Great Market Hall Budapest
Built in 1897, Great Market Hall is an absolute must see if you’re in Budapest. Whether your buying cured meats, an assortment of cheese, olive oil, wine, or just grabbing a freshly squeezed juice as you walk the glorious hall, the choices abound as you pass stall after stall for what seems like an eternity.
After you work up an appetite wandering aisle after aisle on the main level, make your way upstairs to eat at one of the many food stalls offering traditional Hungarian dishes.
During our frequent visits to the market, we shared amazing local favorites, such as goulash, chicken paprikash, stuffed cabbage, nokedli (spaetzle), and rakott krumpli, which is an unbelievably great idea of making a potato casserole layered with sausage, onions, egg, and sour cream.
We tried to pick a different restaurant during every visit, and two of our favorites were Goulash and Fakanal Etterem.
Let’s Get Spicy
One of the main staples you will see everywhere at the Great Market Hall is paprika, which is the national spice of Hungary. The popular spice, which is made from dried, deep red paprika pods from various kinds of capsicum annuum peppers, is showcased at seemingly every stall in the market. Paprika is an essential component of everyday Hungarian dishes like porkolt (stew), goulash, chicken paprikás, and halászlé (fisherman’s soup).
The three level market is also great for shopping for gifts and other tourist items. Like most markets throughout the world, there are numerous stalls selling knockoff luggage, shoes, clothing, and every other designer item you can copy. But there is also a lot of handmade jewelry, unique bags, instruments, and dolls that are locally made. Additionally, the bottom floor of the market is worth checking out, and just as vast. The daily meat and fish markets are always busy, along with a large grocery store, and additional stalls similar to the main level.
The building was designed by Samu Pecz, and exudes multiple examples of neo-Gothic architecture. With its grand, expansive interiors, the market hall was originally established to accommodate the bustling trade of local farmers, fishermen, and merchants. Even today, as it has become a huge tourist attraction, it’s still a hub for locals picking up goods at the market.
Like most great markets in historic cities, Great Market Hall is in the heart of the city. The entrance to the market is located right as you exit the Liberty Bridge over the Danube on the Pest side of the river, with Fovam Square on the other side of the street. Hence, the Great Market Hall is also known to Hungarian’s as Central Market Hall.
Let’s Get Spicy
One of the main staples you will see everywhere at the Great Market Hall is Paprika, which is considered the national spice of Hungary. Made from dried, deep red paprika pods of various kinds of Capsicum annuum peppers, seen in bunches at pretty much every stall in the market, Paprika is an essential component of everyday Hungarian dishes like Porkolt (stew), Goulash, Chicken Paprikás, and Halászlé (fisherman’s soup).
The three level market is also great for shopping for gifts and other tourist items. Like most markets throughout the world, there are numerous stalls selling knock off luggage, shoes, clothing, and every other designer item you can copy. But there are also a lot of handmade jewelry, leather bags, instruments, and dolls, to name a few. The bottom floor of the market is also worth seeing, and just as vast. The daily meat and fish markets are always busy, along with a grocery store, and additional stalls similar to the main level throughout.
The building was designed and built by Samu Pecz, and exudes multiple examples of neo-Gothic architecture. With its grand, expansive interiors, the market hall was originally established to accommodate the bustling trade of local farmers, fishermen, and merchants. Even today, as it has become a huge tourist attraction, it’s still a hub for locals picking up goods at the market. Great Market Hall is also centrally located, with Fovam Square across the street, and the markets entrance located right as you exit the Liberty Bridge over the Danube on the Pest side of the river. Hence, the Great Market Hall is also known to Hungarian’s as Central Market Hall.