A tour of Europe’s greatest cities is not complete without a visit to their famous retail food markets. The scents, tastes, sounds and colourful hustle-and-bustle are the kind of memory that people take back home with them. Here are six you might not want to miss:

MERCAT DE LA BOQUERIA, BARCELONA

This covered market bills itself as the “paradise of the senses” and behind the wrought iron-and-glass entry gate there are more than 800 stands – all exclusively to do with locally produced food – awaiting visitors.

You walk down aisles lined on the left by piles of pears, avocados and pineapples, and on the right by towers of strawberries and mushrooms. Then there’s all the meat: hanging from the ceilings are slabs of pork, or perhaps lamb’s head.

Mercat de la Boqueria is about fish too. In the middle of the hall, 50 stands form a huge oval where every kind of saltwater fish is on offer.

MARCHE AUX PUCES DE |SAINT-OUEN, PARIS

This open-air affair claims to be the world’s largest flea market. But in any case, the seven-hectare Marche aux Puces de Saint-Ouen in the northern part of Paris has a gigantic collection of antiques and second-hand items.

Around 1,700 merchants grouped into 14 different market segments await visitors on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, and in the course of the year will be bargaining with more than five million people.

The market is where to go to find perhaps that antique gem you have long been searching for -furniture, paintings, carpets, mirrors, lamps, books, toys, cutlery and more.

BOROUGH MARKET, LONDON

Contrary to the stereotypical opinion, one can eat well in England. And the ingredients for tasty dining are to be found in the Borough Market, about 200 metres south of the River Thames in the Southwark district.

It’s a place where high-quality products from far and near are found, with just a touch of old colonial days handing about. Darjeeling tea from India or tropical fruit from plantations in the Caribbean are found here, right next to Galloway beef and Sussex sole.

MERCATO CENTRALE, FLORENCE

While taking Michaelangelo’s statue of David in the Accademia and Sandro Botticelli’s painting of the Birth of Venus in the Uffizi Galleries, visitors should make a detour to enjoy the special snacks of the Mercato Centrale.

The visit is not even an interruption for those interested in art history, for the art deco building of iron and glass is worth seeing for itself. On the first floor, you can buy food that you can immediately sit down and start eating, while waiters serve you beverages. But, oh, the choices you face – olives, ham, cheeses, and pasta.

NAGY VASARCSARNOK, BUDAPEST

Initially, one is impressed by the grandeur of the Nagy Vasarcsarnok, or grand market hall. With its mighty corner towers, colourfully glazed brickwork and figurines decorating the entrance, the indoor market could almost pass for a basilica at first glance.

There are 200 shops found |on three floors. The bottom floor has everything for the kitchen, while further up there are artefacts, textiles and stands serving up the spicy dish Hungary is famous for: goulash. Your own fault if you pass this chance up.

NASCHMARKT, VIENNA

The open-air Naschmarkt is one of the top attractions in the Austrian capital, with around 170 booths and snack stands. The name derives from the German verb “naschen” – to nibble – meaning the Naschmarkt is a great place for tasting food.

But it’s also famous for its |multi-cultural flair, with many small snack stands offering up a |variety of international as well |as local dishes.