Feira da Ladra

The Feira da Ladra, the Thieves' Market, is one of the oldest markets in Europe and one of the most enjoyable free things to do in Lisbon. According to the city's tourism board its history goes back to 1272, and it moved around the city over the centuries before settling on its current site, the sloping Campo de Santa Clara behind the monastery of São Vicente de Fora, on the eastern edge of Alfama. The name has several explanations, from stolen goods being resold here to an old word for a type of insect found in second-hand clothing, and nobody quite agrees. Twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, stallholders lay out their wares on tables, blankets and the bare ground under the trees, and the square fills with an extraordinary jumble. Some stalls sell crafts, souvenirs and new clothes, but the heart of the market is the second-hand: boxes of old postcards and photographs, vinyl records, vintage cameras, military medals, cutlery, books, toys, furniture and, most tempting for visitors, old azulejos and ceramics. You will find genuine finds, overpriced curiosities and pure rubbish side by side, and the fun is in the hunt. It is also a sociable, very local scene, with neighbourhood regulars, collectors and dealers arriving early and the cafés around the square doing steady business. Behind the stalls rise two of the great monuments of eastern Lisbon, the white dome of the National Pantheon and the twin towers of São Vicente de Fora, and the views down to the river from the edge of the Campo are lovely.

How to shop it: go in the morning, when the selection is best and dealers are still setting out stock; the market winds down through the afternoon. Bring cash in small notes, as many sellers do not take cards. Prices are rarely marked and haggling is expected, though politely. Be sceptical about tiles: some are genuinely old, salvaged from demolished buildings, but Lisbon has had a problem with azulejos stolen from historic façades, and reputable buyers avoid anything that looks freshly prised off a wall. Reproductions and new hand-painted tiles are a fine souvenir, and dedicated tile shops in the city sell salvaged tiles with clear provenance. Keep an eye on your belongings in the crowd, as in any busy market.

What else is around: the market sits right beside the National Pantheon, whose roof terrace has superb views, and São Vicente de Fora, a monastery with tiled cloisters and the tombs of the Bragança kings. The streets of Alfama tumble downhill to the south, and the Graça neighbourhood, with its viewpoints, is uphill to the north. Combining the market with the Pantheon and an Alfama lunch makes one of the best half-days in the city, and the market costs nothing to browse.

Getting there: the Campo de Santa Clara is a walk downhill from Graça, uphill from Santa Apolónia station, or a short stroll from the tram 28 stops around São Vicente. The market is held on Tuesdays and Saturdays only, from morning to late afternoon; on other days the Campo is a quiet square.