-

Mercado Público (Public Market)

The Public Market's building is one of the oldest working buildings in Porto Alegre. When looked from outside it shows the many rows of identical doors, gateways to endless bars, bakeries, and ice cream shops, almost as old as the town itself. Entering the Public Market , one is soon overwhelmed by the hassle of the crowd busily buying, selling and looking for food and other goods. The old market is a mix of smells, among them the fish (during Good Friday week), charque (dried-meat), erva-mate (a kind of gaucho tea), and home-made cheese.