The central market of Budapest is one of the 5 indoor bazaars of the city that were created in the 19th century. Of these, it is considered the most colorful, has the largest sizes. Tourists love this place. It is noisy, a lot of bright colors, pleasant smells of spices, a large selection of goods. You can immediately feel how Hungary lives.
History
Almost every guide tells the visitor about the Central Market of Budapest. Its history begins after the formation of the city, when there was a need to provide people with food. The bazaar was created to streamline trade. Today, tours are regularly held here.
Visitors rarely manage to correctly pronounce the name of the Központi Vásárcsarnok bazaar the first time, observing all the subtleties of the Hungarian pronunciation.
On pl. Fevam (formerly Salt), where this vast complex is located, come alone or with a guide. Earlier in this area there were warehouses with salt. There were also buildings for storing tobacco, which were dismantled upon their coming into disrepair.
Today, the area is called Customs. In 1870, a building was built here in which the customs service worked. It was located on the Pest side of the Danube River.
Nearby was the Liberty Bridge. Now this building has become the building of the University of Economics.
The pavilion that appeared at that time was stylized in a Parisian manner. The creator of the project was S. Petz. Construction began in 1894. The opening was planned for 1896. When the work was completed, an accident happened - a fire that destroyed the roof in half.
During the year, the Central Market in Budapest was repaired, the last details were finalized. The opening of the building, built of red brick, took place on March 15, 1897. It, decorated with beautiful ornaments, occupied an entire block. In the corners of the tower. Roof tiles of different colors were made in stoves at the factory of Folnai. All comers got access here. The market building suffered significant damage during the hostilities that took place in the 20th century, for some time it did not work at all.
Interesting Facts
The restoration of its functioning took place in the 90s of the last century, after restoration. There are several factors that can attract tourists to this place:
- The architectural style of the market building is striking no less than the abundance of products sold in it. The roof is curved. Full of color murals. Openwork staircases go to great heights.
- The date of the last reconstruction is 1994. In 1999, the building was awarded the FIABCI Prix d'Excellence Prize, the most honorable among architectural awards.
- It is interesting that in the slang of the inhabitants of Budapest there is the expression "stands like a cast-iron market." We are talking about the high cost of building a building due to a fire. So the final amount came out much more than planned.
It is definitely worth a visit, visiting Budapest. Tourists began to visit the central market as one of its most memorable sights. After the repair, all the luxury shone in the old world.
First level description
Now there are three levels. On the ground floor they sell meat and sausages. The choice is truly impressive: several dozen varieties of salami, Viennese sausages, pork, lamb, sausages, pate, foie gras, which can compete with the works of French culinary specialists.
At the entrance, visitors notice a mouth-watering aroma that calls to go inside and carefully consider everything. Leaving here empty-handed is almost impossible. The central market (Budapest) is also a place of active sale of dairy products. You can see the whole mountains of cheese. Nearby are counters with rustic pastries, lags. Vegetables and fruits are invariably fresh. The prices are attractive. Compared to other European markets, they are much lower.
Reviews
Tourists who have been here say that there are always a lot of people buying food at home, exploring the meat and vegetable rows. The central shopping arcade, which is decorated with salami sticks, like New Year's toys, delights visitors. It is from here that foreigners enter the market and leave it.
Popular with tourists are sausages, dried paprika, fruit vodka, Zwack Unicumc brand balms. As a result of such shopping, buyers usually have a good dinner after a long day full of interesting but tiring walks around the city.
Many people buy delicious sausages, for which mold is more an advantage than a disadvantage. Such products are produced by Peak factories. The smell, similar to juniper smoke, is from Herz products. Literally curtains of meat products sway above the counters. Moreover, not randomly, but distributed in color from Vienna sausages to pink sausages from Debrecen made from finely chopped pork in a sheepskin skin. Such a strong aroma emanates from them that it can go on to other purchases in a bag.
However, despite this risk, it is highly recommended to try them. People who took this opportunity argue that it is especially good to serve such a dish with Hungarian wine. Having entered the left compartment, people see muzzles and various parts of carcasses. The sight is not for the faint of heart.
