The best markets in Budapest for vintage clothes, souvenirs and more

What is it? Budapest’s most popular market is a beautifully restored, two-storey hall in a neo-Gothic building, dating back to the city’s fin-de-siècle Golden Age and revamped in the 1990s.

Why we love it As well as an architectural delight, the Great Market Hall is your one stop shop for last-day souvenir shopping of paprika, salami, wine and Hungarian spirits. 

Time Out tip For a decent coffee, juice or beer while you’re shopping, the Pecz Kávézó is named after the architect who designed the market hall back in 1896, his likeness illustrated on each cup.

Address: Vámház körút 1-3, 1093 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 6am-6pm, Sat 6am-4pm, Sun 10am-4pm

What is it? Hungary’s largest junkyard offers a wealth of retro treasure from the Habsburg, pre-war and Soviet eras. It operates every day at a distant site in south Pest, accessible by buses 54 and 55 to Naszód utca (Használtcikk piac) from Boráros tér. 

Why we love it Ecseri reflects the urban history of Budapest in the form of furniture, uniforms, paintings and vinyl, allowing you to find the Austro-Hungarian lampshade, Soviet Army trapper hat or Hungarian pop 45 of your dreams – and haggle over the price.

Time Out tip: More vendors set up at weekends, which means more goodies to browse but more visitors browsing them – setting off superearly is the key. The first buses leave at 5.15am.

Address: Nagykőrösi út 156, 1194 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat 5am-3pm, Sun 8am-1pm

What is it? Also referred to as the Biopiac, Central Europe’s largest eco-friendly produce market operates from 6.30am-1pm every Saturday behind the MOM Park mall in Buda. Artisanal goods also include crafts, cosmetics and spirits – but the many regulars come here for the Budapest’s healthiest fruit, veg and bread.

Why we love it English-speaking vendors are well versed in advising shoppers on how to get the best from certain items – particularly mushrooms, with an expert on hand for specific directions.

Time Out tip: Depending on what you’re buying, bring your own bags and jars – everyone else does!

Address: Csörsz utca 18, 1124 Budapest

Opening hours: Sat 6.30am-1pm

What is it? Standing guard over the relandscaped square of Rákóczi tér, this historic market dating back to 1897 owes its current appearance to the gradual gentrification of Józsefváros. Seasonal fruit, piles of peppers, meat, fish and dairy produce fill a space of 4,000 square metres, centrepieced by a supermarket, and flanked by vendors coming in from their orchards and allotments.

Why we love it If any market in Budapest is truly local, it’s early-opening Rákóczi, a hive of activity behind its huge iron-and-glass façade. Make sure to explore the stalls set up by local producers proffering homemade jams, honeys and figs plucked from the garden.

Time Out tip: Much on the menu in the Café Csiga opposite – particularly its stellar salads – is sourced from Rákóczi tér market, and well worth perusing after you’ve been shopping.

Address: Rákóczi tér 7-9, 1084 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon 6am-4pm, Tue-Fri 6am-6pm, Sat 6am-1pm. Closed Sun

What is it? The city’s original ruin bar is more than just an essential destination on a night out in Budapest – every Sunday morning, it doubles up as a producers’ market, with a little live music thrown in, invariably bearable jazz.

Why we love it While you can find some of Hungary’s finest cheeses, cold cuts, jams and honey here, there’s no pressure to buy and plenty to sample.

Time Out tip: Upstairs, the breakfast makes best use of the produce on offer down below, putting you in the right mood to browse and take some of the goods back with you.

Address: Kazinczy utca 14, 1075 Budapest

Opening hours: Sun 9am-early afternoon

What is it? If Ecseri is the mother of all vintage markets, then this is its unpretentious cousin, a scattering of old toys, knick-knacks and secondhand furniture on the site of the Budaörs flower market.

Why we love it While Ecseri is tourist central, few weekenders know about Budai Zsibvásár, giving the place a real local feel.

Time Out tip: Hop on bus 40 from Kelenföld to Madárhegy five minutes away – but be careful how you cross the main road to get here.

Address: Budaörsi út 172, 1112 Budapest

Opening hours: Sat, Sun 7am-2pm

What is it? Once a month, Budapest’s artisanal ceramists, jewellers, clothes makers and textile designers gather at this popular crafts market to display and trade their wares to a discerning customer base.

Why we love it Makers’ Market is not only allows you to browse 70 odd stalls to find the earrings, bowl or dress of your dreams but gives you the chance to talk to their creators face-to-face.

Time Out tip: For the next event, check MM’s Insta page – while winter fairs are held at the conference centre at Villányi út 11 in Buda, summer ones move to the market on Lövőház utca by the Mammut mall.

Address: Winter Villányi út 11, 1114 Budapest. Summer Fény utcai piac, Lövőház utca 12, 1024 Budapest

Opening hours: 1 Sun/mth 10am-5pm

What is it? Part antique fair, part flea market, this four-day-a-week bazaar runs the length of a busy bar-lined passage in the heart of Budapest.

Why we love it Go elsewhere for cheap souvenirs and tacky gifts – far from the tourist trap it could easily have been, Gozsdu tends to attract specialist vendors, such as the one purveying old cameras.

Time Out tip: Through December, Gozsdu transforms into an alternative Christmas market, without the trappings and hefty price tags of the main festive fairs occupying the city’s main squares nearby.

Address: Király utca 13/Dob utca 16, 1075 Budapest

Opening hours: Fri-Mon 10am-5pm

What is it? This revered artisanal market sits behind Gellért Hill, a haven for niche, small-batch producers of coffee, mushrooms, fruit juice and honey, among others. 

Why we love it As well as offering top-quality organic fruit, vegetables and dairy produce, Czakó Piacz provides delicious breakfasts and lunches in a familial local atmosphere.

Time Out tip: The building housing Czakó Piacz is said to be the oldest in Tabán – though sadly it has little competition. This once thriving riverside neighbourhood, full of smoky taverns and tatty shacks, was almost completely razed in the 1930s. It’s worth wandering around the greenery and sports courts that replaced the ‘Budapest Montmartre’ overlooking the Danube to get a sense of this urban history.

Address: Tigris utca 62, 1016 Budapest

Opening hours: Sat 8am-2pm

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🍽️ …and we’re opening a Time Out Market in Budapest!