Budapest Local City Tips And Events

Spring & Easter Market at Városháza park (City Hall park) – March 26th - April 18th

Spring Fair Budapest! This annual festival actually began with the Christmas season, since Vörösmarty Square has always been home to the big Budapest Christmas markets (nowadays the fair by the Basilica is just as popular). However, it has changed its location recently to Városháza park (City Hall park). This is located very much in the center of Budapest as well, meaning that it is very easy to find it.As it’s never enough of a good thing, at one point they decided to have a market around Easter also, and call it the Easter Fair and Spring Celebrating Festival. They thought April is perfect in Budapest: great weather, and you beat the summer crowd. So this is when the little brother of the Christmas fair, the Easter market was born.

Credit: Flickr @TopBudapestOr

Easter Market: crafts, food, music

This place is perfect for little souvenirs – arts and crafts dominate the wooden huts, with handmade pottery, baskets, wooden thingies and all that. Every year, there are presentations when traditional craftsmen showcase their skills of blacksmithery or basket weaving. Family-oriented opportunities to try felting, beading and the like also make this a great place for kids.

What 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. Artisanal 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, in Szentendre, north of Budapest – a cool day trip!).

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. You can also look for lángos, or savory ‘flame cake’, a potato-based dough served with sour cream, garlic and cheese, and other traditional Hungarian dishes. Meanwhile, live concerts with folk music and more modern genres create the country fair atmosphere. Don’t forget to have nice Hungarian wines with the local dishes!

Credit: Flickr @TopBudapestOr

Városháza park in downtown Budapest – where is it and what to do around it

You can easily get to this market using the underground/metro. If you travel to the stop Deak Ferenc square, which is where three of the four metro lines intersect, you will get out of the metro and be at the location of the spring market at once.

If you are looking for a smaller market/fair, you will also find a similar Easter/Spring market next to the Allee Shopping Center on the Buda side, next to the end station of tram number 4. Here you can buy handmade clothes, bags, wallets, Palinka, wine, chimney cakes, and other small stuff.

Where is de previous location, Vörösmarty Square, and what do do there. 

Named after one of the most famous Hungarian poets, this square is in the heart of the business/shopping district and historic downtown.

End station of the millennial subway line: this is the very first stop of the very first subway line on the European continent: even if you get around on foot, take a minute to go down and take a pic of the beautiful station.

The fashion street of Budapest is nearby, and fancy shopping street (bit of a tourist trap!) Váci utca starts just here. Most Váci utca stores tend to be overpriced and often touristy, but it’s certainly worth a passing glance. Fashion Street offers what it promises: shopping with the best brands in the world at hefty prices.

Check out the Castle or the view from Gellért Hill

Gateway to the Danube embankment: the square is between Elisabeth/Erzsébet Bridge and the Chain Bridge – focus on the latter if you’re into beautiful historic bridges. (All bridges of Budapest were rebuilt after the Second World War, but the Chain Bridge was redone in style!).

On your way to the bridge, you can stop at the Shoes on the Danube Promenade, a touching monument to the mostly Jewish victims of the Nazi regime shot into the river over 60 years ago. Also, just a stone’s throw from the Buda Hills: walk over the bridges or take a bus to discover Gellért Hill and the Citadella (via Elisabeth Bridge) or the fancy Castle District (via the Chain Bridge).

Gellért Hill is the perfect choice for a romantic spring stroll, also Gallért Hill is where some people go to running in Budapest, while the Castle is popular in any season.

Hostel TIP: Maverick City Lodge is a great choice if you want to be close to the Easter Fair! Maverick Hostel and Maverick Student Lodge are also very close to the center. Our staff is always happy to help you pick the best place for souvenir shopping, at the fair or off the beaten track around town!