Shopping in Budapest
Shopping in Budapest : Vaci Street
Andrássy Boulevard, the Hungarian Champs-Elysées
So you finally have some time free from doing the tourist thing. Why not spend an afternoon shopping in Budapest. But where to go? Let’s have a look at the different shopping areas. First of all, the famous main road of the Hungarian capital is Andrássy Boulevard which also bares the nick-name “the Hungarian Champs-Elysées”. The reason is that there is a section from the Bajcsy-Zsilinszky corner to Octogon which is full with chic and luxurious boutiques, such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton. The Boulevard has some of the city’s greatest architecture as well. If you would like to shop amongst pretty buildings, then this is definitely the place to go.
Shopping in Budapest : Vaci Street
Vörösmarty Square
If you are not really a plaza or mall person, then I would like to recommend Vörösmarty Square, which is full of great shops, the same as you could find in shopping malls, but with smaller crowds and more fresh air. It is a great place; there are cafés and restaurants lining the square where you can rest while shopping. The famous Váci Street, the main shopping street of the city also starts here. It’s a really long street, full with franchise boutiques, souvenir shops, and unique, creative, Budapest-style shops, too.
Central Market Hall
The street ends at Liberty Bridge, where you can find the Central Market Hall. And it’s the ideal place to finish your shopping spree. This was the first covered market in the city, built at the end of the 19th century. It has two floors, on the main floor you can find fresh, green grocery, all the raw ingredients you need for your cooking, and the upper floor is full of souvenirs (there are tons of them for a great price), and restaurants, ideal if you want to taste goulash, or the famous lángos.
Address:1-3 Vámház krt., 1093, Budapest
Opening hours: Monday: 06.00-17.00, Tuesday: 06.00-18.00, Wednesday: 06.00-18.00, Thursday: 06.00-18.00, Friday: 06.00-18.00, Saturday: 06.00-15.00, Sunday: closed
Mall Shopping in Budapest
If you prefer shopping malls then you’ll definitely love the Westend (located next to the Western Railway Station-Nyugati), or Aréna Plaza (located near the Eastern Railway Station-Keleti). Or you might like Árkád (near Örs vezér tere), Allee (can be found on the Buda side), or Corvin Plaza (located at the border of the 8th and 9th district) as well.
