The Christmas Market on Vorosmarty Square Budapest is often thought of as the single Christmas market in the city of Budapest, which luckily is not true as the city has an award winning Christmas Market at the Basilica and multiple smaller Christmas fairs all over the city.

Heads up on the foods though, it is worth shopping around with nearby vendors.

The stylish Christmas Market on Vorosmarty Square, called ‘Vorosmarty Classic Xmas’ is the oldest, organised by the City Municipality’s Budapest Brand non-profit company. The market has changes over time so it is always a surprise what the City is offering this year. Will there be light painting on the buildings? Advent Calendar on Cafe Gerbeaud? Food vendors that offer affordable street food? Although, there is no skating rink featured on Vorosmarty, the City’s other official Christmas Market, available on the nearby Varoshaza Park, does feature a festive skating rink, so do check out both City Christmas Markets and let us know which you preferred. Both are worth a visit for the lovely handcrafts and some more.

Opening Hours of Christmas Market 2024

Monday to Thursday

11 am – 9 pm

Dec 24: 10 am – 2 pm 

Dec 25-26: Noon – 6 pm

Dec 29-30: 11 am – 10 pm

Dec 31: 11 am – 3 am (food stalls)

Opening hours of Small Train (Open between Nov 15 until Dec 28)

Monday to Friday :2 pm – 8 pm

Saturday and Sunday: 11 am to 8 pm

Dec 24: 10 am – 2 pm

Dec 26: 2 pm – 6 pm

Indeed we ourselves get many of our Christmas gifts from the Christmas markets in Budapest. We start on Vorosmarty Square, and then, holding onto our mulled wine in a festive gift mug (or cup), we just walk over to the Christmas fair on St Stephen’s Square, which is a scenic 10 minute walk. On the way we try to guess what we will see this year painted on the Basilica. Right on the front side of the Basilica we watch the fascinating LED light painting show. We make sure that we get a chance to see as many of the lovely handmade gifts as we can. Local Hungarians keep the old trades and traditions alive, often making Hungarian Folk crafts fused with more contemporary features.

You can try the Hungarian style Christmas candy (szaloncukor), taste a savoury or sweet topped Langos flatbread, Hungarian sausages and pickles, drink a hot chocolate, or, if places are left, pop into the crafts hut to create Christmas decorations. Optionally, you can send gifts to children in need or support one of the featured charity organisations of the year. Many of the craft stalls are only open during the Advent period but you may find some more craft vendors even after Dec 26.

For the skating rink and to see even more of the Christmas markets, we head over to Varoshaza Park to see the City’s lesser known Christmas Market and try to rent skates to take a few rounds on the skating rink. Younger ones and more wobbly adults can grab a skating companion, a penguin, to feel more secure.

When is the Christmas Market on Vorosmarty Square, Budapest?

The market is usually open all through December, more specifically the Advent & New Year period: Nov 15 -Dec 31. Annual opening times may change.

The Christmas Market on Vorosmarty Square takes place each year in November and December. The handmade gift stalls are usually only open until Dec 24, Christmas Eve until 2pm. From Dec 29, the gastro stalls remain open, while the folk art and design stalls are only open until December 29. On Sundays at 4 pm the lightning of the City’s Advent Candle on the human sized festive Christmas Wreath takes place, followed by Angelic Choir Songs.

Visiting Budapest Christmas Markets

Please note – post Covid – there is no need for the proof of vaccination, however, especially vulnerable visitors may wish to get a booster jab when travelling around in Europe. Winter can be cold, often below the zero in Budapest, so you may wish to wrap yourself in lightweight warm – thermo – layers to freely enjoy the Christmas markets and festive mood in Budapest.

Where is the Vorosmarty Square Christmas Market in Budapest?

Downtown, the Christmas market is in the best possible location in Budapest, in the heart of the city. The nice square is called Vorosmarty square, i.e. Vörösmarty tér in Hungarian.

What is the Christmas Market on Vorosmarty Square like?

First and foremost, the Christmas market on Vorosmarty ter is a delightful sensory experience: full of colours, festive sounds, and enticing smells. Some are more contemporary while others are like an old picture postcard from your grandmother’s age, when street foods and choirs singing were so natural. The festive market stalls are ready to open in mid November, and the square turns into an old folk tale with its dozens of buzzing wooden market stalls, the concert stage, thousands of handmade gifts, the lovely smell of cinnamon pastries (Kurtoskalacs – Chimney Cake), sausages, mulled wine, grilled vegetables, street snacks like Langos, dodolle (potato dumplings), etc.

The lights of the Xmas market are not the dazzling commercial mall lights, and you will not see hugely sized Santa Clauses either. The lights and decors are more toned down, which makes the fair sort of nostalgic.

The nostalgia Christmas fair of Budapest will be both complemented and contrasted by the surrounding buildings on Vorosmarty square: while most buildings date back to the 19th century, like the popular Cafe Gerbeaud, there are also newer buildings. And what is new always reminds us that we are just visitors on a fairy tale Christmas island.

In some years, Cafe Gerbeaud had a huge Advent calendar on its facade, but in the last few years, the concept has changed, favouring the laser ray painting.

Free Concerts at the Christmas Market

There are many free entertainments at the market, several concerts late afternoon, even on weekdays. Concerts are in a wide range of music genres: folk, jazz, crossover, indie, blues, soul and world music.

How do you say Vörösmarty tér in Hungarian?

The pronunciation of the Christmas square may seem too difficult at first time, but saying it 2-3 times out loud will make it super easy. Say: verr-ersh-mor-ty tay-r) Ö in Hungarian is always pronounced as the ‘ir’ in girl or Shirley, while É with an accent, is always pronounced as -ay- as in ray, say, but we do not say the ‘y’.

Last updated Nov 9, 2024