Shopping in Budapest

Whether you are looking for gifts to take home from Budapest, or just want to do some shopping, there are plenty of opportunities to indulge yourself in the pleasure of money-spending. Shopping in Budapest is quirky. It defies expectation. Things tend to be dispersed, so similar shops most often don't cluster in a single neighbourhood. Even stores often stock random associations of goods - down comforters and used books. Other places stock very narrow arrays. You frequently can't tell exactly what a store is selling by looking in its windows. Shopping in Budapest has never been better and tourists are in for local souvenir treats. Folk art products are very typical of Hungary. They are handmade by the locals. The most popular folklore products are: embroidered cloths, pillowcases, dolls dressed in Hungarian folklore costumes, dresses, pottery, and porcelain. Food stores are open from 6.00 or 7.00 to 18.00, 19.00, Monday to Friday, on Saturdays from 6.00 or 7.00 to 13.00. Other Budapest shops are open Monday to Friday from 10.00 to 18.00, on Saturdays from 10.00 to 13.00. The large supermarkets have longer opening hours and are open on Sunday. Some of them, like Tesco are open 24 hours. In the centre, mainly in Pest, you'll find several non-stop, 24-hour shops. They sell cigarettes, alcohol, soft drinks and snacks, and other foodstuff, usually at a higher price. During the heart of the summer in Budapest, in July and August, a number of the smaller shops close for this entire period. Budapest is a city of market halls, shops, and markets.

 

Budapest Flea Markets

Budapest is home to the daily Ecseri Piac market on Nagykorösi, one of the largest flea markets in the whole of Central Europe. Here you can shop for Hungary and purchase everything from antique jewellery to watches and silverware and Herend porcelain. Saturday is said to be the best day to go; dealers get there early to search for those proverbial diamonds amidst the rust. The City Park flea market is another of Budapest's many shopping highlights and takes place each Saturday and Sunday on the Zichy Mihály Utca, close to the Petofi Csarnok youth centre and in the City Park (Városliget) itself.

 

Báv

This chain of pawn and secondhand shops, with a number of branches around town, is always a fun place to comb for trinkets and treasures, especially if you don’t have time to get to the Ecseri or City Park flea markets. Check out this branch for chinaware, textiles and furniture. Other stores include the Belváros branch for knick-knacks, porcelain, glassware and artwork and the Buda branch for jewellery, lamps and fine porcelain.

 

Váci Utca

Traffic-free shopping is available along the bustling Váci Utca, a famous central promenade lined with shops and fully pedestrianized. The Váci Utca really is an integral part of any Budapest shopping trip and is a pleasant way to spend any afternoon, with plenty of pavement cafes if you need to take a break and enjoy a coffee. For serious antiques shopping in Budapest, visit the Falk Miksa Utca within the central Belvaros district, which is also home to a surprising concentration of small art galleries. The Váci Utca contains some particularly interesting shops, such as Inuita and the Folk-art Centrum, both of which specialise in modern Hungarian folk craft and painted eggs. Neighbouring streets like Fashion Street on Deák Ferenc utca, which links Vörösmarty tér with Deák tér, also offer a great shopping experience. Shops like Hugo Boss, Max Mara, Benetton, Sisley, Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste and Mexx are some of the stores located here.

 

Central Market Hall

Many traditional gift shops are grouped around central Pest and in particular around the main boulevards of Kiskörút and Nagykörút, and close to Budapest's famous Nagy Vasarcsarnok market hall. These stretches tend to contain some of the most interesting shops that the city has to offer tourists, selling a range of authentic Hungarian handicrafts and souvenirs of Budapest, most of which are good value. However, if you are in this area, then do pay a leisurely visit to the market at Nagy Vasarcsarnok, which is known to attract some 30,000 visitors on a good day.

 

Andrássy Avenue

The biggest luxury brands are opening stores one after the other in Budapest, mostly in the city centre and on Andrássy avenue. Trendy young people may find the shops Retrock and Retrock Deluxe interesting, where you can buy clothes made by young designers. Upscale boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Ermenegildo Zegna, Burberry, Gucci, and Roberto Cavalli are located here. Bajcsy-Zsilinszky utca and Rákóczi út have many shops as well. For some inspirational gift ideas from contemporary designers check out Király utca, Budapest's Design Street, filled with design galleries and funky boutiques.

 

Malls

Budapest has many shopping malls, including the largest shopping mall in Central Europe, the Arena Plaza. These soulless malls, like everywhere else in the world, combine brand name shops with entertainment facilities. Due to a lack of space, most malls are located outside the City Center. The closest shopping malls to the City Center are : West End City Centre, Mammut, Corvin Shopping centre, Arkad, Arena Plaza, Allee, Europeum and Mom Park. To avoid crowds, shop between 10 to 12am . Be careful of pickpockets.