Sparkling lights twinkle on every thoroughfare, and gorgeous decorations hang from the street-lamps. The festive illuminations on Andrássy Avenue and Váci Street are particularly splendid.
Christmas trees are dotted around many of the city’s elegant squares, while Hungary’s official Christmas tree, situated in front of the Parliament on Kossuth Square, is the most spectacular.
Array of activities
Budapest, known as The Pearl of the Danube, is arguably the best place to celebrate the festive season, with an array of seasonal activities.
The city has some of the most enchanting Advent fairs in Europe, and wherever you turn in the magnificent city centre over Christmas, you have the added attraction of stalls selling all manner of foodie delights: mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and the most enticing cinnamon-flavoured kürtőskalács (chimney cakes.)
The city boasts a wide range of cultural events, too, encompassing everything from Christmas concerts and orchestral performances to circus shows and Hungarian folklore revues.
In addition, visitors can enjoy glistening ice rinks, historic thermal baths and a host of restaurants serving hearty traditional dishes. These only burnish Budapest’s reputation as one of the culinary capitals of Europe.
FESTIVE FAIRS
At Christmas time, there are few better sights than the Hungarian capital decked out in its festive finery. There are more Advent fairs in Budapest than you can shake a Christmas bauble at. The most popular is in Vörösmarty Square, which is festooned with splendid decorations.
The festive atmosphere is heightened by the array of enticing aromas that fill your nostrils in every corner of the square. Don’t leave without trying the stuffed cabbage, lángos (scrumptious fried bread), strudel and flódni (a delicious cake composed of apple, walnut and poppy seeds).
The Vörösmarty Square event also has a marvellous craft fair. Visitors can pick up lovely handcrafted artifacts from the atmospheric wood pavilions that ring the mighty Christmas tree in the centre.
Also well worth a visit is the Advent fair in St. Stephen Square in front of the Basilica. Here you can choose from a dizzying collection of local handmade items and crafts.
It is not hard at all to see why the St. Stephen Square Advent fair won the Best Festive Event award in a competition run by the European Best Destination travel portal last year.
You can explore all of these fairs in all their glory on a professionally guided Budapest Christmas Markets Tour, which includes a slice of chimney cake and a glass of mulled wine.
Christmas culture
The acclaimed Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra is giving a special festive concert, entitled “Igazából Karácsony” (Christmas, Actually), at the MVM Dome on December 28.
This entrancing performance showcases a variety of well-loved international Christmas tunes from the worlds of classical, jazz and pop.
Under the expert baton of music director Gábor Hollerung, the orchestra joins forces with aerialists, dancers, and a 150-voice choir to conjure up the magical music of Christmas.
Just as spellbinding is a new immersive show, Walk My World created by the highly innovative Recirquel company, the spectacle takes place in a 6,000-square-meter space. With no auditorium or stage, the realm is constructed like a series of mighty cinematic sets.
Here contemporary circus and dance fuse to recreate Virgil’s epic, in which Aeneas and Dido, the mythical heroes of Troy and Carthage, play out their tragic love story.
FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD
When it’s snowing outside, seek refuge in The Paprika Revue House. Every part of you will be warmed by this welcoming venue, which combines the joys of a Hungarian folklore revue show with authentic local cooking.
A 50-minute performance recounting the country’s rich traditions is teamed with exceptional food and also with unlimited drinks.
Among the many tasty dishes on the menu are: goulash soup served in a cauldron with Hungarian pinched noodles and fresh sourdough bread; pressed “chicken paprikash”, paired with Hungarian egg barley risotto containing mushrooms and garnished with fresh sour cream.
For dessert, the Somlói Galuska sponge cake trifle (traditional layered Hungarian dessert with chocolate, rum and whipped cream) is an indulgent must try.
Equally memorable is the indoor Time Out Market at the Corvin Palace on Blaha Lujza Square, which opened recently on September 20. Dishing up the city’s most irresistible food under one roof, the market includes a total of 11 kitchens, three bars, five event spaces, and 540 seats. Tuck into a wood-fired pizza at Anyukám Mondta, Vietnamese far at Hai Nam Pho or traditional Hungarian cusine at CANTEEN by Pesti István.
You might also want to pay a visit to Nagy Vásárcsarnok (the Great Market Hall). Budapest’s biggest and most renowned indoor market has stocking-loads of festive treats. The wonderful Hungarian sausages come particularly recommended.
If one restaurant is not enough, try one of Budapest’s enjoyable guided food tours.
FIVE FESTIVE HIGHLIGHTS
1: Városháza (City Hall) Park hosts an excellent Varázsliget (Wonder Park) every December. Here families can lap up festive activities, including a children’s train, and a carousel. One of the highlights is The Magic Workshop where youngsters can expand their imaginations in a dreamy world of bright colours and shapes. The great news is, it’s all free. Adults and children will delight in skating across the frozen surface of the ice rink in City Park.
2: Festive celebrations are not complete without music and seasonal performances. The Hungarian State Opera House is especially wonderful at this time of year, where The Nutcracker brings the magic of Christmas to life and fills the grand venue with a truly festive atmosphere.
3: Széchenyi Thermal Bath is one of the best-loved, and most famous, attractions in Budapest. Not just a summer time activity, both the indoor and the outdoor pools are open in winter, meaning you can luxuriate in the hot soothing waters even in December’s sub-zero temperatures.
4: A plethora of boutiques across the city offer an astonishing selection of distinctive and beautiful fashion and design pieces created by Hungarian designers and makers, making them ideal gifts to take back home.
5: Budapest is home to several Michelin-starred restaurants, where guests can enjoy exquisite fine dining in a truly festive atmosphere. At Babel Budapest, diners are treated to a refined, intimate setting near the historic Inner City Parish Church, one of the city’s oldest Gothic-style buildings.
Meanwhile, Rumour by Rácz Jenő, hidden behind the entrance to a stylish deli shop, offers an immersive gastronomic experience built around the chef’s open-kitchen counter. Each venue combines world-class gastronomy with warm Hungarian hospitality, making every meal a celebration in itself.
