The Place des Halles is the central square of Neuchâtel's old town, surrounded by Renaissance and Baroque arcaded buildings and anchored by the old market hall at its centre. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings it fills with a genuine farmers' market — not a craft fair or tourist market, but a working market where locals buy their cheese, vegetables, wine, and bread.
The sandstone arcade buildings around the square have been here in one form or another since the sixteenth century, and the square has the easy, lived-in feel of a place that has been the city's social centre for a long time. Several good cafes operate under the arcades.
The market is the best single time to visit Neuchâtel: arrive by 9am, buy a glass of local Chasselas, and watch the city wake up.