Milan Italy is famous for its trendsetting fashion and luxury shopping districts but the city is also home to a wonderful range of street markets where you can buy groceries, vintage clothes, antiques and almost everything else in between.
Unsurprisingly, many Milanese locals and Expats regularly shop at the city’s street markets, buying groceries, household items and fashionably vintage clothes, however, many people just meet up with their friends or just spend an afternoon browsing through the ever-changing stalls.
The Best Street Markets In Milan.
The following are some of the best street markets in Milan that you should be aware of:
Valvassori Peroni Market.
Located on Via Carlo Valvassori Peroni, this charming, old-worldly market is lined with bustling stalls and clothes vendors. Right in the heart of the Citta Studi, the main university district in Eastern Milan, the market attracts a chic crowd of young fashionistas looking for bargains as well as locals who go to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, pasta, sausages and cold meats. Ideal to top up your weekly grocery shopping and perfect for finding one off vintage clothes, the Valvassori Peroni market is one of the city’s premier places to go shopping in a friendly, buzzing atmosphere.
The Valvassori Peroni market is open every Saturday between 8 am and 2 pm. The easiest way to get to the market is to take Metro Line 2 and get off at the Lambrate FS metro station.
East Market.
The East Market in Milan is situated on Via Mecenate 88/A and is made up of both indoor and outdoor stalls selling food, vintage clothes, furniture and decorative bric-a-brac. The area has a flea market vibe and is an important part of one of the city’s hippest communities, in the bohemian Lambrate district. With more than 200 hundred stalls, you could easily lose yourself and spend an entire day exploring the maze of stalls piled high with an Aladdin’s cave worth of treasures.
The indoor part of the market is situated inside an abandoned industrial warehouse, although it’s free to enter any part of East Market. As well as food and vintage clothes, there’s also an amazing array of goods on offer including old records, paintings, second-hand bikes, antique mirrors and home decorations. After exploring the stalls you can grab a bite to eat from one of the many food trucks or the on-site bar area. The East Market usually puts on special events, once or twice a month, so it’s always worth checking to see what’s on the calendar for the market on their website.
The East Market is generally open from 10 am until 9 pm each day, although it’s worth checking in advance because it can be a little unpredictable! The best way to get to the market is to take Metro Line 2 to the Lambrate FS station. After that, it’s a very short walk to the market.
Viale Papiniano Market.
The Viale Papiniano Market is the city’s largest street market and is located in the West side of Milan near the Sant’Agostino metro station. This hugely popular market has a wide range of stalls that sell top-quality fruits, vegetables, fish, Italian cheeses and delicious delicatessen snacks, all at great prices. If you’re looking for the very finest food then it’s worth arriving early because it’s often snapped up on a first-come-first-serve basis!
The Viale Papiniano Market also sells beautiful jewelry, handmade arts and crafts, clothing and useful household products. The market is a major attraction for tourists but a lot of the local community also shops there on a regular basis, so don’t expect to have the place to yourself when you visit. The market is open twice a week, on Tuesdays between 8 am and 3 pm and on Saturdays between 8 am and 6 pm. The most convenient way to get to the Viale Papiniano Market is to jump on the Metro Line 2 and get off at the Sant’Agostino station.
Navigli Antique Market.
This delightful canal-front antique market is a Milanese must-see. Located on Alzaia Naviglio Grande 4, there are almost 400 small stalls selling jewelry, furniture, porcelain, antiques, collectibles, books, paintings, furniture and much more besides. The Navigli Antique Market, also known as the Mercatone dell’Antiquariato del Naviglio Grande, is almost 2 km long and is set up beside the city’s oldest canal. This makes the market a real treat to visit to have a little look around on a Sunday afternoon.
Navigli is in the historical part of Milan and is packed with small cafes, bars and restaurants, as well as a thriving nightlife scene. This makes the Navigli Antique Market the ideal place to meet up with your friends before dinner before having a few drinks in the ultra-trendy area of town.
