Picture This: The Christmas Market of Budapest, Hungary

Budapest's Christmas Market

Budapest Christmas Market

On the Pest side of Budapest we checked out the the city’s main Christmas market, a large collection of stands and kiosks all decked out in holiday style.

We were surprised how many of these were selling food or drink as opposed to gifts.

Traditional Hungarian Christmas Bread in Budapest, Hungary

Chimney cakes at the Christmas Market in Budapest, Hungary

See our entire adventure in Budapest!

The Christmas Market in Budapest, Hungary

It seemed that this market was more of a gathering place for friends and family to grab a bite, hang out, socialize, and listen to music than a shopping venue.

Basically a street fair, so we loved it.

An entire roasted big at the Christmas Market in Budapest, Hungary

Veronica drinks a cup of steaming hot Glühwein to warm our body and soul

We started with a cup of forralt bor, meaning boiled wine, the Hungarian version of mulled wine, or glühwein.

With our cockles properly warmed we were ready to sample some of the local fare.

See our entire adventure in Budapest!

forralt bor, meaning boiled wine, the Hungarian version of mulled wine, or glühwein

Goulash in a bread bowl at the Christmas Market in Budapest, Hungary

Food at the Christmas Market in Budapest, Hungary

See our entire adventure in Budapest!

töltött káposzta, cabbage stuffed with meat and rice and served with a paprika sauce and sour cream. Exceedingly Hungarian! We also couldn't resist a huge smoked meat dumpling with sauerkraut.

Everything looked fantastic but we settled on töltött káposzta, cabbage stuffed with meat and rice and served with a paprika sauce and sour cream, then we added a huge smoked meat dumpling with sauerkraut to our meal.

Exceedingly Hungarian!

Christmas candy balls at Budapest Christmas Market

Handmade puppets at Budapest Christmas Market

See our entire adventure in Budapest!

Handmade puppets at Budapest Christmas Market

Folk musicians at Budapest's Christmas Fair

Best jet-lag cure, total immersion into the local food and customs.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Thanks to Viking River Cruises for inviting us along and providing this adventure! As always, all opinions are our own.

Delve deeper:
See our entire adventure in Budapest
Explore the St. Stephen’s Basilica

Discover more about Fisherman’s Bastion & Matthias Church
Continue along with us on our Christmas cruise along The Danube with stops in Budapest, Bratislavia, Vienna, Durnstein & Melk, Salzburg, and Passau.

See more about the history of Christmas markets and our explorations of these markets around the world!


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2 thoughts on “Picture This: The Christmas Market of Budapest, Hungary”

  1. I would love to buy a Christmas Market mug from Budapest. I was on this Viking River Cruise in 2015 and failed to get one at the time, though I have one from the other places we visited. Any ideas on how I can accomplish this? I’d very much appreciate it!

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