388 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE
Shopping & Entertainment
Shopping in Hungary has changed dramatically in recent
years. The choice of places to shop ranges from small,
family-owned shops selling inimitable trinkets and luxu-
ries to flea markets packed with the bizarre and the
beautiful. Souvenir hunters are spoilt for choice and those
looking for something typically Hungarian have a variety
of Zsolnay porcelain, vintage Tokaji wine and paprika to
choose from. The range of cultural events and enter-
tainment is also richly varied. Even the smallest of towns
has its own orchestra, dance company and theatre.
MARKETS
Markets are an essential
aspect of life in Budapest. The
most spectacular are the
cavernous late 19th-century
market halls dotted around the
city, of which the largest is
the three-level Central Market
Hall (Nagy Vásárcsarnok) on
Fővám tér. This is open from
7am to 6pm Monday to Friday
and 7am to 1pm on Saturday.
Many other cities also
organize open-air craft and
folk art markets. The Debrecen
city craft fair is held during
August in Kossuth tér.
OPENING HOURS
Shops in Budapest are
open from 9am to 6pm
Monday to Friday and 9am
to 1pm on Saturday. Many
stay open until 8 or 9pm on
Thursday. In the rest of the
country an increas ing number
of shops and outlets remain
open on Saturdays and
Sundays. Supermarkets are
open seven days a week,
until 8pm. Shops are also
open on public holi days with
the exception of Christmas
and New Year’s Day.
CINEMAMost major Hungarian cities
have a multiplex cinema
housed within the main shop-
ping centre. Almost all foreign
films are dubbed and sub titled
in Hungarian, allowing
cinema-goers to choose which
version they prefer. Non-
Hungarian speakers should
opt for the angol nyelvű
(English sound track) version.FOLK ART
Hungarian folk art items such
as embroidered peasant
blouses and wooden carvings
are still made in many rural
areas, and many are sold in
the capital. These can be
found at flea markets around
Parliament (see pp348–9).
Handmade items are available
at Folkart Kézművesház and
machine-made products at
Folkart Centrum. Other local
goods worth looking out for
include carpets, especially rugs
FOOD AND DRINKPaprika – as a condiment –
can be bought in all colours
and varieties. Along with a
wide variety of spicy salamis,
it is available in many super-
markets and smaller delicates-
sens scattered all around the
country. Cheese is another
popular delicacy. The best sort
is smoked, such as sonkás, an
excellent cheese flavoured
with ham. Visitors wishing to
buy – and sample –with plain, naïve designs and
wooden toys including soldiers
in Habsburg-era uniforms.PORCELAIN, CRYSTAL
AND ANTIQUESHungary has a long tradition
of producing high-quality
porcelain, with the Herend
and Zsolnay names carrying
a worldwide reputation.
Herend porcelain is famous
for its decorative and colour-
ful designs; the factory shop
in the small town of Herend,
north of Lake Balaton, stocks
a small selection. The Zsolnay
porcelain factory has a shop
located in Pécs. Ajka crystal,
made near the town of
Veszprém has been recognized
as Hungary’s finest for more
than 150 years. Ajka Crystal
in Budapest is a good place
to pick up this excellent work
of art. Antique shops in
Budapest are concentrated
in the Vár and Víziváros areas
and are good places to pur-
chase domestic items from
the 18th and 19th centuries.
The tiny shop Moró Antik
special izes in 18th-century
weapons, while the Nagyházi
Gallery sells every thing from
jewellery to furniture.MUSIC, OPERA
AND DANCEThe Ferenc Liszt Academy
of Music in Budapest is one
of Europe’s finest classical
music venues. The Palace of
Art is a recent addition among
the capi tal’s music venues,
while organ or choral music
are performed at Mátyás
Church (see pp342–3) and St
Stephen’s Basilica (see p350).
The standard of opera in
Budapest is very high. Both
the State Opera House (see
p350) and the Erkel Theatre
have a mainly classical reper-
toire. For jazz, the best place
in the capital is the Jazz
Garden restaurant, which
hosts live performances in
summer. Famous names in
rock and pop play at the
mod ern Papp László Budapest
SportArena. For live rock, the
party boat A38 and Fat Mo’s
are also popular.
Elsewhere in the country,
Veszprém is known for its
music and small-scale cham-
ber concerts in the Castle
Dis trict courtyard, the high-
light of all summer visits here.
Pécs also has a rich cultural
heritage, with renowned
opera and dance compa nies,
as well as the Pannon Phil-
harmonic Orchestra, all of
which per form at the Pécs
National Theatre. The best
way of securing a seat forHungary’s regional wines,
including the golden Tokaji,
should head for either Borház
or the House of Hungarian
Wines in Budapest, both of
which stock a superb selection
from all over the country.
Locally made apricot and
plum liqueurs and palinka
(brandy) can be purchased in
Budapest at House of Palinka.