The Plaça del Mercadal is the central square of Reus's old town, and the best place to get a sense of the city's prosperous commercial history. It is ringed by arcaded buildings, occupied in the ground floors by cafe terraces that fill up from mid-morning onwards. The Thursday and Saturday markets spill out across the square and surrounding streets, dealing in food, clothing, and household goods in the tradition of a market town that has been trading continuously since the Middle Ages.
Casa Navàs, the most celebrated Modernista building in Reus, stands on the corner of the square. The town hall — a late 19th-century building with a prominent clock tower — faces it from across the space. The square serves as the hub for the Modernista Route walking trail and is where most visits to the old town effectively begin. In the evening, the cafe terraces stay busy well into the night.