History of Chandni Chowk

The area was first established in the mid 17th century, designed by the favourite daughter of Shah Jahan (he of Taj Mahal fame), Princess Jahanara Begum. The name Chandni Chowk itself refers to a half-moon shaped square which once had a pool of water in, that would itself reflect the moonlight – the name Chandni Chowk literally means moonlight square. The pool was replaced by a clock tower in the 1950s.

The bazaar she originally designed had shops also built in a half moon shape, and they were originally known for their silverwork. Some still call the main street Silver Street in memory of this. The streets would have also originally been tree-lined, adding an air of calm and sophistication to the area.

Princess Jahanara had the entire area carefully planned, with a network of three bazaars, havelis (mansions), kuchas (streets) and katras (houses). More recently, temples and mosques have appeared in the vicinity, including the Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, a Jain temple which has a bird hospital attached.

Mughal imperial processions traditionally passed through Chandni Chowk, and this was tradition was kept by the British, including during the Delhi Durbar.

Chandni Chowk today

The main street is as chaotic as any you’ll find in Delhi, but the winding bazaars leading off it are a great place to shop for anything and everything from tiffin tins to saris, spices to gold jewellery, depending on what you’d like to take home. There’s plenty of excellent street food round here too, so go with room to fill up on all the treats you’ll spot on the streets.

Be warned that the area can be extremely busy and quite overwhelming, so it might be best to go after you’ve acclimatised to Delhi for a few days. Watch valuables as this is prime pickpocket territory.

The temples which line the road are also of interest, and if you get the chance, pop your head inside and see the riotous colour of some of them.

Getting to Chandni Chowk

Chandni Chowk is extremely well connected, with metro stations on the Yellow and Violet lines running through it. The area is best explored on foot, although you might want a tuk tuk to get you here.

The Red Fort is a short walk away, as is the major terminus New Delhi Railway Station and the Old Delhi Railway station. Chandni Chowk and the nearby Paharganj is a popular place for backpackers and high end travellers alike to stay.

The market itself was initially a place to buy fruit and vegetables, but over the centuries has become a popular shopping and tourist site, famous for its street performers.

History of Covent Garden

The area was briefly settled in the 7th century by the Anglo-Saxons as a trading town (Lundenwic) then abandoned. Then in 1200, the Abbot of Westminster Abbey walled 40 acres off for use by the convent of St Peter’s, Westminster, who maintained a kitchen garden there. This “Convent Garden” became known as Covent Garden.

After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the site was granted to John Russell, the 1st Earl of Bedford, in 1552. His descendent, the 4th Earl, later commissioned the famous architect Inigo Jones to build a residential square on land to attract wealthy tenants – the first ‘square’ in London. Jones did so inspired by the Italian piazza of Livorno.

As part of the square, Jones also designed the church of St Paul in 1630, the first wholly and authentically classical church built in England, inspired by Palladio and a Tuscan temple. Now known as the Actor’s Church for its links to London’s theatre, it was here where Samuel Pepys watched England’s first Punch and Judy show in 1662. (Indeed opposite St Paul’s church is the Punch and Judy pub, built in 1787 and named after the puppet shows performed in the piazza to entertain the flower-sellers’ children).

The market began in 1654 after the Earl of Bedford allowed several temporary open-air fruit-and-vegetable stalls to be built in the gardens of Bedford House. By 1670, a licence was granted to hold a market every day except Sundays, and by 1700 the market was held three times a week, with permanent shops being built against the garden wall. (Pineapples were very popular at the time, and were adopted as the symbol of Covent Garden Market).

Gradually the area fell into disrepute as taverns, theatres and brothels opened, leading to an Act of Parliament being drawn up to bring the area under control, raising the tone of the market once more. Still, the area around Covent Garden became synonymous with theatre, with the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane and the Royal Opera House close by. (Rules Restaurant on nearby Maiden Lane was established in 1798, and is now the oldest restaurant in London).

In 1828 the entire complex was rebuilt to a neo-classical design by Charles Fowler to cover and organise the market. It was later expanded with the Floral Hall, Charter Market and Jubilee Market.

Bombs fell on Covent Garden during World War Two, yet most structures were unharmed. Traffic congestion at the end of the 1960s prompted the market to relocate to the New Covent Garden Market in 1974 at Nine Elms, and the original market’s central building re-opened as a shopping centre in 1980.

