Budapest : Great Market Hall

I have a thing for markets. It makes me feel closer to the local people and and I get to see what they do daily. Not forgetting pretty close up photos. Markets have always been my favourite place becase it haouses all the needs of a home, especially fresh produces that were delivered in the early morning. And this market is no acception.

Budapest has a few markets in the city, but I went over to visit this particular one, the Great market Hall, Nagycsarnok (I can't pronounce that) in Hungarian, which is by the Danube. This market is the largest in the city and is 150 meters long. It was opened in 1897 and restored in the 1990's. Unlike other markets that opens on weekends, this market closes on Sunday.

It opens daily quite early and closes around 5 in the evening. The nearest metro to the market is the Kalvin ter station, on Metro Line 3. You'll need to walk a bit though, but its really quite easy. They have already placed signs indicating the way to the market. Right in front of the market is a tram stop, Fovam ter, where you can catch tram number 47 and 49. These Trams also go across the river and you don't have to walk across.

(L) Salamis, fresh meat and goose pate' 

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(R) Pork crakling 

Fresh Goose wings!

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Paprika. The Hungarian icon

Some sites states that this market has 3 stories. I've only seen two. The ground floor and the 1st floor. Maybe there is a basement underneath. Like any other market, the ground floor places the wet market including the vege market. If you walk along the center of the market, stalls and stalls selling fresh meat and salamis would be greeting you.

Fresh Fruits

massive watermelons and peaches

Along the sides of the hall are stalls of fresh fruits and vegetables. They also have stally selling pastries, sweets and strudels. Not forgetting stally specializing in Paprika. Paprika is a Hungarian icon. Everywhere you turn, they'd be paprika.

Richly embroided wear for the ladies.

These embroided flowers are also used on their folk Wear.

 A Hungarian Lady stitching away in the busy market.

The first floor is where the locals come to grab a bite. It's quite narrow up here. Half of the area is used to sell handicrafts and souvenirs (here is where you get the cheapest souvenirs. Not in town). the other half sells local delicacies like Langos (which Rick Steves consideres the best. I agree!), Pork knuckles, Goulasch, Goose legs and such.

Pork Knuckles

Ordering more than you could swollow.

If her mum only knew. haha.

They are a variety of Langos to choose form. It adelicious fried bread with topping you can choose. You can either choose a sweet or savoury topping for your langos. More like choosing a Crepe. You want to know what it taste like? It tastes like cha-koi. You know, those fried long bread sold in stalls every evering. Very yummy.

A Traditional Langos

Savoury Langos on display

Our Langos. With chocolate and bananas. You can't go wrong with chocolate and bananas right?

We were actually quite stuffed after having lunch at one of the restaurants in the market. But we really wanted to try the Langos. So after lunch, we walked the market for a few hours to let our lunch digest. I even had a foot massage from a Thai expo downstairs. We were there for quite a while, until the market was about to close, which was around 5pm. We then took our blessed tummy for an evening walk along the Danube, and up to the castle. We walked because the tram line on the Buda side was under construstion. I think I practically killed my two legs, but my fat still won't die *sad*