Nagycsarnok

Nagycsarnok is Budapest’s biggest market. It is a tourist magnet since its renovation in 1996.  The 1st floor has Hungarian folk costumes, dolls, painted eggs, embroidered table cloths, carved hunting knives and other souvenirs. Foodies will appreciate the treats available at a fraction of what they’d cost in the shops on nearby Váci utca street – shrink-wrapped and potted foie gras, garlands of dried paprika, souvenir sacks and tins of paprika powder and as many kinds of honey as you’d care to name.

XD Design & Souvenir

A great place to look for contemporary and traditional Hungarian handicrafts, XD Design & Souvenir showcases the work of a number of novel enterprises. For instance, Matyo Design, which preserves the art of embroidery with intricate hand-stitched designs, and Folqa which produces a line of wooden figurines that humorously depict the many faces of the nation. Great prints, fashion pieces and jewellery as well are on offer here.

Ecseri Piac

This is one of the biggest flea markets in Central Europe, selling everything from antique jewellery and Soviet army watches to Fred Astaire–style top hats. Saturday is the best day to visit this market. There are direct buses that can take you there.

Bálna (Whale)

The Bálna, Budapest’s newest state-of-the-art cultural, entertainment and shopping centre opened in 2013. Located on the banks of the River Danube near Liberty Bridge and the Central Market Hall, the Bálna is the place to be. It offers galleries, exhibitions, shops, cafés, restaurants and much more.The contemporary design is combined with two beautifully restored historic warehouses from 1881. Due to its shape it is called Bálna (whale) in Hungarian.

Festive Xmas Markets in Budapest

Budapest has a couple of fairs during the Advent period (Pre-Christmas season), the best known and the largest is the one at Vörösmarty Square in the city centre. The market at St. Stephen’s Basilica has the most romantic Christmas ambience among all the holiday markets.

Cuisine

Hungarian food is often spicy, due to the common use of hot paprika. Hungarians are especially passionate about their cuisine and the Goulash is an internationally appreciated traditional recipe. Other characteristics of Hungarian cuisine are soups, desserts, pastries and stuffed crepes. Hungarian cuisine uses a large variety of cheeses, but the most common are Túró, a type of cream cheeses, ewe-cheese (Juhturó), Emmentaler, Edam and the Hungarian cheeses Trappista, Pálpusztai and Pannonia cheese.

Halászlé