Covent Garden today

The square and surrounding area have now become predominantly a tourist destination, with craft markets, cafes and pubs – and Covent Garden’s notorious street performers. Small shops have increasingly been surpassed by high-end, designer or more established retail giants such as the Apple Store, though there are still many tourist-friendly souvenir markets and independent craft stalls.

It is close to an array of other famous sites including the Royal Opera House, London Transport Museum, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, St Paul’s church, the London Transport Museum (housed in a building built in 1871 as part of Covent Garden’s old flower market) and the Apple Market (selling antiques and crafts). Covent Garden’s street performers remain, from busking musicians to magicians.

Getting to Covent Garden

The market is around a 2-3 minute walk from Covent Garden underground station on the Piccadilly Line. As the market gets busy, it’s easier to walk here from other nearby underground stations such as Leicester Square, just 275 metres away.

History of Exarchia Market

Exarchia is the anarchist district of Athens. It has had a strong anti-fascist association dating back to at least the 1890s, and has been the site of protests and notable uprisings, including at the nearby Polytechnic.

The end of 2008 saw the largest riots in Greece since the 1970s, after a policeman shot and killed 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos. This led to huge protests all over Greece, and – compounded by anger in response to the global economic crisis – over 70 cities around the world joined in solidarity, with protests in Dublin, Berlin, Amsterdam and London to name a few. A memorial plaque for Grigoropoulous can now be found at the end of Tzavella.

Elsewhere in the area, the streets are ablaze with murals which speak of the political and economic concerns prevalent in Greece today. Police violence, youth unemployment, migration issues, homelessness and a general sense of frustration at the inefficiency and corruption in institutions continue to be rife here, and have been heightened during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was caught twice without a mask, and appeared to host a lunch party while Greece was in strict lockdown.)

At the top of Exarchia, just before Lofos Strefi, are the Kallidromiou steps. Sometimes decorated with graffiti, you’ll often see them trickled with students and counter cultural figures. It is also the place where the market starts on a Saturday.

Exarchia Market today

A spirit of anarchy lives on in Exarchia. It remains a counter-cultural hotbed where political debate persists in the cafes, bars and restaurants. Occasionally there are police clashes, but it is by and large an incredibly safe area, with an atmosphere more akin to a student centre than the area of criminal activity some press coverage would have you believe.

In the small shops on the streets around the square, you’ll find troves of records and vintage clothing, as well as a few bookshops. Oxo Nou, a Cretan restaurant just off Andrea Metaxa, serves some of the best food in Athens, and the well-loved Ama Lachei at 69 Kallidromiou is a local favourite.

On Saturdays, the strip of Kallidromiou by Em. Benaki spills out into a market, with sellers of olives, honey, spices, fruit and vegetables flogging their wares. Traditional Greek musicians play through the afternoon. The market is seen as “the event of the neighbourhood”, even by local youth.

Getting to Exarchia Market

The nearest stations to Exarchia Market are Omonia and Panepistimiou. Walking, it’s roughly 20 minutes from the Acropolis, and 15 minutes from Syntagma Square.

Granville Island history

The city of Vancouver was called Granville until it was renamed in 1886, but the former name was kept and given to Granville Street, which spanned the small inlet known as False Creek.

The area in which Granville Island is now located, was orignally a sandbar used by indigenous populations to capture shellfish. Eventually, a permanent village was established called Sen̓áḵw (intepreted as “The place inside the head of False Creek”).

In 1869, a small reserve was created in False Creek, east of the sandbars, and by 1899, residents were being forced to leave the area completely by European settlers.

In the 1870s, settlers had established sawmills and logging roads on either side of the False Creek, and when the first Granville Bridge connected the shores of False Creek in 1889, the south side became even more desirable. Building in the area boomed in the following decades as it became apparent that new affordable land with access to water for industry was desperately needed.

In 1915, with the port of Vancouver growing, the newly formed Vancouver Harbour Commission approved a reclamation project in False Creek for an industrial area. At its height in the 1930s, there were 1200 people employed by 40 industrial companies, which manufactured and supplied fibre, rope, chain, and materials for logging, mining and shipping.

While the Great Depression years saw a decline in industry, the Second World War reinvigorated the island. Nonetheless, this sector saw another decline in the post-war years and a series of fires in the 1950s proved to be the final nail in the coffin.

