So fresh, a little earth is still clinging to the goods

So fresh, a little earth is still clinging to the

goods! Ten carrots, two turnips, a head of lettuce… and what else would you like? Farmers markets are growing in popularity. Weekly markets and flea markets are on the rise! And there are several to choose from in Eppan.

The name says it all: The village square (in front of city hall) of St. Michael is transformed into a marketplace every Tuesday afternoon. Then it's time for the Bio-Farmers Market. In olden times, farmers congregated here to do business. Everything they needed for the coming year could be purchased here. Livestock was bought and sold. Today, you'll still find a lot of farmers hawking their goods, but you'll find much more than just farmers at the sales counters. For some, it's just fun to visit the market and "hang out." For others, it's an opportunity to get some important shopping done. The tables here are heavily laden with all kinds of seasonal vegetables and fruits – many of which were fetched from the fields only that morning. The root vegetables often still display a few traces of the earth from which they were pulled. You'll find plenty of artisanal varieties here – the kind that home gourmet cooks love to experiment with when preparing authentic traditional dishes. You'll find free-range hen's eggs and cheese, plenty of freshly baked bread made from artisanal grain varieties, wine, juices, and lots of other quality products from local producers. You might want to purchase some of durable products like herbal salt, cured bacon, or honey – the perfect souvenir to take to your friends at home.

The Farmers Market is a popular meeting-place: Local farmers and producers congregate to sell fresh vegetables and fruits and many other regional products. The attractive Weekly Market While the Farmers Markets are reserved solely for products coming from local farmers and merchants, the Weekly Markets set different accents. In St. Michael, St. Pauls, and Girlan (see info box), determined housewives haggle for kitchen towels and table cloths while young mothers compare prices for baby accessories. Around the corner, Italian leather merchants and South Tyrolean sock salesmen offer their goods for sale. If you'd like a snack, then stop by a sausage stand – where kids munch on French fries and blue-aproned pensioners sip at their glasses of red wine. At the market, you can develop a good feel for our local culture and the character of the people who live here. It's a place where the locals can "let their hair down" and be themselves. Eppan is multicultural, proud of its traditions, and simultaneously open to outsiders. Especially big Weekly Markets are held in the spa resort town of Meran / Merano every Friday, and in the provincial capital of Bozen every Saturday.

Looking for rare finds and collectibles at flea markets and Happy Markets Sellers and (potential) buyers come to the flea markets not to sell and buy necessities. Instead, it's their fascination with the obscure and unusual that drives them. An item that one person might regard as useless could turn out to be someone else's long sought-for treasure. The basic idea is that private persons can swap their personal possessions. Some of the items you'll find here come from garage sales. By the way: The expression "flea market" comes from the outdated idea that the textiles traded here might house fleas. Flea markets are a fascinating place where you're sure to stumble across many an item of historical or cultural significance. You can gain insights into the everyday

culture of yesteryear. Among the stalls, you'll find books, magazines, music cassettes, etc. that are unavailable from mainstream stores. And the occasional antique will strike your eye. The Happy Market specialized in collectibles and memorabilia from the 1960s and 70s. Besides the usual flea market items, you might stumble on to replacement parts and antiques. Small talk and friendly chats are an integral part of every visit. And haggling over the price is expected.

The new DYI market Hand-knitted, hand-sewn, homemade items that have been carved or welded together: Homemade items are a great idea not only for Christmas. Bags, jewelry, children's clothes, traditional house-slippers, felt goods, candles, soaps, oils, herbal mixes, coffee, cereal mixes, honey, chocolate, or candies: The online platform "SelberGMOCHT" (= "self-made" in the local dialect) now encompasses more than 100 merchants. In Eppan, you can also meet with these merchants face to face, in spring and autumn, at the "SelberGMOCHT" market.

Always a favorite: The Annual Market It takes place just once a year, and represents a real highlight, with the atmosphere of a village festival: The Martini Market in Girlan | Eppan. About 170 exhibitors make the church conference on November 11 an especially festive day. It starts early in the morning in the busy lanes and continues sometimes until late in the evening in the village wine cellars.

Market Calendar

The Farmers Market

St. Michael | Eppan, Rathausplatz (village square): All year round, every Tuesday afternoon.

Weekly Market St. Pauls | Eppan, in the village center, Schulweg: Every Monday morning from April to October.

St. Michael | Eppan, Hans-Weber-Tyrol-Platz, parking lot 2: Every Tuesday morning from April to October.

Girlan | Eppan, Marktstrasse, at the parking lot across from the Despar: Every Thursday morning from April to October. DYI Market / "SelberGMOCHT"

St. Michael | Eppan; April 9 and October 1.

Happy Market St. Michael | Eppan; March 12, April 2, May 14, August 20, September 24, October 15.

Annual Market Girlan | Eppan, village center: Martini Market on November 11, all day long.