Do you know the one place where you can try every Hungarian food and drink specialty and also do gift shopping?
The Great Market Hall (aka Central Market) is the place you are looking for!
This is Budapest’s biggest market since 1897. This architectural wonder has 3 floors of Hungarian goods, restauratns and folk art to admire.
Architectural wonder?
The Great Market Hall has a floorspace of 10 000 m2, it is the most beautiful brick building in Budapest and it’s roof is covered with tiles made by the world-renowned Zsolnay porcelain manufacture.
The building was pronounced a Hungarian national monument in 1977 and in 1999, it won the most important international architectural prize, the FIABCI Prix d’Excellence.
For its 100th birthday the Market Hall was awarded with a full renovation.
Aka Central Market?
The Great Market Hall is located in the centrum, at the Pest side of the Liberty Bridge. The address is: Vámház krt. 1-3.
Public transport to the market: trams 2, 47, 49, the nearest metro station is at Kálvin tér (Metro 3 – M3).
Opening hours: Monday: 06.00-17.00, Tuesday-Friday: 06.00-18.00, Saturday: 06.00-15.00, Sunday & Public Holidays: closed.
Historical facts
The Great Market Hall was one of the most modern indoor markets at the time it was opened, with up-to-date lighting and refrigeration.
The vendors, who shipped their products to the capital through the Danube, used a network of underground channels to get right to the Great Market Hall. There were also train rails leading right to the market.
What to try?
Pick salami, ham of the ancient Hungarian pig – the Mangalica, Hungarian strudel, libatepertő made from goose fat, cheese from the Hungarian countryside, and so on…
Most of the products at the Great Market Hall are fresh local delicacies: fruits, vegetables, wines, spirits, salamis and meat products, straight from the producers.
How to find out which stand is the best to try all these delicacies?
Easy Cooking Budapest offers a market tour followed by a Hungarian cooking class:
www.easycookingbudapest.com