The Christmas Markets Open Soon in Budapest!!! Who is Coming?

the end of November is not soon.. Thank goodnes

Ah to be in Budapest for the Christmas markets .....

Kim living in Paris, you know that while Christmas Markets are wonderful in their own right, they are just as importantly a great backdrop for the mood and the atmosphere in a great city like Paris or Budapest during the holidays. By the way, I truly love Paris any time of the year.

Yes but having experienced both, I have to say to me, they are more special in Budapest !!!

I'm glad I saw this! We're heading to Budapest in a few weeks and I thought there was only two markets. I'll have to look into the rest, thank you!!

PQ

We are coming from Seattle to start our Christmas trip in Budapest (December 10th for five nights). Excited to see the city (especially architecture), experience the food and drink the Hungarian wine*.

*I’m someone who knows little about wine, but enjoys it immensely. I found this article helpful.
https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/hungarian-wines-for-the-win/

Renee, you and I are the same. I enjoy wine, but I am a slow learner. It's a huge part of the culture, and the link you posted is one of the best I've seen for an introduction to people like you and me.

If you want to get some more experience on the subject there is a wine bar that does a sort of tasting game/event one evening a week and I know a couple of others that will set you up with an introduction and explanations of a handful of good examples.

Those both sound like something we would enjoy. Thank you.
I am assuming that the presentation and/ or game would be in English.
I know that English is widely spoken and I’m counting on it because I’m struggling with my five travel basics: please, thank you, excuse me, hello, good by. Hungarian is a whole new ballpark for me.

Renee,
Here you go

I can have the guys set up a tasting at Kadarka Wine Bar http://kadarkawinebar.com/ or Palack Borbar https://palackborbar.hu/ or if you want to go a bit upscale, Dobolo Wine Bar https://www.facebook.com/doblowinebar.

Another I have heard good things about but havent managed to visit yet is DropShop Wine Bar https://dropshop.hu/borbar/

Then for the fun.

BorToDoor not far from the Opera House. You will find that District VI is really a great area for all sorts of reasons. https://bortodoor.com/ Wednesday | Wine Mafia 7:30pm; 7-9x tasting glasses of wines. Join the community table or book one for friends.
Okay, well Speedy and Guzzi (RS people) invited me here one evening last year. Somehow I walked out winning a bottle of wine. It was great fun and I am usually not into public humiliation.

"Discover wine at Wine Mafia! From beginners to sommeliers, everyone's welcome to join our interactive wine education night. Experience blind tastings, trivia, and sensory challenges guided by our team around a communal table.
Originally a passion project, Wine Mafia has grown into a weekly competitive league lasting a year. Compete for prizes and vie for a spot in the top 10 of our Leaderboard!
Experience:
Blind Tasting: Identify tastes and scents from 7-9 tasting glasses of wine by grape and region.
Trivia and Smell Challenge: Enjoy multiple-choice wine trivia and guess 6-8 scents from the official sommelier training box (jasmine to petrol)."

We will be there Dec 5-8th. First time visiting and really looking forward to it. Thanks for the market overview and tips.

I saw wine mafia and thought it looked like fun but we have tickets Wednesday night. I think we will check out their “Friends Thursday” though.

Here is another market of sorts. https://welovebudapest.com/en/article/2024/11/14/shopping-makers-market-budapest-handmade-gifts-local-designers-christmas/

And CNNs take on it https://hungarytoday.hu/budapest-markets-make-cnns-list-of-best-christmas-fairs-worldwide/

And by the Castle
https://hungarytoday.hu/buda-castle-district-gears-up-for-the-festive-season-with-advent-programs/

I found a nice place for dinner if you are at the Vorosmarty ter market. Divin Porcello. Directly behind the Marriott.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/restaurants-in-budapest-revisited

For those coming in December Liszt just posted their December schedule for English tours.
https://concert.lisztacademy.hu/services/guided-tours-113048
“Our professional guides will shed light on the mysteries of the building and guests can find out where the spirit of music lives. The tour of the building ends with a mini concert performed by a student of the Liszt Academy.”

And it's worth the time. And if there is a concert in the Great Hall, do it. It's about as local a thing as you can do and a beautiful venue.