By the 1970s, it was clear something had to be done about neglected Granville Island, and Liberal minister Ron Basford was one of the driving forces behind the proposed revitalization.

Starting in 1975, formerly industrial buildings were rejigged for a wide variety of tenants such as studios, shops, markets, restaurants, community groups etc. The corrugated tin was painted bright colours, while outdoor spaces were revamped. The centrepiece of Granville Island is the Public Market, one of the first buildings to reopen, in 1978.

Granville Island today

Today, the Public Market is the jewel in the Island’s crown. An indoor market featuring a fascinating assortment of colourful food and produce stores, showcasing handcrafted products and the very finest in unique gifts, the Public Market attracts over 10 million vistors each year.

The Island also provides an extensive marina, a hotel, Arts Umbrella, False Creek Community Centre, various performing arts theatres including Vancouver’s only professional improvisational theatre company Vancouver Theatresports League, the Arts Club Theatre Company and Carousel Theatre, fine arts galleries, and variety of shopping areas.

Getting to Granville Island

Getting to Granville Island by car is easy as many main routes run nearby, including the Granville St. Bridge above, and 4th Avenue to the south, and Burrard St. to the west.

If travelling by car, travel towards the intersection of West 4th Avenue and Fir Street before heading north and taking either the first right at West 3rd Avenue or the second right at West 2nd Ave.

You will then find yourself at the intersection of West 2nd Avenue and Anderson St., and should be able to see the Granville Island sign under the bridge looking northward on Anderson St. Follow Anderson St. onto Granville Island.

As soon as you turn the corner onto Cartwright St., you’ll notice that all of the streets on the Island are now one-way.

Parking is limited around Granville Island, however drivers may purchase parking time in the designated parking bays for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or in 1 hour increments.

For those travelling by foot, bicycle or public transport there are various routes that take you to the island. The  number 50 False Creek bus comes from Gastown in the downtown area, along Granville St and stops just off Granville Island.

Bicycle routes to Granville Island follow the main car routes, but there’s also a pleasant, scenic bicycle path (shared with pedestrians) that runs east-to-west past the Island along the south shore of False Creek Inlet. There are multiple entrances to the island for pedestrians (East, West, North and South).

History of Hamburg’s Fischmarkt

The market has been running since 1703, initially under two rival fish markets, in Hamburg and Altona (since 1896), separated only by official administrative borders. As early as the 19th century, attempts were made to merge the two markets into one common fish market, though the merger was eventually completed in March 1938, under the ‘Fish Market Hamburg-Altona GmbH’ (FMH).

The shared Fischmarkt Hamburg-Altona became the most important fishing harbor in Germany, growing to be the leading market for gourmet fish, the biggest trans-shipment center for herring and temporarily the dominating location of the German fish industry. At one time it was the only specialised location for premium seafood products in Germany.

The FMH was sold to the ‘Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft‘ (HHLA) in December 1989.

The next-door Fischauktionshalle (Fish Auction Hall) is one of the most historical places in Hamburg, mirroring Hamburg’s development for over 120 years.

It was initially built in style of an old roman market hall with a basilica, but after being destroyed by bombs in the Second World War, a new roof was built. Fish auctions stopped in the 1950’s, but in 1982, the hall was preserved, restored and renewed for use as a market hall.

Hamburg’s Fischmarkt today

Hamburg’s Fischmarkt currently covers about a third of the consumption of fresh fish in Hamburg.

Approximately 36,000 tons of fresh fish a year are exchanged at the fish market, which hosts 57 fishing and gastronomical businesses, with 750 employees and annual sales of approximately 280 million Euros. About 14% of Germany’s fresh fish supply is processed in Hamburg.

Every Sunday around 5am, the Fischmarkt attracts thousands of locals and visitors to it’s stalls and plentiful nearby cafés. The market sells a lot more than fish – including fruit, flowers, clothes, souvenirs and even livestock.

The neighbouring Fischauktionshalle (Fish Auction Hall) also serves drinks and live music. With the Reeperbahn’s bars and clubs nearby, the market has become a popular last stop after a Saturday night out.

