Three of my favorite things in one place: food, wine and history.
The Kleinmarkthalle (translates into small market hall) is a covered market hall with fresh foods from the region but also with vendors of international specialties. Back in the days, farmers from the region used to sell their produce on the many market squares nearby (Korn-markt, Roß-markt, Hühner-markt) – in 1879, the municipal authorities decided to implement some basic hygienic rules and therefore built the market hall. However, the popular market hall only lasted until 1944, when a bomb destroyed it and the surrounding buildings completely.
Rebuilt in 1954, in a slightly shifted location, the Kleinmarkthalle is popular among locals for its diverse products: flowers, coffee, meat, cheese, fish, veggies and bread. When you go inside, make sure to visit butcher “Schreiber” – simply look for the longest cue in the building. You’ll be offered local sausages (Fleischwurst) from a small window, where Ilse Schreiber sells the produce herself.
Head upstairs to watch the bustling market hall from a bird’s eye view and enjoy a glass of wine or spirit from the Greek shop. During the warmer season, locals enjoy sitting on the outside terrace and chatting about the latest gossip in town. Lately, the trend for youngsters is to mingle in front of the market hall on Saturday mornings, to grab a few glasses of wine from the new stalls, before continuing the shopping trip downtown.
