El Rastro

El Rastro is the great open-air market of Madrid, held every Sunday and on public holidays, and it has been a fixture of city life for centuries. It takes its name from the trail of blood — rastro — left by animals dragged downhill to the slaughterhouses and tanneries that once stood here, on the slope south of the old town, and the main street of the market is still called the Ribera de Curtidores, the tanners' bank. From early morning until mid-afternoon, hundreds of stalls fill the area between the Plaza de Cascorro, at the top in La Latina, and the Ronda de Toledo at the bottom, spreading into the side streets. The goods are gloriously mixed. Along the main street are clothes, leather goods, bags, sunglasses, souvenirs and crafts; in the side streets, each with its own speciality, you find old books and comics, vinyl records, tools, paintings, birds and pet supplies, and on the Plaza del General Vara del Rey a cluster of second-hand and vintage dealers. Behind the stalls, the permanent antique shops of the area, many grouped in old courtyard galleries, open their doors on Sundays as well, and serious collectors come for furniture, lamps and old prints. Some say the Rastro is not what it was, and much of what is on sale is new and mass-produced, but the atmosphere is unbeatable: the crowds shuffling down the hill, the haggling, the street musicians, the smell of fried snacks, and the sense of Madrid at play. Afterwards, the whole city seems to move into the bars of La Latina for a vermouth.

Timing is everything. Stalls set up early and the market is busiest from late morning, when the main street becomes a slow-moving crowd; arrive around nine or ten for room to browse and the best chance of finds, and leave by early afternoon, when stalls begin to pack up. The Rastro only runs on Sundays and public holidays, so plan your week around it. The nearest metro stations are La Latina on line 5, at the top, and Puerta de Toledo and Embajadores at the bottom. Bring cash, as many stallholders do not take cards, and haggling is acceptable for second-hand goods.

Staying safe: the crowds make the Rastro a favourite hunting ground for pickpockets, so carry the minimum, wear bags in front, keep phones in a front pocket, and be wary of anyone pressing close. Leave valuables at your hotel. It is perfectly safe otherwise, and families with children come every week, though strollers struggle in the densest stretches.

The second half of the Rastro ritual is the vermouth hour. As the market winds down, La Latina's squares and taverns fill up: the Plaza de la Paja, the Plaza de los Carros, the Calle de la Cava Baja and the Cava Alta are lined with bars serving vermouth on tap, olives, croquetas, tortilla and tapas, and the terraces are packed with locals. It is one of the most joyful scenes in Madrid, and the perfect way to spend a Sunday. Continue with a long lunch, then walk it off in the gardens of Las Vistillas, or head down to Madrid Río, the riverside park. For many visitors, a Sunday at the Rastro and La Latina ends up the most memorable morning of the trip. If you are in Madrid on a public holiday, the market runs too, though with a slightly lighter crowd.