All posts tagged Budapest Christmas Sights

Budapest Christmas Market on Bakats square District IX

One of the lesser known Christmas markets in Budapest is sometimes on Bakats Square, in Ferencvaros district, about 10 min ride from the city centre of Budapest.

This market has not been scheduled for this year.

While most tourists and locals head to the more crowded and big Christmas Market on Vorosmarty Square or the Christmas Fair and Rink at St Stephens Basilica, there are many little Christmas markets that are worth a visit, especially if your hotel in Budapest is nearby that particular district.

Ferencvaros Christmas Market

Ferencvaros Christmas Market

What you will see is a more local Xmas fair, an artificial skating rink (plastic), a Christmas pyramid tree, street artists, wooden booths with Christmas gifts, and lots of locals happily coming together for a bit of winter fun, and celebratory atmosphere. Choirs sing, locals are attending the Advent masses of the church towering over Bakats square. The Church of St Francis of Assisi is a nice church, and if you feel like joining the locals, why not? Give it a try.

How to get to Bakats Square Christmas Market?

Bakats Square is a nice square right off the popular restaurant zone of Budapest in Raday street, which is packed with dozens of cafes, bars and restaurants right next to each other (including the first Michelin start restaurant of Budapest, Costes).
Bakats Square is also a short walk from Petofi Bridge, situated by the busy big ring road of Budapest, where tram 4 or 6 runs every 2 minutes. The closest metro station to Bakáts Square is on M3 blue metro line, Corvin Quarter metro station (Corvin-negyed). The inner streets of District IX are quite close to downtown Budapest, so you will not have to make a big detour, especially if you take the metro from Deak Sq (or Ferenciek Square or from Kalvin).

Ferencvaros Christmas Market is on Bakats Square, in the 9th district of Budapest. This Christmas market is a small scale and local fair visited by Hungarians who live in the neighborhood, and savvy Budapesters, who wish to steer away from the often crowded Christmas market on Vorosmarty Square and the Xmas Market on St Stephen’s Square (which by the evening hours, after 5pm, can get really full).

From Hotel Palazzo Zichy, Bakats Christmas Market is a ten min walk.

Budapest Christmas Market on Bakats square District IX

Budapest Christmas Market on Bakats square District IX

Photos by Csaba Magyarósi

The public transport company in Budapest, BKV, is running bright light Xmas trams (streetcars) at Christmas time in Budapest, Hungary. The Christmas trams run along the big ring road (tram 6), by the river Danube (Tram 2 or 2A on the Pest side, and Tram 19 on the Buda side) along the embankment of Budapest, etc.

Budapest Christmas Streetcar Schedule

The big ring road in Budapest, aka the grand boulevard (nagy körút) is one of the most important and central routes in the city, which runs in a semi circle from Buda through Pest then back to Buda, touching the Margaret Bridge, Oktogon Square, Blaha Square, Petofi Bridge, Moricz korter Square, among others.

The Christmas trams are wrapped in lights, so they are called Budapest Xmas lights Streetcars, and are some of the lovely festive sights in Budapest at Christmas time.

The Christmas trams run usually between 5 pm and 9 pm in the evenings, from Dec 1 to Jan 7. The nostalgia tram is enlightened with approx. 40,000 LED lights.

The tram is free to ride for under 6 children, and standard tram tickets are valid on the Christmas Lights Trams for over 6 children, and adults.

This is another lovely Budapest Christmas Streetcar video, we love the way how children and passengers get smiley on the brightly lit, glowing Xmas streetcar of Budapest, Hungary:

De feestelijk verlichte kersttrams rijden weer in Boedapest

This is one of the nicest, though low key, video about the traditional Budapest Christmas market on Vorosmarty Square in Budapest, Hungary. The video film (made in 2011) captures the little stalls and the surrounding buildings and sights very well, but on the calmer side of the Xmas market, when there are fewer people at the popular fair. The Christmas markets in Budapest usually start to get crowded after working hours (5-6pm) on weekdays, and, of course, at the Advent weekends.
Vorosmarty Sq Christmas Fair is crowded despite the fact that the other big Xmas market by the St Stephen’s Basilica is literally five minute walk.

Tip: when is it worth visiting the Christmas Market in Budapest?
If you want to avoid the crowds, go in the morning, around 10am, or at 2pm the latest. This way, however, you will also miss the Christmas concerts on the square, which typically start at 5pm and 6.15pm on weekdays 9on Vorosmaty Square).
So the questions is what is more important to you: the calmer markets with less crowds or the live music and entertainment, and to see the buzzing night life of the Budapest Christmas markets.

As Erzsebet Ter (Elisabeth Square) is one of the central hubs of the city of Budapest, no wonder that there are several events, programs on this square during the Advent weeks before Christmas too.

First of all, there is a smaller scale Budapest Christmas Fair on Erzsebet Square, which seems to be merged with the Christmas stalls of the Fashion Street and then onwards to the big Budapest Christmas market on Vorosmarty Square. These three Xmas sights are in theory 3 separate events but fuse into a continuous Christmas festival by proximity.

Then there is the Budapest Design Terminal, a center of contemporary design with frequent installations, exhibitions and fairs. Budapest Design Terminal Christmas comes in early December every year.

