Central Market Hall — Local services in Budapest

My little squirrel heart was practically bursting with excitement as I approached the Great Market Hall in Budapest, ready for a grand foraging mission. From the moment I stepped inside its magnificent, cathedral-like hall, with its towering iron structure and colorful Zsolnay roof tiles peeking through the skylights, I knew I had stumbled upon a true treasure trove. It's a three-story wonderland where you can find absolutely everything a hungry or souvenir-hunting squirrel could possibly desire.

We started our journey on the ground floor, a chaotic symphony of fresh produce, Hungarian salami, cheeses, and spices. The air was thick with delicious scents, and we were immediately drawn to the baked goods. The pastries on the main floor were absolutely delicious, with flaky strudels overflowing with cherries or apples and sweet poppy seed rolls that were the perfect, authentic way to start our expedition. Amidst the food stalls, we also encountered the legendary pickles! A whole section dedicated to them, in every size and shape imaginable, floating in giant, rustic barrels. They looked so unique and fun that even a sweet-toothed squirrel like me had to appreciate the sight.

For the main event, we ascended the stairs to the upper level, where the real feast begins. The food stalls up here were serving up hearty, delicious Hungarian meals. We found a little counter serving a steaming bowl of goulash, and it was everything I had hoped for: rich, flavorful, and packed with tender beef. There were also plenty of other dishes like stuffed cabbage and fried lángos to choose from. It's the perfect spot to sit down and have a satisfying meal.

After sampling all the tasty food, we moved on to the next task: souvenirs. This is where the market truly shines as a practical and delightful shopping destination. The souvenir stalls are also on the upper level, right next to the food counters. We found that the souvenirs were definitely cheaper here than in the more concentrated tourist shops around the city. We filled our pouches with everything from authentic Hungarian paprika and finely embroidered linens to carved wooden trinkets, all without feeling like our wallets had been completely emptied.

In the end, this little squirrel left the Great Market Hall with a very full stomach and a heavy bag of unique treasures. The market is a fantastic, wonderfully chaotic, and utterly essential Budapest experience. It's a must-visit because you can immerse yourself in the authentic flavors of Hungarian food, grab all your meaningful gifts, and simply revel in the lively, bustling atmosphere. It's truly a one-stop-shop for a successful, delicious, and memorable...

The " Central Market hall" was the first on my list of markets to visit across Budapest. I was fascinated by the sheer size of it, where one could easily get lost wandering through the stalls . It's comprised of 2 stories and built in an amazing neoclassical architectural style with orange colored roof ✨️

If this is your first market too and youre looking to buy souvenirs , I advise you first visit the lesser famous sister markets: Rákóczi Market Hall & Lehel Market for better bargains . Other than that mostly everything else cheese, cold cuts and bakeries are within same range .

Here are some interesting facts about Budapest’s largest and oldest market hall ✨️

🏛 The building was constructed in 1897 by Samu Pecz and funded by the then-mayor of Budapest, Károly Kamermayer, who wanted to give his city a first-class marketplace like the ones he’d visited in Paris and London.

🔶️ One of the most distinguishing features of the exterior is its neoclassical facade and brightly coloured roof. The tile on the roof is Zsolnay tiles from Pécs, Budapest. These tiles were iconic due to their brilliant radiance. You can still spot the marketplace’s roof from across the Budapest skyline.

✴️ The impressive market spans 3 floors and 10,000 square metres. On the basement floor, you’ll find fish and meat. The ground floor has your usual groceries, along with pastries, sweets, spices, and spirits. On the second mezzanine floor, you can sit down and eat the local street food at one of the eateries or grab some souvenirs.

🚋 Just a 2-minute walk from Fővám tér subway station, you’ll be able to spot the Great Market Hall by its unique, station-like architecture that uses Zsolnay tiles for the roofing.

Open: Monday from 6 am to 5 pm, Tuesday–Friday from 6 am to 6 pm, Saturday from 6 am to 3 pm (closed on Sundays)

copied from hotels.com &...

We are here for the start of a TUI river cruise to Vienna. Today, after a typical tourist flash tour of the city, which was actually not as bad as some others have been, we had some free time before sailing. We decided to make the short walk to The Central Market Hall. The building is remarkably similar to some of the large Victorian English markets, with an ornate metalwork skeleton and glass roof. As we walked in, we were hit by the hubbub of constant business just as expected. This was Budapest capitalism at its height. The downstairs was the locals market, aiming at people buying food to cook at home. It seemed as we walked round to have every smoked pork product ever sold and some that I certainly have never seen. Upstairs is more aimed at tourists, with souvenirs being sold on most stalls. There is also a wide range of leather purses, bags, and holdalls. They are what appear to be embroidered scalves, shawls, and other textiles made by hand locally. If your hungry then there are stalls selling street food upstairs, including goulash, pizza and various sausages and salami based dishes. It was a brilliant experience, not as busling as maybe the market in Cairo, but great none the less. As with most markets you have to keep your wits about you. I was warned to keep my payment cards in a Faraday pouch as there have been instances of card cloning and be careful with money as the offer prices in euros which when you work it out are up to twice the local currency price. If you can pay by card and in...