Merchants' Houses, whose picturesque facades are often portrayed by local artists on the photos and paintings of Poznan, are among top tourist attractions of the city. Situated to the left of the Town Hall, they are a unique example of the medieval terraced commercial architecture. Originally, they were wooden stalls designed for trading in salt, salty and smoked herrings, candles, etc. Over the years the wooden structures were transformed into brick two-storey buildings with shops downstairs and lodgings upstairs. In the 19th century the arched arcades were added. Thanks to the post-war reconstruction works, the Merchants' Houses can be admired in their original form nowadays.

The Merchants' Houses are not the only commercial edifice of the Old Town Market. The Renaissance Weigh House is also connected with long trading traditions of Poznan. It is here that goods were weighed for business deals. The original 13th-century structure was rebuilt in the Renaissance style and expanded by Giovanni Batista Quadro, the Italian architect responsible also for the reconstruction of the Poznan Townhall. Sometimes the Weigh House is referred to as the Old Town Hall as for a time it served as a seat of the municipal authorities.