Club Aquarium, the underground trendy club on Erzsebet Square offers various programs and concerts for the younger generation, with hiphop, rock, punk, world music, rap, etc. events. Some of them are directly Christmas themed, but most simply offer the daily clubbing experience as a focal point of Budapest downtown nightlife. Here is a nice photo of the club / bar at night in chilly December weather in Budapest (in summer picture this place with hundreds of people happily enjoying the summer evenings with drinks and chats)

Elisabeth Square Budapest at Christmas

Elisabeth Square Budapest at Christmas – Krisztian Bodis Photography


In the background of the photo, you can see the domes and towers of the biggest Catholic cathedral in Budapest called the St Stephen’s Basilica (Szent Istvan Bazilika) where there is the Budapest Basilica Christmas market, within a few minutes walk from Erzsebet Square and Vorosmarty Square.

The Hungarian Train company will launch its annual nostalgia Christmas Express trains in December. The festive Xmas train includes an optional dinner, and an exceptional time travel.

Christmas Nostalgia Train Budapest

Christmas Nostalgia Train Budapest

14 December 2012 Christmas Candle-light Express dining train

Romantic journey back in time, delicious foods, musical curiosities. The Candlelight Express luxury train consisting of saloon-, bar- and dining-cars, provides a gastronomic adventure for those who wish a special journey and a nostalgic atmosphere.
In the dining-car, during the course of the dinner including three dishes with candlelight, the “sommelier” – master of drinks carries around quality wines that fit well with the menu or with its vegetarian variant.
The Candlelight Express departs from the Nyugati Railway Station in Budapest and arrives in Gödöllő, where the recently renovated Royal Lounge can be viewed accompanied by a glass of champagne.

In the Royal Lounge Charlie Horvath Hungarian blues singer will sing

Menu selection:

Menu I.

  • For gourmet meat-lovers
  • Baguette slices with herbal butter-roses
  • Goose liver pasty with red onion jam
  • Deer hunters’ venison with pumpkin puree and rosemary potatoes
  • Poppy-seed bread with honey and mandarin dressing

Menu II. For vegetarians

  • New baguette slices with herbal butter-roses
  • Mozzarella balls in crunchy salad-bed with honey-mustard sauce
  • Tofu ripened in soy sauce with grilled vegetables
  • Poppy-seed bread with honey and mandarin dressing
Christmas Dinner on the Nostalgia Train

Christmas Dinner on the Nostalgia Train

Drinks belonging to the menu:

  • Welcome drink – Törley sec – dry champagne
  • Wines – quality white and red wines
  • Szeremley Szemelt Riesling (dry red wine)
  • Bodri Civilis QV (dry red wine)
  • Fizzy soft drinks: Coca-Cola / Coca-Cola Light / Fanta / Sprite
  • Juices: Orange juice / Peach juice / Apple Juice
  • Mineral waters: Natur Aqua (still/fizzy)
  • Coffee: Espresso coffee / Long coffee

Candlelight Express Boy service

Make the Candlelight Express journey unforgettable; surprise your beloved ones with a little service. Whether a birthday champagne is in the case, or a battle of delicious wine, a bunch of flower or a birthday cake, we are at your service.

Bunches of flower:

  • Small bunch: 3.000 Ft (5 red roses)
  • Medium bunch: 5.000 Ft (7 red roses)
  • Large bunch: 7.000 Ft (9 red roses)

Champagnes:

  • Hungária Extra Dry (0,7 l): 3.500 Ft
  • Hungária Rosé (0,7 l): 3,500 Ft
  • Hungária Irsai Olivér – sweet (0,7 l): 3.500 Ft

Cakes:

Cakes can be ordered in the following flavours:

  • Eszterházy Torte
  • Dobos Torte
  • Chocolate Torte
  • Sacher Torte

4 slices/cake: 3,000 Ft

6 slices/cake: 5,000 Ft

Birthday candles are included in the price of cakes

Please indicate your wish to enlist the boy service when buying your ticket.

Price of the Christmas Express train program:

Dinner Tickets for the Christmas Express Train

HUF 10,000 / person

Nostalgia Tickets (w/o dinner) for the Xmas Express Train

At a table for 4 – 4990 Ft/person
At a table for 2 – 6990 Ft/person

Participation ticket for the Candlelight Express is just valid together with paying the price of the dinner and Nosztalgia fare.

The price of the program includes the Nostalgia trip, the welcome drink, the selected menu, the drinks belonging to the menu and the surprise-program.

Time of departure of the Candlelight Express: 19:00, Nyugati Railway Station, Budapest

Tickets are available:
In the office of MÁV Nosztalgia Kft. Next to platform 10 at the Nyugati Train Station
Ticket information.: (+36 1) 269-5242
Other Information: (+36 1) 238-0558
e-mail: utazas@mavnosztalgia.hu

December Events on the Hungarian Nostalgia Trains in 2012

14th December Christmas Candle-light Express dining train
19th December Nostalgic Memorial Train – 20 years old MÁV Nosztalgia Ltd.
22nd December Excursion by Experience Train to the Advent in Vienna