Ventimiglia Market: The Complete Shopping Guide

If you are a shopping lover and are looking for information about Liguria or the French Riviera you will most likely have heard of the famous Market of Ventimiglia.

You should know that there are two types of markets in Ventimiglia: the weekly Friday market, which is the most famous, and the covered market of Ventimiglia, less known but loved by the inhabitants of Italian Riviera for the quality of its products.

In this little guide you will find out everything about the Ventimiglia market and why it is so famous.

I will also explain why it is always pleasant to take a trip to Ventimiglia to go shopping, any day of the year.

The Friday Market

Ventimiglia’s Friday market is a series of stands along the waterfront of this vibrant city of Italian Riviera.

It is considered the largest market in Italy and is a tradition and an institution for Italians, for the French living on the French Riviera and for all tourists who choose the Riviera for their holidays.

But why is Ventimiglia’s Friday market so popular?

First of all, among the many stands, there is really a wide choice of items among the most diverse types, here are some:

• adult and children’s clothing
• leather items like handbags, wallets, belt gloves and more
• Shoes
• Glasses
• Cashmere products and soft scarves
• Furnishing objects
• Items for the home at unbeatable prices

For Italians attending the Friday market every week is a normal habit.

The many French people who arrive from the French Riviera on Friday to shop at the market do so mainly because of the incredible convenience of prices and the higher quality of the products compared to neighboring France.

The shopkeepers are also extremely kind and helpful to customers: they are absolutely friendly when a customer picks up an item and does not put it back in place. On the contrary, they often invite passers-by to try the goods without any commitment.

Most sellers speak French and English perfectly, and those who don’t know how to make themselves understood perfectly with mimicry and gestures.

After all, however, Ventimiglia’s Friday market remains an occasion for leisure with a lively, fun and cheerful atmosphere. A nice way to spend a Friday with friends or family, with a wonderful background as Ventimiglia.

Fake bags at Ventimiglia Market

A rather widespread phenomenon that is often read on the web is that of fashion fake bags. Within the Ventimiglia market, in fact, it is not difficult to come across items with high fashion brands that are offered at incredibly affordable prices.

Often on some products, it is really difficult to distinguish the fake from the original.

So be careful, if you are looking for real high fashion items of Italian and foreign brands the advice is not to be convinced by the numerous abusive sellers at the market but to go to the prestigious boutiques of Nice and Monte Carlo.

Eating in Ventimiglia during the market

A good reason to go to Ventimiglia is definitely related to wine and good food.

This city is indeed renowned for the many quality restaurants but also for trattorias and bars that offer faster products is really tasty.

In the middle of the market on Friday, on the promenade, there are many small restaurants and bars in which to stop for a lunch break.

Most are very touristy and offer inviting menus designed especially for foreign tourists.

A small recommended local that stays in a central area of the market is theWaterlina wine bar.

This small Wine Bar, open from early in the morning, is frequented and appreciated by Italians because it is not “touristy”. It has a great selection of wines and many inviting dishes at the right price. The young girls who work there are very kind and smiling.

Ventimiglia’s Covered Market

Ventimiglia’s indoor market is a small gem in the heart of the border town. Unlike the Friday Market on the waterfront, Ventimiglia’s indoor market is open daily from Monday to Saturday.

If you are interested in shopping to eat good things I recommend you take a trip to Ventimiglia even just to take a ride in its market.

Inside, in fact, you can find fresh food and wine products of all kinds.

Fruits and Vegetables

The many fruit and vegetable counters have fresh goods of the highest quality displayed in a really inviting way. There are so many inviting of you that you don’t know where to start.

Food

The Food shops offer excellent selected products: Bread, fresh pasta, cured meats, cheeses and much more.

Meat and fish

The meat and fish counters are no less: they provide the best restaurants in the city with exceptional products.

Inside the Covered Market you will also find different types of items including flowers and plants.

Shopping in Ventimiglia

For all those who come to Ventimiglia to go shopping, both on Fridays and all other days of the week, I just have to recommend a nice tour to the rest of the city.

Ventimiglia’s commercial soul offers lots of shops with high-quality merchandise and the best-known signatures.

There are also numerous wine and spirits shops that offer a truly incredible selection of products, both Italian and international.

How to Get to Ventimiglia

Every Friday the city gives way to the weekly market and this makes the city a little more chaotic than usual.

By car

Ventimiglia is easy to reach. It has its highway exit not far from the Country border.

The main car parks of the city, despite the market, remain easily accessible. During the busiest periods, I recommend you park your car in the area to the east of the city and take a walk on the sea to reach the market.

By Train

Getting to Ventimiglia by train is extremely simple because its station, in the heart of the city center, is the meeting point between the railway line of the French and Italian Riviera.

All trains stop in Ventimiglia, whether they arrive from Marseille or to the main Italian cities.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve reached the end of this Ventimiglia market guide, you’ll know exactly how to move around this vibrant, vibrant city.

Did you like the guide? Did I miss something? Did you already shopped in Ventimiglia?

Write it in the comments and share with me and other readers your personal experiences!