Budapest Local City Tips And Events

Budapest around Easter means amazing weather, and the beginning of the outdoor activities that will last until late fall. If you want to check out the Budapest Spring and Easter Fair, use our guide to figure out when/where/what to do. Entrance is free!

Cultural festival and food & artisan fair

The fair (normally organized in Vörösmarty tér) is actually taking place this year in Buda (at the Corso next to Allee Shopping Center - Kőrösy József street) during 1-6 April with great handmade, traditional and modern design products, and of course also local dishes linked to Easter. It’s really a traditional cultural festival and Easter fair, all in one.

Credit: @budapestspringfair

Budapest Spring and Easter Festival venues:

Corso next to Allee shopping center – by Újbuda-központ station on tram 4 line, and near the Allee shopping center and Móricz Zsigmond körtér: during Easter, free concerts, folk dance shows and many more cultural programs. Next to the stage, egg painters will be working, showcasing their delicate products, and of course loads of food and traditional goods will wait for you there throughout the festival.

They think of families with kids as well, there will be face painting, bubble playground programs, and a lot of craftworks.

Credit: @budapestspringfair

Opening hours at the festival 2024:

Artisans:

• Sunday-Friday: 10.00-20.00

• Saturday: 10.00-21.00

Food stands:

• Sunday-Friday: 10.00-21.00

• Saturday: 10.00-22.00

Entrance free of charge.

Credit: @budapestspringfair

Thematic food weeks at the Festival:

These foods will be especially represented (but you will still have a very wide selection of other local specialties throughout the festival):

Easter kalács (knotted bread) week – the knotted bread represents the bread Jesus blessed and ate at the last supper. Kalács is common is Eastern Europe, so you might have seen it elsewhere in the region

Easter lamb week: interestingly, lamb also represents Jesus in traditional folklore

Credit: @budapestspringfair

More local things you definitely have to try at the Budapest Spring Fair:

Kürtőskalács or chimney cake: baked on the spot, this treat with a crisp outside and a super soft sugary lining comes in varieties ranging from cinnamon (traditional) to Nutella (progressive). 

Mulled wine: the typical drink at the Christmas market that’s sometimes available in the spring too. You’ll never understand why they told you to drink wine cold. 

Artisan marzipan: Hungary’s not the only country to make this, but definitely the only one to have a Marzipan Museum with life-size marzipan Michael Jackson and Princess Diana statues. (Seriously.) Naturally, you’ll also find gingerbread houses and other favorites, including, just as importantly, great wine, craft beers, pálinka, and of course, goulash and stews galore. 

Credit: @budapestspringfair

You can also look for lángos, or ‘flame cake’, a potato-based dough served with sour cream, garlic and cheese, and other traditional Hungarian dishes. 

Other local specialties to try include mangalica sausage (or even mangalica burger!), stuffed cabbage, goulash soup, strudel and many more!

And don’t forget that it’s not just food: the festival is perfect for getting Budapest souvenirs – arts and crafts dominate the wooden huts, with handmade pottery, baskets, wooden thingies and all that. Enjoy!

Hostel TIP: Maverick City Lodge is a great choice if you want to be close to the festival and right in the heart of the city.