The market is only open on the last Sunday of each month between 9 am and 6 pm. The easiest way to get to the Navigli Antique Market is to catch the Metro Line 2 and get off at the Porta Genova FS station. From there, you can just walk down the Naviglio Grande canal in the opposite direction of the city center.
Via Fauche Street Market.
The Via Fauche street market is located on Via Giovanni Battista Fauche 1/40 and has food stalls on one side and clothes, shoes and bric-a-brac stalls on the other. This typical community market has superb groceries for sale including fruits, vegetables, fish, meats and a delicious selection of cheeses. As well as top-quality food you can also find discounted designer clothes, footwear, accessories and household appliances.
Many of Milan’s fashionistas go bargain hunting in the market to find cut-price designer clothes. In fact, you can often find Gucci, Prada, or Dolce and Gabbana clothes at some hard-to-beat prices! The stallholders are very professional and often have their own brick-and-mortar shop elsewhere in Milan.
The market is open twice a week, on Tuesdays between 8 am and 2 pm and on Saturdays between 8 am and 6 pm. The best way to get to the Via Fauche street market is to jump on the Metro Line 5 and hop off at the Gerusalemme station. From there, it’s just a 2 block walk to the market.
Mercato di Via San Marco.
Via San Marco street market is situated in the lovely Brera district on the intersection between Via Montebello and Via Ancona. The Brera district is a highly sought-after address in the city and has a reputation for being quite posh! The street market has an extremely diverse selection which is divided up into different sections.
There’s a farmer’s market section where you can buy locally sourced fruit, vegetables, meat, cheeses and even some household items. In the clothing section, you can buy some top-end clothes at cut-down prices, including branded items, cashmere and leatherware. As well as clothes and food items, you can also browse stalls that sell niche items such as antiques, handmade arts and crafts and a good selection of random second-hand items.
Since the neighborhood is very upmarket, you’re unlikely to be able to haggle with the vendors but even so, the items on offer tend to be top quality and worth the asking price.
The Via San Marco is open every Monday and Thursday between 7.30 am and 2 pm. To get to Via San Marco, you need to either catch the Metro Line 2 to Lanza station or the Metro Line 3 to Turati station. The market is located right in the middle of these two stations so just take the metro that is most convenient for you.
Oh Bej! Oh Bej! Christmas Market.
The annual Milanese Christmas market is a highlight of the winter holiday season for local Milanese residents, Expats and tourists alike. ‘Oh Bej! Oh Bej!’ translates to ‘how beautiful, how beautiful’ in English, and it’s no understatement!
The Oh Bej! Oh Bej! Christmas market takes place each year between the 5th and 8th of December – or the nearest weekend to those dates. Not only can you buy lovely gifts at the market but you can also immerse yourself in the bustling atmosphere of happy families, couples and groups of friends.
The market takes place in front of the impressive Sforza Castle and is the perfect combination of celebration and shopping, all rolled into one. You can try some of the winter season delicacies and snacks, taste the warm Vin Brule and share roasted chestnuts with your loved ones while you browse the stalls of gifts and seasonal produce.
Although the market only happens once a year, if you’re in Milan in December then you can’t afford to miss out on the Oh Bej! Oh Bej! Christmas market. The best way to get to the market is to take the Metro Line 1 to the Cairoli Castello station. Even if you have a car, it’s easier to take the Metro because the roads can get very busy around the market when it’s open.
Milan’s Street Markets Are Underrated Hubs Of Culture.
Although Milan is better known for its high-end shopping districts and ultra-chic boutiques, the city’s street markets are often overlooked by Expats and tourists alike.
Milan’s street markets are a great place to buy fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, meats and cheese but they are also community hubs where you can meet up with friends or have a coffee and relax while watching the world go by. Whether you live in Milan or are just passing through, you should certainly make time to explore the wonderful street markets that are scattered throughout the city.
