The market (Nagyvásárcsarnok), housed in a building from 1896, is only one of many of its kind in Budapest, but it is the most interesting for tourists in terms of size, architecture and location. The building has two floors above ground and one underground.
The market is popular with tourists and locals alike, who buy vegetables, fruit, fresh meat and fish, dairy products and spices. Tourists mostly buy small souvenirs such as dried peppers, spices or pickled vegetables from the stalls.
Budapest's Grand Market was built shortly after the merger of the three cities into Budapest, when tens of thousands of people were moving to the capital, creating the need to supply the masses in a simple way.
Three floors full of goodies
The Great Market Hall fulfils its original purpose even today, in the modern age of super- and hypermarkets. And it's doing more than well. In an area as big as more than 2 football fields, you can spend hours weaving through several floors filled with dozens and hundreds of stalls selling all kinds of ingredients.
In the vegetable and fruit section, your olfactory cells will dance in floors fragrant with fresh peppers, garlic and authentic spicy Hungarian spices.
For lasting gifts that you can safely take home as a souvenir, look mainly in the meat section, where you will of course find genuine Hungarian salami and chabaiki, or in the cheese section.
On the underground floor, in addition to the classic supermarket, you will find several specialised stalls with fresh fish and pickled vegetables that are especially worth your attention. Because Hungarians are the world champions of pickling anything and vegetables in particular!
Admission and opening hours
Admission to the market is of course free, after all it is effectively a regular shopping centre, just with a different atmosphere and in a different setting.
The market is open:
- Monday - 6:00-17:00
- Tuesday to Friday - 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday - 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Sundays and public holidays - closed
Official market website: piaconline.hu/en
Location and transport
You will find the large market on Fővám tér near the Danube on the southern edge of the centre. Take a nice walk here along the river or use public transport:
- Fővám tér station - metro M4; trams 2, 2M, 47, 48, 49; buses 15, 115; trolleybus 83
What to see around
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