Picked by hand, made by hand or selected by hand – hands play an important role at Merano Market. Whether done up, freshly harvested, upcycled or prepared on-site, everything that hard-working hands can create has a place here and might find its way into the hands of a buyer. On display and on offer are a variety of things that the region and its people have brought forth: cheese, ‘Patschen’-type slippers, wooden figures, cabbage, tulips, bags, jewellery, apple juice and jams. The sellers tell the story of their products – after all, they know how they came about, having made them themselves.

The stallholders are happy to pose for a photo. “Soll i do in Loabn toaln?“ (“Shall I cut the cheese?“) asks the cheese seller.“Then the picture will look as uncontrived and natural as the market itself,“ he says, laughing.

A market that announces spring

Passing beneath the flowering roofs of the alleyways and walking along roaring river bank promenades I reach the upper part of Freiheitsstraße, where pretty market stands welcome customers. “Martino Gamper’s design concept is the expression of the combination of urban context and South Tyrolean tradition“, an information brochure informs me. I see lots of wooden crates evoking memories. A typical element for South Tyrol, these ‘Haras’. The fabric pattern of the stall roofs, as well as the logo for Merano Market, takes the cobblestone as a symbol of the squares where markets are traditionally held.

A market with stories to tell

A restful market. There is no loud haggling like on typical Italian markets; more a quiet recounting. Only natural produce from South Tyrol may be sold at Merano Market. This, as well as hand-crafted products such as wares out of wool and felt, baskets and woven items, jewellery and decorations made from pine wood. Sustainability is not just a marketing term here, but an attitude held by the stallholders, and a perceptibly consistent one at that.

A woman enthusiastically explains her new handbag design. Here and there honey may be tasted or wine sipped. One or two things find their way into my paper bag. What else can I take back? A dose of relaxation, a passion for healthy cooking, and a feeling of pleasure in finding products that have a story to tell.