The Mercat de Santa Caterina, in Barcelona's Ciutat Vella district's Ribera Quarter, is truly a new-age wonder.
The "Mercat" (Catalán for "Market") first opened in 1848 on the site of the former Santa Caterina convent. It was closed for many years before its grand re-opening in 2005 - not far away from its original location - with a new roof, new design, and new everything.
It's "new age" because the public market is ultra-modern, ultra-stylish, and ultra-useful all at the same time. It was also "new age" at its building as it was the first covered market at its time in the 1800s.
The new/old-age market is enormous with not only the pre-requisite fish, fruit, cheese, and meat stands but also bars, small restaurants, and even a large supermarket - which seems a little counter intuitive for a "traditional" market. But this is NO traditional market, afterall. One look at its colorful, undulating roof dispels all those notions.
Take a look at this video of Mercat de Santa Caterina by StudioBanana.TV.
