Budapest’s Great Market Hall
Opened back in 1897, Budapest’s Great Market Hall is the area’s largest indoor market, serving as a treasure trove for the curious traveler. Here’s a little bit of information about it as well as what you should buy if you find yourself there.
Foods To Purchase
As with most indoor markets, there is a lot of food here. This includes meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. One thing that many of the locals don’t leave without is the paprika. This spice is commonly used in a lot of Budapest households. In total, there are 8 different types of paprika sold locally and at least one of them is always added to local dishes like goulash. Another thing that many don’t go home without is the langos. It’s made out of fried dough and it’s often topped with cheese, garlic, and sour cream.
Cooking Classes
If you are interested in making a few authentic dishes when you get back home, you can take a cooking class in the market. Dishes will feature items like chicken paprikash. If you can’t cook, don’t worry, because these classes are geared towards beginners.
Tours
There’s a lot to see at the market and, if you aren’t careful, you might miss something that you were hoping to get a peek at. Tours are a great way to really take in everything here. You can learn about the different vendors at the market and even get some insider knowledge about the history of it.
Where Everything Is Located
Three floors make up the market. The bottom floor has fish and pickled foods. As you can imagine, this is the least popular floor in the market which makes it a great place to go to escape from the crowds. The main floor has everything from cheese to honey, so plan to spend a lot of time here as there’s much to see and often samples to try. The top floor features prepared foods and souvenirs. There isn’t an overabundance of food stalls, so you could technically try something from each one if you were feeling particularly hungry.
The Great Market Hall is located in front of the Liberty Bridge. The bottom and main floors are open Mondays from 6am to 5pm, Tuesday through Friday from 6am to 6pm and Saturdays from 6am to 3pm. The upper floor doesn’t open until 9am each day, and all floors of the market are closed on Sundays unless otherwise specified.
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