Weekly market - Deventer

One of the most important chartered city rights pertains to the right to organize markets. In large historic cities the various specialised marketplaces still survive in the street names. There are markets for fish, eggs, farm animals in general, sheep, horses, pigs, cows, bulls, calves, butter, cheese, flower, grain, spices, salt, wood, coal, peat and cloth. Some markets were daily (fish, eggs etc.), some were weekly and others were seasonal (often once or twice a year). These old names for specialised markets also indicate the main trades of times gone by. Nowadays the weekly market caters mainly to inner-city residents that can buy flowers, plants, foodstuffs, clothing, dishware and household articles.

Deventer, once a member of the Hanseatic League,  was granted city rights in 956 and held several markets within its walls. At present the historic Brink Square forms the decor of the weekly market with stalls along its length. There is a general market at The Brink on Fridays and Saturdays. Another market is held every Tuesday at the Beestenmarkt (Animal Market).

The stall holders try to display their wares as attractively as possible. I couldn't pass by these blueberries without buying some. The melons also looked delicious, especially sold as ready-to-eat wedges. No Dutch market is complete without some stalls selling flowers directly from the auction.