From
the Midwest to
Budapest
Whether it is in the wall-to-wall shops of Váci Street or the produce-filled countertops of the Central Market Hall, visitors to Budapest can find plenty of places to buy souvenirs and traditional Hungarian items.
The most popular items to buy in Budapest are porcelain, art, paprika, embroidered items and painted eggs. For some of the more traditional items, the Central Market Hall offers three floors of merchant booths, selling everything from paprika to porcelain dishes, traditional dresses and fresh fruits.
Demota Bolash, a merchant at the shop Piorio in the Central Market Hall, said that all of the items sold in his shop are handmade by his boss. His store sells mostly toys and trinkets. Wooden trains and puzzle cubes sit stacked on shelves.
“[The Central Market] is a famous place here in Budapest,” Bolash said. “It’s very old, and it’s traditional.”
Many locals do their everyday shopping in the Central Market Hall. This building, built in 1897, sits at the end of Váci Street, famous for its pedestrian walkway.
Shops on Váci Street are convenient for tourists looking for souvenirs and offer a number of Hungarian art and embroidered pieces, such as dresses, clothes and tableclothes.
The Handicraft Shop, owned by Klara Rotik, who is Australian, is one place where tourists can find authentic merchandise and freely converse in English. The store is located at 1056 Budapest, Váci út. 84.
Everything is made in Rotik’s shop, and she has a wide array of dolls in traditional dresses that represent different regions of Hungary.
The St. Valentin Folklore shop, which is near the Fisherman’s Bastion, also sells Hungarian-made products, including Tokaj wine, Hungarian goose liver, Propolis honey, Kalocsa paprika and more.This shop is certified by the government as selling authentic merchandise made in Hungary.
A tourist attraction unique to Budapest is its Marzipan Museum, which is behind the Hilton Hotel and near Fisherman’s Bastion at H1014 Budapest, Szentharomsag Tér 7-8.
The Marzipan Museum is connected to a shop where visitors can buy marzipan, which is made of almonds and sugar. Budapest is known for its marzipan, and in this shop, visitors can purchase anything from figurines from marzipan to chocolate-covered marzipan and flavored rolls of this sweet treat.
These stores are just a few of the places to shop. Side streets are also good places to explore for items you’re not used to finding in the United States.
Planning your souvenir shopping
1. Central Market Hall
a. http://www.piaconline.hu/new/index.php?pageLang=angol
b. 1093 Budapest, Vámház körút 1-3, Hungary
2. Váci Street
a. Handicraft shop—1056 Budapest, Vaci u. 84, 36 1 267 3371
3. St. Valentin Folklore shop
a. http://www.stvalentin.webzona.hu/
b. H1014 Budapest, Szentharomsag Tér 7-8,
4. Marzipan Museum
a. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6r5TE7_sJM
b. H1014, Budapest, Hess A Tér 1-3
Váci Street is accessable from the front door of the Central Market Hall. From the market and Váci Street, it’s recommended you take a 10-minute taxi ride to the Fisherman’s Bastion where you can walk to the Marzipan Museum and St. Valentin Folklore.
Must-see shops sell the best souvenirs in Budapest
Story by Miranda Carney
