Bolhão Market, Neoclassical marketplace in central Porto, Portugal.
Bolhão Market is a two-story neoclassical building in central Porto housing approximately 79 stalls on the ground floor. The lower level offers fresh produce, meat, fish, and flowers, while restaurants operate on the upper floor.
The site was acquired in 1839, and the current structure was built in 1914 using advanced reinforced concrete technology. The market emerged as a key commercial hub for Porto during the early industrial period.
The market serves as a gathering place where vendors practice pregão, calling out their goods in a traditional competitive style that creates an energetic sales environment. This method remains central to how locals conduct their daily shopping and interact with merchants.
The market operates daily except Sundays and is most lively during morning hours when vendors arrange fresh supplies. Visitors can move freely between stalls on the ground floor and easily access the restaurant level above.
A traditional knife sharpener still operates from his bicycle inside the market, keeping alive a vanishing trade that was once common in Porto. His presence shows how some historical professions persist within this space.
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