La Boqueria, Barcelona, Spain

La Boqueria near La Rambla is is a warren of enticing colour and fragrance, offering fresh meats, fish, cheeses and a cornucopia of vegetables and fruits, all wonderfully displayed. Local Catalan specialities include black and white buitifarra, or offal sausages; escudella, a rich meat stew; and manchego, white sheep's cheese. The market is open from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday.

Advent Market, Vienna, Austria

The Rathausplatz, or city hall square, is filled with food and gift stalls, candle-covered fir trees, strings of Christmas lights and decorations of stars and angels. The neighbouring Rathauspark is transformed into a winter wonderland, with pony rides, an old carousel, a magic lantern and puppet shows. The advent market is open annually from late November to December 24, between 9am and 9pm daily.

Marché du Midi, Brussels, Belgium

There's something of a North African influence at the Marché du Midi, where you can find everything from farm-fresh food to clothes, shoes, tapes of African music plus African herbs and spices. Eurostar day-trippers should look no further for olives and cheese, which rival those in France. The Marché du Midi is open daily from 6am-1pm and is located by the Gare du Midi.

Mercado da Ribeira, Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon's largest open food market, the Mercado da Ribeira, is a great place to find the country's favourite dish — fish, plus dried meats, fresh fruits and local cheeses. Visitors should take a break to sample some of the local cakes such as the pasteis de Belem. The market is open from 7am-1pm, Monday to Saturday, at the Avenida 24 de Julho.

Stockholm, Sweden

For a good chance of a white Christmas and a variety of Christmas markets, head for Stockholm during December. Stortorget Square is home to the Gamla Stan Market, selling wooden toys, decorations and handicrafts. Skansen Museum has a huge market offering traditional food and drink. Craftsmen dressed in traditional costume show visitors how to make old-fashioned Christmas decorations.

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul's Grand Bazaar offers more than 4,000 vendors, with everything from the ubiquitous Turkish carpet to jewellery, copperware, leather goods, ceramics and furniture. It can be a bit of a tourist trap, but navigating around the maze of alleys is worthwhile. Good products to buy include saffron, the fragrant yellow herb, plus dried fruit and nuts such as pistachios and almonds.

Dublin, Republic of Ireland

The George's Arcade is probably the city's best covered market, with stalls selling everything from CDs and books to secondhand clothes and homemade breads and cheeses. It's open daily. During the summer, Dublin's style and health-conscious come to Temple Bar Square on Saturdays for the organic market. Grab a cappuccino and foccacia as the city's gourmets hustle for their weekly fruit and veg.

Paris, France

Head for Rue Mouffetard in the 5th arrondissement where you can shop for fresh fruit and vegetables, charcuterie and tasty hot roast meats. The city has a number of Bio Marches, which sell good organic cheeses and meats as well as pesticide-free fruits and vegetables. The Marche Boulogne is popular and is open the first and third Saturday of every month.

Nuremberg Christmas Market, Germany

The Nuremberg Christmas market prides itself on nostalgic pleasures such as spectacular gingerbread creations, carol concerts and candles. The Christmas Market starts on the Friday before Advent and runs until December 22-24, depending upon which day Christmas falls. A fruit and vegetable market is held in Hauptmarkt square during the other months of the year.

Rome, Italy

Trionfale Market, between the Via Santamaura and Via Tunisi, is north-west of the Vatican. Held Monday to Saturday from 7am to 1pm, it has amazing displays of colourful fruit and veg, excellent fresh meat and fish, and clothing stalls. East of the Tiber, the Piazza di Testaccio food market is known for its meat, but also has a good selection of fruit, vegetables and fish. It's open daily except Sundays, from 6am to 1.30pm.