Thing to do
Teatro La Fenice
Venice's opera house, opened in 1792 and twice rebuilt after fires, offering opera and concerts in the evening and self-guided visits of its gilded auditorium by…
Rialto Market
Venice's historic food market beside the Rialto Bridge, with a fish market under the Pescheria loggia and fruit and vegetable stalls in the surrounding squares.
At a glance
- Type
- Food market
- Area
- San Polo, Venice, Italy
Good to know
- Fish market
- Fruit and vegetable stalls
- Free to visit
Why we recommend it
The Rialto Market is where Venice has bought its food for centuries, and it is still a working market used by residents and restaurant cooks rather than a show for visitors. It sits on the San Polo side of the Rialto Bridge, in the old commercial heart of the city, where merchants, bankers and traders once gathered. A morning walk through the stalls is one of the best ways to see everyday Venetian life.
The market has two parts. The fruit and vegetable stalls, the Erberia, spread around Campo de la Pescaria and the Casaria and are open Monday to Saturday. The fish market occupies the Pescheria, the open neo-Gothic loggia on the Grand Canal, and the area around Campo de le Becarie, and it runs Tuesday to Saturday from 7:00 until 14:00. On display you will see lagoon and Adriatic seafood that turns up on restaurant menus across the city: soft-shell crabs in season, cuttlefish for black risotto, scampi, sardines for sarde in saor and much more. The produce stalls are good for seasonal fruit and vegetables from the islands of the lagoon and the mainland.
Go early. The fish market is at its liveliest from opening until mid-morning, and by early afternoon the stalls are being hosed down. It is closed on Sundays, and the fish section is also closed on Mondays. Remember that this is a place of work: keep out of the way of traders and buyers, ask before photographing a stallholder up close, and do not touch the produce unless you are buying. If you are self-catering, the stallholders are used to selling small quantities.
The market suits food lovers, photographers and anyone staying in an apartment with a kitchen. Families tend to enjoy the fish displays. Allow 30 minutes to an hour, longer if you stop for coffee or an early cicchetto in one of the bacari around the market, several of which open in the morning for traders.
The Rialto Mercato vaporetto stop on Line 1 is right beside the Pescheria, and the Traghetto di Santa Sofia, a gondola ferry across the Grand Canal, lands next to it. The Rialto Bridge is a two-minute walk away.
Rialto Market FAQs
When is the Rialto fish market open?
Tuesday to Saturday from 7:00 to 14:00. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
When is the fruit and vegetable market open?
Monday to Saturday. It is closed on Sundays.
What time should I go?
Early morning, when the fish market is busiest and the stalls are fully stocked.
Can I take photographs?
Yes, but remember it is a working market, so keep out of the traders' way and ask before photographing stallholders up close.
Where exactly is the market?
On the San Polo side of the Rialto Bridge, around Campo de la Pescaria and the Pescheria loggia on the Grand Canal.
How do I get there by vaporetto?
Take Line 1 to Rialto Mercato, beside the Pescheria.
Is there anywhere to eat nearby?
Yes. Several bacari around the market serve cicchetti and drinks, and some open in the morning.