Every Saturday the memory comes back - then I clamp the wicker basket under my arm and stroll towards Berger Straße. Preferably in the morning, because then there is a lot of activity: The traders have already stocked their stalls early in the morning, the fishmonger has opened his hatch and hopefully the honeymanm with his lavender is back where he always stands. I don't know about you, but a weekly market is not just for shopping. Whereby the fresh eggplants, melons and eggs alone promise pleasure.
The English language refers to this type of consumer market as a "farmer's market" - the weekly market thrives on the idea that local farmers come rumbling in with their trailer full of potatoes and apples, unfold the stalls and heave the weights onto the scales.
That the weights are heavy has been forever plugged into my brain ever since I went to the market every week with my grandmother as a child. Buying fruit, potatoes and vegetables at the supermarket? Would never have occurred to me. Especially since I grew up in a village in Lower Saxony. Only my studies spoiled me ;-)
But all my young life before that shopping meant: Meat at the butcher, sugar at the supermarket and getting everything fresh at the "farmer's market". There is probably hardly anything that reminds me so much emotionally of my childhood as a stroll through the farmer's market. Especially because I was also lucky enough to be allowed to look behind the scenes through friends of my grandparents.
Thus, I had already figured out early on that the apple was not picked up by the farmer, but by my Aunt Edith from the Grossmarkthalle at the crack of dawn. In fact, I enjoyed spending hours at her vegetable stall, bagging produce.
Weekly markets: snack, meeting place, shopping
But there's something I find quite important about this unique weekly market atmosphere, because it's so much more than just shopping: strolling around and touching the produce. The chat with acquaintances you meet - especially on Saturdays, because then there might even be time to have a coffee together. Or chatting with the vendors: In my very subjective weekly market philosophy, stalls and vendors should never change too much.
Then a recent study by the Society for Market and Sales Research (Gesellschaft für Markt- und Absatzforschung, GMA) comes in handy, of course, as it found out that most vendors have been selling their goods at the same location for many years, mostly to regular customers. Strangely enough, once again no one asked me for my unbiased opinion, but according to this I totally fit into the picture: the weekly market is mainly frequented by women older than 50 (well *cough, I'll keep quiet about that).
I found it exciting that the market is actually becoming more and more of a meeting place - which is all too obvious in view of Friedberger Platz. But also the terrace at the Kleinmarkthalle invites you to stay for a wine after shopping.
Snack, meeting point, shopping: Do you go to the weekly market? And if so, for what reason? Multiple answers are possible.
And clearly, Frankfurt Tip is, as always, a special <link https: www.frankfurt-tipp.de specials top-tipps-die-schoensten-wochenmaerkte-in-frankfurt. for you.html _blank>Special with its top tips on Frankfurt's most beautiful weekly markets!