Central Market Hall/Great Market Hall Reviews (Budapest, Hungary)

It is a must see attraction, fruits were delicious

by sandraschmidt1961@gmail.c

Linz, Upper Austria, Austria

September 18, 2012

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I have found the Great Market Hall (Vasarcsarnok) absolutely amazing. The architecture and the market life inside were both unforgettable. I can still remember the flavour of the peaches and apricots I have bought there. Hungarian fruits were great ...Read more

You will find what you are looking for here

by Praskipark

Warsaw, Poland

January 17, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo The Central Market Hall in Budapest was one of the first Market Halls I ever visited in Eastern Europe. I remember being totally bowled over by the atmosphere and all the colourful characters inside the hall as well as the numerous stalls selling ...Read more The Central Market Hall in Budapest was one of the first Market Halls I ever visited in Eastern Europe. I remember being totally bowled over by the atmosphere and all the colourful characters inside the hall as well as the numerous stalls selling just about everything you can imagine. I have been to quite a few Market Halls since but this is still one of my favourites and one I always visit when returning to Budapest.

The market began to thrive as a modern market in the early 20th century, when goods were delivered via the Danube and an underground canal. It is always teeming with people on both levels and the best time to visit is probably late evening just before closing.

The outside of the building is very attractive with its red and cream bricks interwoven with large arched gabled windows. The roof over the main entrance is colourful with a sort of green and yellow diamond design made by the tiles and every now and again along the whole length of the building a turret or two will pop up. In some ways the building inside and out reminds me of an old railway building. The shopping area, with its individual galleries and annexes, covers a length of 150 metres.

When you enter through the main entrance the interior seems very dark yet the stalls on the ground floor are some of the most vibrant I have come across.The staircase is made from steel painted blue as are the gateways to different stalls. The ceiling is high and has been reinforced with the same blue metal girders.The strings and strings of garlic and chillies spread from the front entrance to the back entrance and this shopping area must feature every type of Hungarian produce as well as imported exotic fruits. All the produce is displayed beautifully; fresh fruit and vegetables are colour co-ordinated and piled high. The aromas of smoked meats and sausages is overwhelming as are the sweet smells of evocative spices. Pastries, sticky buns covered with icing or chocolate look as though each one has been polished and shine out from display shelves.

On the top floor there is an excellent selection of embroidered textiles, allsorts of hats from a trilby, Russian hat with ear flaps, furry black and white hats that bury your head and keep you warm and snug, to a baseball cap. Handicrafts are displayed and are very bright and colourful. I love all the displays of Russian dolls with individual designs on the front and the large collection of chess sets and soft toys that come in all shapes and sizes.

On the top floor there are also many snack bars and this area can become hectic at lunch times and around 4 in the afternoon. So many different dishes on offer, it is difficult to choose what to eat. Not just Hungarian food but Asian, Italian, Sushi, Greek. I found this eating area overwhelming at first as the snack bars run centrally through the top part of the market on a continuous serving counter so you have to be quick to get your order in and have a bit of nouse when finding a place to sit. It's a matter of first come, first served. Still, it all adds to the fun and experience of eating in a new place.

You can find this spacious building known as the Central Market Hall immediately beyond the neo- Renaissance building that used to be the Harbour Customs House and is now the University of Industrial Science.

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From journal Some attractions in Budapest I forgot to tell you about

Fabulous, old world spot; absolutely disgusting restaurant (Fakanal Etterem)

by Nicchris

M4L 3C6, Ontario

September 9, 2011

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The Market Hall is not to be missed! There are so very few of these left around the world and they are delightful to visit. We spent the better part of a day exploring the Hall and buying gifts. However, our experience with the only real sit-down ...Read more

Palace of Paprika

by Niiko

Andújar, Spain

August 30, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo There's much to be said for the virtues of markets as hubs in which to experience something of the real flavour of a city, and Budapest's Great Market Hall is this in part at least, with something of a touristy lean to it. Wander amid piles of ...Read more There's much to be said for the virtues of markets as hubs in which to experience something of the real flavour of a city, and Budapest's Great Market Hall is this in part at least, with something of a touristy lean to it. Wander amid piles of paprika and seas of sausages before gobbling goulash and drinking something suitably alliterative at one of the food stalls upstairs, surrounded by the impressive architecture of the Hall, built over a hundred years ago and given a mid-nineties makeover. The paprika's a celebrated Hungarian speciality, and you'll find a hundred variations on dried peppers throughout the market, with some stalls given over to just about nothing but the stuff.

The Market Hall is a hundred yards or so from the point where the Liberty bridge crosses the Danube to Buda, and is a short walk from the nearest metro station (Kalvin Ter, on the blue/number three line). On the ground floor where you enter, an extensive food market spreads out, grouped roughly, if not completely, by type of product - a cluster of greengrocers are gathered by the entrance, with butchers, bakers and cheese further back. In this, the largest of the city's indoor markets, the amount of produce is dazzling, creating a labyrinth of colours and fragrances that are almost built for looking as much as buying. If you do purchase here, prices seem pretty reasonable.

Downstairs, there are some supermarkets and oriental spice shops, whilst at the upper gallery level, stalls tend to sell a more touristy flavour of goods; plenty of embroided fabrics, clothes and handicrafts, plus a bird's eye view of the to and fro of the main floor of the market below. Around the edges of the upper level, a variety of stalls, bars and restaurants make a good lunchtime stopping-point, raised above the mountains of food below but still wholly infused by the atmosphere. There are options for all budgets, with plenty of hot snacks and meals-on-the-go available alongside sit-down venues.