Updated some more markets above and

CORVIN HUTTE (Covrin Plaza, Adjacent to the shopping mall). I visited today. If you are staying only 4 nights, then this probably isn’t worth the effort. If you are one of those that likes extended stays were you can get deeper into the local life and local economy, and just want to hang out with locals, then maybe so.

You will go down to the Corvin-negyed stop on the 4/6 Tram and then walk past the Corvin Mozi (cinima) which has some tragic history in the '56 uprising and may explain the number of new buildings behind it. https://images.slideplayer.hu/41/11302888/slides/slide_21.jpg but now renovated https://budapest100.hu/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Corvin_koz_1_Polinszky_T_01_resize-1024x461.jpg

Behind the theater is the entrance to a new shopping mall. Go through the mall and out the back door and you are in a very nice pedestrian square / park. With landscaping and in warmer weather interactive fountains that you can walk thru and play in.https://www.google.com/maps/@47.4858158,19.0751546,3a,75y,105.55h,88.5t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipMPE48dsFmKS_FuiM1teyZjmmrrrwT0GJyZmOH8!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMPE48dsFmKS_FuiM1teyZjmmrrrwT0GJyZmOH8%3Dw900-h600-k-no-pi1.497328068689967-ya295.21320754936755-ro0-fo100!7i7582!8i3791?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIwMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D The surrounding architecture is all post war, but they did it really well. Some of the most attractive 1980's (I am guessing a bit) architecture in town. And like the rest of the city, the ground floor is retail, the 5 or 6 floors above are apartments. So you are among the local population.

The park is called Corvin Plaza on a lot of maps, but was not long ago named Carlo Pedersoli Park after the now deceased Italian spaghetti western actor ... who maybe never came to Budapest. Why you may ask?

Moving right along .......... There are only about a dozen market huts set up, mostly food. The prices are easily half of the big markets. Mulled wine for 1.000 ft (about US2.60) for instance (yes, it was good). If you go, the real reason would be to be in a social atmosphere; mabye have breakfast or sit and enjoy a cup of coffee. You will hear no English, but more surprisingly, this year at least, you will hear no Spanish. The park is lined with coffee shops and cafés and the ubiquitous Asian restaurants, Budapest having the largest Asian population in Central Europe. I enjoyed the morning.

• Basilica Market: BEST CHRISTMAS MARKET OF ALL TIME

https://www.europeanbestdestinations.com/best-of-europe/best-christmas-markets-of-all-the-time-in-europe-all-stars-edition/

• We just got our second snow fall this winter. Flakes twice the size of corn flakes. Beautiful. Best. I sit in a fairly local Buda wine bar listening to the Bing Crosby Christmas Album. Could life be better?
• A friend here in town suggested that I try the Christmas Market in Ujpest. Ujpest is a small suburb town a bit up river from the center. Easy to reach because it is the end stop of the M3 metro.

Took me about 30 minutes to reach it from my home near the Opera. I arrived about 2pm, and like you might expect in any small town on Sunday, almost everything was closed. The market is in a square behind the municipal building (Looks like a c.1890 municipal building and within sight of the metro stop).

Walking into the market it was a bit disapointing. About 2 dozen huts, lots of food, a few crafts and a lot focused on childrens things. Even an igloo where Santa sits (Santa on break). But the mulled wine was about 1000 ft for 2dl and the strudel about 750 ft and the hotdogs at about 1000 ft. So 1/3rd the price of the big markets in Budapest. Nothing but locals, this one has a few articles on the internet but they are a year or more old. Nothing current. Not on any list that I have seen.

So, if you have been to the great markets in Budapest and Vienna and those are what you have come to see and you love them, this place will let you down.

BUT, then the band began (there was a stage). And it became apparent that this was the real thing. Christmas for family and children. If you have been traveling and just want a very real holiday moment, then this is the best I have found so far. But I will let these speak:

https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ai7Zk-szxfTJjI5aL8dEQ8ett_BY-Q?e=ljjkre

For those coming in before Christmas:
I have seen many Nutcrackers in many cities but I think the production at the Opera House outshines them all. The sets, the symphony, the dancers were all incredible. It had a little fairy tale twist. When they journeyed to “the land of the snow” they transformed the stage into a forest winter wonderland that even in the cheap seats we felt like we were there. Plus the cheap seats (3rd level, center, about 6 rows back) had the best view of the ceiling and chandelier.

