Psar Nat (Central Market)

What to See at Psar Nat

The Art Deco Hall

Designed by French architect Jean Desbois and engineer Louis Chauchon — the same pair behind Phnom Penh’s Central Market — Psar Nat’s cruciform hall and central dome are a rare piece of 1930s colonial modernism still doing exactly the job it was built for.

The Market Floor

Stalls sell fresh produce, household goods, Cambodian textiles, lacquerware, and silver jewellery, with a cluster of food stalls serving Khmer breakfast dishes in the surrounding aisles each morning.

The Street Art Alleys

The shophouse-lined streets immediately around the market are Battambang’s open-air gallery — murals and graffiti commissioned over the past decade have turned several backstreets into a genuine attraction in their own right, best explored on foot straight after the market.

How to Get to Psar Nat

Psar Nat sits in the centre of Battambang town, walkable from almost any guesthouse in the old quarter.

• On foot: The default option for anyone staying in central Battambang
• Tuk-tuk: A short, inexpensive ride from riverside hotels further out

Practical Tips

• Mornings are far livelier than afternoons — most food stalls wind down by midday
• Bargaining is expected for textiles and crafts, less so for fresh produce
• Combine with a walk through the street-art alleys immediately surrounding the market
• Battambang’s colonial shophouse streets radiate from here — easy to explore on foot afterwards

Nearby Attractions

• Phnom Sampeau and Wat Banan — Battambang’s hilltop temples, a short tuk-tuk ride south of town
• Battambang’s colonial riverside — French-era shopfronts along the Sangkae River, a few minutes’ walk away