Dairy department
Passing the sellers of alcoholic beverages, you find yourself in the dairy department, where it’s calmer. Milk sold, baked on the morning of the same day. You can come up with a can, and the seller will fill it with a ladle.
A large amount of cheese makes the mountains look like bricks or bags of cement stored in a warehouse area, which delights people who have never seen such a sight. Tourists like to taste the baked in oil lags - one of the favorite Hungarian treats. In the chilly winter, which is typical for this state, such a meal warms and brings a feeling of comfort. In large banks they sell pastes - a creamy substance with fatty streaks. They will be stored for at least three months.
Lower level
Going down to the lower level, people get to the supermarket. According to the stories of tourists, it is no different from those on almost every street. Much more interesting is the nearby counter with spices. It is called the Colonial Shop.
Approaching it, people smell the smell of spices and herbs. Saffron, Thai herbs, Sumatran coffee, zira, barberry and sumac attract its scents. Local sellers could compete with traders from the Istanbul market.
Blown cans and flasks look especially beautiful. It seems to be in a pharmacy from the Middle Ages. Rosemary oil, which the Hungarians use as an elixir, is inexpensively sold. This green substance is seasoned with salads. Next is the bakery. City guests like to taste delicious baguettes, a cinnamon roll and anise scent.
It is excellent to strengthen strength with such products after a walk, drinking coffee, tea or juice. Muffin here is the best in all of Budapest.
The central market is a place where you can shop at mushroom pickers. There are earthen embankments and aquariums. Here, mushrooms are not only sold, but also directly grown. You can see how a whole colony of mushrooms or mushrooms grows. If in our latitudes the leg of a mushroom is cut with a knife, then in Hungary it is torn out of the ground. Then it is placed in a cellar with a low temperature or an aquarium, where it is stored for three days without blackening. In this part of the bazaar, the smell of dampness is rather unusual for most people. It is worth noting that there is a risk of stumbling on fake truffles, so it’s better not to take them here.
Top level
The upper gallery houses catering establishments and souvenir shops. Author's crafts, national costumes, woven towels and tablecloths, and handmade dolls are for sale.
According to the people who were here, all these products are worth a lot, but give great pleasure to the owners or those who just walked by and decided to stop and see. There are always a lot of people in restaurants and cafes, even despite the relatively high cost of dishes.
Goulash, strudel with cottage cheese and cherries, sausages and coffee are popular. The central market of Budapest is a huge shopping complex. Walking on it, you feel like hungry.
Address and opening hours
Not only the Central Market of Budapest itself is interesting, but also the picturesque river bank. It is interesting to ride a pleasure boat. But first you need to get here.
Once in an unfamiliar city, it’s not easy to navigate without a guide and a sightseeing bus. How can a tourist get to the Central Market (Budapest)? Bazaar address: Budapest, Vámház krt. 1-3, 1093. The landmark will be the nearby Liberty Bridge, built over the Danube.
From public transport, bus 15, trams 2 and 2a, 47, as well as 49 are suitable. They also use the blue subway line to get to the Central Market (Budapest). Opening hours differ on different days of the week: Monday - 6: 00-17: 00, from Tuesday to Friday - 6: 00-18: 00, on Saturday - 6: 00-15: 00. Sunday does not work.
Impressions of tourists from the market
In order to admire the architecture and the impressive scale of the building, tourists often come to the Central Market of Budapest. The reviews indicate that people get triple pleasure: they get acquainted with the style of the building, get the opportunity to buy original products and spices, and also eat deliciously.
This is a place where people enjoy walking in any weather, because there is a roof over your head. Impressive guests of the city scale of the institution.
Three floors of the building do not cease to amaze and delight with the range of products. Here it is felt that trade is treated as an art, and not just business.
Having been here, people look at shopping as an interesting adventure, and not an urgent need. If before that a person was used to reluctantly to go to the bazaar for a few kilograms of potatoes, then here he goes as if to a museum or to a bright fair.
Hungary, Budapest, the Central Market is a wonderful place for both a curious tourist and a practical and thrifty city dweller.