That's very nice to hear. Happy you are enjoying your trip.

Do you know one of the main purposes of that chandelier, bsck in the day?

No I do not

No air-conditioning so it was the ventilation system. All those gas lamps on the chandelier created a lot of heat that went up the chimney above at a pretty rapid rate, and at the same time pulled air in through the windows and doors; and I suspect there were some vents in the floor under the seats where air would be pulled from.

I got a message last night from someone coming for the markets, but was having trouble packing for the weather. Took me a while to explain that Budapest, Central Europe and Eastern Europe are not above the artic circle. Winter temperatures are generally above freezing at sunrise and don’t fall below 40 until bed time. A 45F or even 50F afternoon isn’t uncommon. Sure, we have fronts blow through and things can get sort of chilly but it isn’t every day.

So how do you dress? Women, you are on your own. 40 years of marriage taught me to stay away from commenting on women’s clothes. Guys, with this list, you can layer it at least 6 different ways and be warm from 20F to and not sweat at 50F.

Starting from the inside out:
Lightweight, or if you are really cold intolerant, medium weight long johns. Amazon or Cabela’s / Bass Pro. Nothing fancy, no silk required. 50/50 chance you will be cold enough to want them, but they don’t take up much room or add much weight to the packing.

Thick socks. This is a bit of overkill, but I love my Ducks Unlimited knee-high wool fly fishing wading socks. But plain old wool blend socks are fine.

Any trousers you want to wear. If you bring medium weight long johns then your trousers can be quick dry fishing pants like they sell at Cabela’s / Bass Pro / Simms / Orvis. Locals on the street will be a fourth jeans (Levi’s popular), a fourth in black chinos, a fourth in brown chinos and a fourth anything else you can imagine.

Shirt, what ever long sleeve you want. Cool days you wear the long john top under it. Cold days you wear a sweater over it.

Sweater. Medium weight. Wool is nice, but it you cant wash it that might be a problem. Synthetics are fine. They dry faster too.
Coat? Nope, a jacket will be fine. I have been using an older version of this for the last 10 to 15 years: https://www.columbia.com/p/mens-autumn-park-ii-down-jacket-2086181.html?dwvar_2086181_color=478 Lightweight, synthetic down, lined with a thermal blanket. Wads up into a tight ball. You can even stuff it in a 1 gallon zip lock bag.

Gloves? Sure if you want. I use my hands too much and just keep them in the coat pockets.

Cap, yes, https://www.columbia.com/p/whirlibird-cuffed-beanie-1911321.html?dwvar_1911321_color=475 or similar.
Scarf … nothing will make you feel warmer than a scarf. Doesn’t have to be super thick or heavy. But has to be long enough to be worn correctly. Synthetic so you can clean it easily.

Shoes, well, water proof is nice, but not essential unless it snows hard (very rare) and you decide to get off the cleaned sidewalks and play in the snow. Waterproof just isnt essential. Tennis shoes are the most common shoes, sort of nicer looking shoes with rubber soles are also popular. Outdoor boots? Mostly the tourists but some locals.

Rain Shell: The lightest cheapest plastic cover you can find. Jacket length is fine. Don’t over kill on this. If it rains buy an umbrella sold in half the shops you will pass.

Brands: The best dressed under 30 gentleman is wearing a long sleeve shirt with the name of a US City or Sports team under a “The North Face” jacket. Trousers are generally anything, but Levi’s are sort of a high-end brand. The shoes are Nike. The cap will always have something on it. Again, a US sports team or a popular clothing company like Columbia.

Just left the market near the Allee shopping center. Half food and drink, 1/4th retail and 1/4th local crafts. So not great in that regard, but found a hut with mulled wine ... cheap. The guy wanted to talk, so we had a good conversation on US vs Hungary. Turns out they own a vineyard near Tihany on lake Balaton. We talked the trials and tribulations of doing business in Hungary. I left with a bottle of Cab. and one of Kadarka Rose ... total 8000 ft with a comped mulled wine and a name and vineyard to visit in the Spring. Tihany is great. I would say a successful trip. Always about the people first.