Destination: Budapest
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Central Market Hall (Vásárcsarnok)
Budapest’s largest and most famous indoor market is often erroneously ascribed to Gustav Eiffel—in fact, Hungarian architect Samu Pecz created this marvel based on plans of an Eiffel-designed train station—and it’s easy to see why when you walk through the soaring three-level interior with its graceful ironwork. The ground floor is chock-full of food stands, which sell everything from homemade pastries and fresh produce to incredible varieties of meat (in lieu of a sign, one stand had a piglet hanging above its counter). This is the place to shop for spices like paprika and saffron, as well as Hungarian salami and goose liver pâté. Upstairs you’ll find stands selling local crafts like nesting dolls and embroidered tablecloths. The selection is overwhelming, but it’s fun to walk through the displays, especially because vendors don’t cajole you here. In the summer, the Central Market is a wonderful place to stock up for a picnic. Closed Sunday.
Vörösmarty Christmas Market
If you’re visiting during the holiday season, don’t miss this charming old-world Christmas market where artisans sell handcrafted goods; there’s a fierce competition each year for a stall on Vörösmarty, so the items sold here, including ceramics, jewelry, toys and knitwear, are all first-rate and vetted by the Hungarian Society of Folk Arts. For a break, stop at the food stand selling steaming töki pompos, a Hungarian version of the Alsatian flammekuche, which are made fresh in a wood-fired oven.
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