Getting to Hamburg’s Fischmarkt

The Fischmarkt is located at Grosse Elbstrasse 9, near U-Bahn 3 (stop Landungsbrücken or St. Pauli U-Bahn Station), S1, S3 (stop Reeperbahn) and bus line 112 (stop ‘Fischmarkt’).

Make sure you don’t miss it – the market is open from 5am in summer, 7am in winter, and closes by 9:30am.

The ground floor of Cloth Hall still operates as a market today while the Małopolska Contemporary Art Gallery and 19th Century Polish Art Gallery reside on its upper floors.

Krakow Cloth Hall history

In the heart of the Krakow Old Town, the Cloth Hall, or Sukiennice as referred to locally, is one of the most important buildings in the district and was once of the heart of Krakow’s medieval clothing trade.

At beginning of the 14th century Krakow was a major trade hub of eastern Europe and merchants came from all over the region to trade their wares in the middle of the city centre. Around this time planners decided to build permanent covering over the main lines of stalls on the plaza that would allow trade in all weather, especially with the harsh Polish winters. This structure became the first iteration of the Cloth Hall.

Around the middle of the 16th century a major fire damaged the Cloth Hall beyond repair. It was then rebuilt in a redevelopment project that shaped the building in its noteworthy renaissance style. In this period, the city and Cloth Hall enjoyed prosperity.

After Krakow lost its status as the royal capital of Poland in 1569 when the court was moved to Warsaw, the Cloth Hall and much of Old Town entered a long period of decline.

Towards the end of the 19th century, there was a thorough renovation resulting in the building as it stands today. Arcaded galleries were added, the facade was totally reconstructed, the upstairs museum space as created and the designs of Polish architect Tomasz Pryliński were used to give the whole structure an ochre veneer.

Krakow Cloth Hall today

The hall has hosted many distinguished guests over the centuries and has been used to entertain monarchs and dignitaries, such as Charles, Prince of Wales and Emperor Akihito of Japan, who was welcomed there in 2002. In the past, balls were held there, most notably after Prince Józef Poniatowski had briefly liberated the city from the Austrians in 1809.

In 1976, the band The Who played an “intimate” gig for Polish and British embassy workers, working in Poland.

On the upper floor of the hall is the Sukiennice Museum division of the National Museum, Kraków. It holds the largest permanent exhibit of the 19th-century Polish painting and sculpture, in four grand exhibition halls arranged by historical period and the theme extending into an entire artistic epoch.

Today, the Cloth Hall still bustles with the energy of countless sellers and traders, only now its craft trinkets, amber, souvenirs and novelty shot glasses that take centre stage. It also still reigns as one of the most recognisable features of the Main Market Square.

Getting to Krakow Cloth Hall

The Cloth Hall dominates the bustling main market square in Old Town and is accessible by bus and tram.

History of Trajan’s Markets

The impressive semi-circular remains of this grand structure, built between 100-110 AD and designed by Apollodorus of Damascus, are very much still intact. Once thought by historians to have been an ancient Roman shopping centre, more recent evidence has pointed to Trajan’s Markets also having been a centre of administration and finance.

Trajan’s Markets today

Today, not only is the site of Trajan’s Markets open to explore, but it also houses the Museo dei Fori Imperiali. Opened in 2007, this museum was the result of several years of careful restoration and is dedicated to showcasing and recreating the Imperial Forums, which were the beating heart of ancient Rome for hundreds of years.

The museum takes visitors through an exhibit of each individual forum based on the most important finds discovered within it. This journey through ancient Rome includes areas devoted to the forums of Caesar and Augustus, Nerva and Trajan as well as the Templum Pacis or Forum of Vespasian. As well as exhibiting original artefacts found in the individual forums, there are also descriptive panels and multimedia displays in each section.

However, the true highlight of a visit to this site is the chance to explore the structure itself. Remaining extremely well preserved, the chance to wander through Trajan’s Markets and onto Trajan’s Forum is one not to miss. You can explore the Via Biberatica, which was the main high street, as well as strolling the ancient corridors, offices and hallways and entering the shops and chambers themselves.

Getting to Trajan’s Markets

Trajan’s Market is located on the Via dei Fori Imperiali, at the opposite end to the Colosseum in Rome. If travelling by public transport, the closest Metro stations are Colosseo or Cavour, on line B. The nearest bus stop is Piazza Venezia, served by over 21 different bus lines.

The markets are open every day from 9am-7pm except on Mondays.