The largest indoor market in Wales, Swansea Market has traded continuously since 1897. The current building dates from the 1960s rebuild after wartime bombing, but the atmosphere inside is old-school: over 100 stalls selling everything from fresh cockles to vinyl records.
The food stalls are the main draw. Look for laverbread (bara lawr) — seaweed harvested from the Gower coast, traditionally fried with bacon and oatmeal for breakfast. Penclawdd cockles, gathered from the nearby Loughor estuary, are sold fresh or boiled by the cup. The fish counters carry whatever came in that morning from Swansea Bay.
Beyond food, you'll find fabric sellers, florists, a good secondhand bookstall, and several Welsh craft vendors. The market sits within the Quadrant Shopping Centre in the city centre, open six days a week (closed Sundays).