Two Christmas markets will open in the center of Budapest on Friday: the “Vörösmarty Classic Xmas” on Vörösmarty Square and the “Advent Basilika” on Szent István Square.
The Advent Basilika, voted Europe’s best Christmas market for the second time last year, will welcome visitors from 18th November to 1st January 2023 with a 12-meter Christmas tree, light painting, a selfie point, an ice rink, and quality craft and gastronomy exhibitors on the square in front of the St Stephen’s Basilica. The 3-dimensional play of light and shadow on the facade of the Basilica is one of the traditional highlights of the market.
The market will feature a variety of traditional Hungarian, street food, and barbeque dishes, including deer stew, authentic Swiss raclette, lamb shank, goulash soup in loaves, smoker-prepared pork, and beef tenderloin sandwiches.
Blacksmiths will demonstrate their skills in the workshop and a photo exhibition, Advent Anno, in collaboration with Fortepan, will decorate the outside of the pavilions. In front of the Basilica, there will be a nativity scene and a monumental Advent wreath, whose candles will be lit on Sundays.
The Christmas market on Vörösmarty Square will also be held, dressed up in a new look and called Vörösmarty Classic Xmas.
One of the main attractions of the market will be the giant Christmas tree decorations on the “Harisnyaház” building, and a new winter cover for the statue of Mihály Vörösmarty will be unveiled, replacing the previous grey nylon cover to make the Hungarian poet’s monument visible. In addition to the original life-size image of the statue, the cover will also feature poem excerpts in Hungarian, German and English. The famous Oroszlános-kút (Lion fountain) also receives a new, festive decoration.
The free-of-charge funicular railway will also be among the popular attractions at the market.
Ahead of your visit, make sure to check out the opening times of the Advent Bazilika and the Vörösmarty Classic Xmas.
Featured photos via Adventbazilika.hu and Facebook/Budapesti Karácsonyi Vásár