Budapest Destination Guide

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  Shopping in Budapest

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Shopping
Guide to Shopping in Budapest

On Budapest's shopping streets, Western style superstores exist side by side with independent traditional retailers, while the many markets still thrive as areas of daily commerce and are of considerable interest to visitors. Prices compare well with Western Europe.

Where to Shop

Best Areas

The casual browser will gain most reward by heading down to the quarter around Kossuth Utca and the Erszebet Bridge in the maze of streets next to the river. Here shopping is more refined with eclectic independents selling antiques and genuine arts and crafts amidst pleasant boulevards. Head off the main street to explore dusty bookstores and forgotten antique shops that literally litter the area.

Vaci utca, which runs south from Vorosmarty ter in central Pest, is the main place to look for fashionable clothes, books and jewellery in the city. Here you'll find European megastores mingled with smaller traditional shops that seem to change their wares almost constantly but never actually fade away. This is what makes shopping in Budapest so interesting - a blend of Western European marketing and Eastern European affectation of indifference.

The dedicated shopper can find all the latest fashions and trendy Euro-centric fads, including perfumes, music and clothing in the larger stores located along the streets and in the increasingly prevalent Western style malls. Prices are competitive although the closer you get to the Castle District the more touristy and pricey the stores.

You'll also find arts and crafts for sale around the castle but prices are higher and quality isn't always what you might expect - choose wisely if shopping round here.

Listings magazines such as Budapest Panorama are the most use for specialist shoppers seeking antiques, books and ceramics. One recommended area for a casual search is around Szent Istvan Korut at the southern end of Vaci utca, where many antique stores can be found.

Markets

Budapest's markets are still integral to the city and the tourist will find loads of interesting items on offer, often leftovers from the Communist era. It's in the markets that you find some of the most vibrant local colour as well.

The city's most celebrated flea market is Ecseri Piac, offering bargains from Communist souvenirs to secondhand clothes. The market is always busy and colourful and is well worth a visit. Open Mon-Fri 08h00-16h00, Sat 08h00-15h00, Sun 08h00-13h00. Take the No.54 bus to the south-eastern suburbs. Nagykorosi ut 156.

Situated close to the Pest end of the Liberty Bridge, the grandiose building of the Central Market Hall (Kozponti Vasarcsarnok) is one of the focal points of Budapest. Built around the turn of the century, and housing three levels of stalls, the market stocks a vast range of fruit, vegetables, spices and meats. Fovam ter.

A smaller but far more central version of the Ecseri flea market, Petofi Csarnok outdoor market is located in City Park and opens at weekends 07h00-14h00. Zichy Mihaly ut 14.

Shopping Malls

The biggest mall in Budapest, and among the biggest in Europe, is the massive Westend near to Nyugati Station. Comprising cinema, food hall and 400 retail outlets it is a thoroughly modern mall in the best traditions of the American institution.

This is far from the only mall in Budapest, through the mid-90s in the post-Communist boom years many inner city and suburban shopping centres sprung up: all filled with Americana icons, but all having a European regard to service that is a delightful dilution of the mall culture. Westend on the weekend is always packed with shoppers and people just generally hanging out.

What to Buy

The most popular souvenirs for those visiting Budapest tend to be folk arts and craft objects and one of the best places for inexpensive gifts of this kind is the chain of Folkart shops (Nepmuveszeti Haziipar). These shops can be found throughout Budapest (the largest in the city is at Vaci utcar 14) and stock a good range of handmade goods including pottery, porcelain, pillowcases, dolls, traditional dresses and sheepskin vests.

The best porcelain comes from the town of Herend, and Herend Porcelain at Joszef Nador ter 11, is the main Budapest outlet of the world-renowned factory located in western Hungary. For authentic traditional clothing head to Vali Folklor Souvenir at Vaci utca 23 where clothes from Hungary and from Hungarian ethnic groups in other countries such as Romania can be found.

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Hungary has really opened up to antique dealers and the incredible bargains that could once be found are, for the most part, no longer available. However, items of interest are still very much in evidence at shops such as Relikvia (Fortuna utca 14), Nagyhazi Galeria (Balaton utca 8) and Kieselbach Galeria (Szent Istvan korut 5).

Hungary is still a good place to go for bargains on international fashion and footwear. Famous names are often far cheaper than elsewhere in Europe. The Fortuna Department store is an upscale enterprise with latest fashions from international designers and a good range of perfumes. The store is situated at Vaci utca 16 and is open on weekdays 10h00-19h00 and Sat 10h00-15h00.

Traditional Hungarian foods make good gifts. Salami (Pick Salami is generally considered to be the best) and paprika paste are well worth stocking up on and can be purchased at delicatessens and grocery stores. Fois Gras is both cheap and of an excellent quality - a good present for connoisseurs back home. Note that the importation of meat can be illegal in some territories. You should check before purchasing.

Wines originating from the Tokaj and Eger regions are consistently good with the latter's Bull's Blood wine famous the world over. Prices are also very cheap by the standards of West European countries.

Opening Hours

Most stores are open Mon-Fri from 10h00-18h00 and on Saturday from 09h00 or 10h00-13h00. Most stores are closed on Sundays, except those in the central tourist areas.

Tax Refund

A tax of 20% (some items carry a lower rate of tax) is payable on all good bought while in Hungary. When returning from Hungary, tourists can apply for a tax refund on goods bought. In Hungary, the minimum purchase to qualify is HUF45,000.

To reclaim tax you need to request a VAT refund claim form, when you make a purchase, which states the amount of refund due. The goods, refund request form, invoice and receipts must be presented to custom officials as you leave the country and the refund will be processed and sent to you. Cash refund offices are available at Budapest International Airport and at major border crossings.

 

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