All posts tagged Budapest Christmas Children Activities

The Christmas Market on Vorosmarty Square is often thought of as the single Christmas market in the city of Budapest, which luckily is not true. However, what is true is that the Xmas fair on Vörösmarty Square is the oldest, richest and the most spectacular of all the Christmas markets in Budapest.

Vorosmarty Square Christmas Market Budapest

2023 Dates
the Crafts Market of the Budapest Christmas Market is open between Nov 17 and Dec 28, 2023. After that, only the Food stalls will remain open until Dec 31, 2023.

Opening Hours of Christmas Market

2023 opening hours

Sunday to Thursday: 11 am – 9 pm (handicraft shops), 10 am – 9 pm (food stalls)
Friday and Saturday: 11am – 10 pm (handicraft shops), 10 am – 10 pm (food stalls)
Dec 24: 10 am – 2 pm (handicraft shops), 10 am – 3 pm (food stalls)
Dec 25, 26: 12 pm – 6 pm (handicraft shops), 12 am – 6 pm (food stalls)
Dec 31: 11 am – 5 am on Jan 1 (food stalls only)

Indeed we ourselves get many of our Christmas gifts from the Christmas market on Vorosmarty Square, and then, holding onto our mulled wine in a festive gift mug, we just walk over to the Christmas fair on St Stephen’s Square, right in front of the Basilica to make sure that we get a chance to see all the lovely handmade gifts local Hungarians make keeping the old trades and traditions alive. Make sure to buy crafts until Dec 24 on Vorosmarty Square Christmas market as the craft stalls are only open during the Advent period (unlike on St Stephen’s Square at the Basilica Xmas Fair!)

When is the Christmas Market on Vorosmarty Square, Budapest?

Christmas Market Vorosmarty Square, Budapest (photo: BudapestInfo)

The market is usually all through December, more specifically the Advent period. The date for 2023has been set and updated : Nov 18, 2023 – Jan 1, 2024

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

Visiting Budapest Christmas Markets

Please note the proof of vaccination required to visit the program for adults.

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.

Budapest Christmas Market on Vorosmarty ter – Eszter Hargittai Photography

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. 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.

Budapest Christmas Market Mulled Wine – TopBudapestOrg Photography

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 the evenings, there will be festive light painting shows on Cafe Gerbeaud. The Christmas light painting on the facade of Cafe Gerbeaud is enchanting, puts you right into the middle of the Christmas story. 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.

Map of Vorosmarty Square Christmas Market

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’.