the markets are bustling with trade.
Special Markets and Events
Throughout the year there are many festivals and events that are staged in La Spezia.
Many of these also include market stalls with produce from around Liguria and Italy. Two big events with large markets are La Spezia ‘Palio del Golfo' (traditional rowing race) and the San Giuseppe fair.
The Christmas markets are also hugely popular as is the annual chocolate festival on Corso Cavour from 22 to 24 November 2024.
Other Shopping in La Spezia
The main shopping area in La Spezia is in the zone between the train station (La Spezia Centrale) and the public gardens near the marina.
The streets of Via del Prione and Corso Cavour and the little laneways around that area are good places to buy anything including clothes, shoes, electronics, homewares, and tourist knickknacks.
The Historic Shops of La Spezia (Bottega Storica Della Spezia) are always worth seeking out. If you enjoy a feeling of yesteryear, then look out for these shops that have been trading in La Spezia for over 50 years.
The historic artisanal shops have been awarded special recognition for their contribution to La Spezia’s culture and traditions, and for preserving artisanal crafts.
These include a wide range of businesses such as bakers, hairdressers, stationers, and carpenters.
You can identify these historical shops with the special plaques they display on their store frontage.
This shopping area is also where you can find some great local La Spezia restaurants and cafes to refuel!
Other Things To Do in La Spezia
La Spezia is a diverse city offering a lot more than shopping and restaurants. Here are some ideas to inspire you:
- Visit the Civic Museums to enjoy Italian and La Spezian culture, art, and history.
- Walk around the city to admire the Liberty Architecture, churches, and piazzas.
- Do something special, like a boat trip around the famously beautiful Gulf of Poets (Gulf of La Spezia)
- If your timing is right, then attend one of the La Spezia festivals and events that occur throughout the year
- Take some time out and stroll around the public gardens, harbor front, and Porto Mirabello marina.
Other content you might find useful:
Tourist Map of Useful Locations and Markets in La Spezia
If you’re not familiar with La Spezia then you can make use of this handy map to help you pinpoint the locations of all the markets (and local places of interest) mentioned in this post.
Wrap Up
In this article, I’ve shared the best of the local markets in La Spezia where you can shop like a local and mingle with Italians.
We hope you enjoy this post and that you get the opportunity to support these local traders.