Above the main entrance, the quite magnificently-named Fakanal restaurant is probably more expensive than it should be for what's a pretty basic set-up, but the food's good and filling, and there's substantial choice of meals and beverages. It's a kind of cafeteria design, with an L-shaped counter that takes in hot foods, including an extensive array of delicious-looking meats and soups, salads, pasta dishes and the usual choices of drinks. The meat in particular is a little pricey, but there are cheaper options, and the ever-present Goulash (around 1000 Forint/£3ish) is a deceptively filling lunch. Take a table "outside" - that is, outside the glass shell of the restaurant - if you can, to get away from the slightly stifling air indoors and the occasional fiddling-squawking musicians in the corner.

From here, there are plenty of choices to continue a day's sightseeing, with the Danube to the west and both the Basilica and Synagogue a kilometre or two to the north. If you're somehow not stuffed after a market-visit, Raday utca is a long, narrow street barely two hundred metres to the east lined with possibly hundreds of bars, cafes and restaurants. Leave plenty of time, as it'll take several hours to decide where to eat - although perhaps that's just me and my world-class powers of procrastination. Close

From journal Hungary for More (sorry ...)

Great Market Hall....of Goodness!

by FinnyLinny

South Euclid, Ohio

January 5, 2010

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Nothing but love for this market; the building is just beautiful and the food....mmmmm. Ate from the stands on the second floor and everything was delicious and the point-at-it system works fine here and you can sample a bit of this and that and ...Read more

The Central Market Hall and Fakanal Etterem Restaurant

by sararevell

London, United Kingdom

May 24, 2009

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Best of IgoUgo The Great Market Hall next to the Szabadsag Bridge in Budapest’s 9th district is the city’s largest indoor market. Opened at the end of the 19th century and renovated in the 1990s, the hall manages to keep a foot in the past but is a treasure trove ...Read more The Great Market Hall next to the Szabadsag Bridge in Budapest’s 9th district is the city’s largest indoor market. Opened at the end of the 19th century and renovated in the 1990s, the hall manages to keep a foot in the past but is a treasure trove to tourists and Budapest residents today. The hall was designed by Samu Pecz, who also had a hand in the renovations of the Matthias Church and gained a reputation for his striking diamond-patterned Zsolnay tilework, which are displayed to great effect on the roofs of both buildings.

We saw locals strolling out with armfuls of fresh bread while inside others pored over the fruit and vegetable selections. I was personally impressed by the sausage displays at the meat counters, arranged to look like an epic intestinal jungle. For gift hunters, stalls on the ground floor offer spicy and sweet paprika in cute red tins topped with miniature wooden scoops. Pale Hungarian honey and sweet Tokaji wines line glass shelves and jet black Unicum can be bought in large, medium, small, or very small bottles.

The first floor of the market is dedicated to native handicrafts such as lace, dolls, clothing, glassware and some slightly less traditional t-shirts. It’s also a great vantage point for snapping a photograph of the market hall. From here you can appreciate the beauty of this immense structure, especially on a clear day when shafts of dusty sunlight light up the market’s sea-green skeleton.

It was here that we stopped into Fakanal Etterem, a canteen-style cafeteria serving up trays of goulash and other Hungarian delights. Despite having the appearance of a countryside kindergarten, meal prices at Fakanal Etterem aren’t subsidized. Daylight spilled in through the glass ceiling as we shuffled along with our grey tray, collecting plates of goulash and vegetables followed by a choice of soft or alcohol drinks. Overhead, paper poppies with oversized flower heads and clutches of straw dangled down from the window frame. The meat was on the gristly side and I suspected the veggies of coming from the deep freeze but given the jolly location I would still recommend stopping in for lunch. It seemed especially ideal for large groups as wooden picnic tables are pushed together in long rows. Also paying before you’re seated eliminates the need to divide up a large bill at the end of the meal. In spite of the regular turnover of customers there were plenty of free tables and in such a relaxed atmosphere you felt comfortable enjoying a long lunch. They also serve alcohol, much to the joy of a group of grey-haired tourists one table up from us.

The one place we didn’t linger was the basement floor where the pickles are sold. The number of pickled items on offer rivaled the upstairs sausage collections but the smell was undoubtedly more distressing.
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From journal Kavehaz Kultura in Budapest

Great Market Hall

by Mandan Lynn

Smithwick, South Dakota

January 24, 2007

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Best of IgoUgo Look no further than the Great Market for your shopping needs in Budapest.The first level is full of food options, from meats and vegetables to dried fruits and nuts. You'll also find Hungary's famous paprika here in several types of packaging. (At ...Read more

From journal A Bit of Budapest

Grand Market Hall

by aahhh

Bellevue, Washington

May 24, 2006

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The second floor of the Grand Market has a bunch of dining stalls with dozens of options to choose from. The food is very tasty and pretty cheap. Mostly local cuisine, which was a lot of seasoned rice, meet, potatoes, noodles, and cheese. All very ...Read more

From journal 2 days in Budapest

Central market.

by LenR

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

March 25, 2006

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Best of IgoUgo This is the largest of five market halls which opened in Budapest at the end of the 19th century. It was built in the 1890s, lovingly restored in 1994, and is still a focal point for city life. It has rightly become one of the most popular and ...Read more

From journal Walking Through Budapest

Central Market Hall

by Webgoddess

Burke, Virginia

August 3, 2005

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Best of IgoUgo This is an extremely large, indoor, two-story market that houses everything from fresh fish to hand-embroidered linens. Its convenient location near the Chain Bridge on the Pest side makes it a great place to shop when the weather keeps you from ...Read more

From journal A Magyar Experience

IgoUgo

Central Market Hall/Great Market Hall

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