The largest, oldest and most celebrated of the Minho's markets is the Feira de Barcelos, held every Thursday in Barcelos, on the banks of the Rio Cávado.
Despite attracting travellers, the market retains its rural soul. Villagers hawk everything from scrawny chickens to hand-embroidered linen, and Roma women bellow for business in the clothes section. Snack on sausages and homemade bread as you wander among the brass cowbells, hand-woven baskets and carved ox yokes. Pottery is what most outsiders come to see.
Especially popular is the yellow-dotted louça de Barcelos ware and the gaudy figurines à la Rosa Ramalho, a local potter known as the Grandma Moses of Portuguese pottery – her work put Barcelos on the map in the 1950s. Once you've taken in the market, you’ll find that Barcelos has a pleasant medieval core, with old stone towers perched over the river.
Tour buses arrive by the dozen, spilling their contents into the already brimming marketplace. You’ll need at least a couple of hours to see all the goods.
