When planning a vacation to Hungary, your itinerary should include several days in Budapest, a lovely city also known as the "Pearl of the Danube." Budapest is chock full of activities, and if you consider yourself a food connoisseur, this city is calling your name!
While the vacation schedule may have you enjoying a relaxing dip in the thermal baths, touring Buda Castle Quarter, or shopping on Váci Street, don't miss the many Hungarian food-related festivals and tasty foods while here.
Here are my five tips for food lovers
when planning a visit to Budapest
1. Visit the Central Market Hall for tasty Langos
You simply cannot leave Budapest without trying this traditional food! Langos is a deep-fried flatbread served plain or smothered with cheese blends, meats or other toppings. While you can find langos in nearly any part of town, my suggestion is to head over to the Central Market Hall. You will not have a hard time locating the restaurant - it is the one with the longest line.
2. Attend the Pálinka and Sausage Festival at Buda Castle
Consider yourself a lover of specialty spirits, sausages, cheeses, and tasty desserts? Pálinka, a type of Hungarian brandy, is available for sampling. Various dessert makers incorporate the liquor into bonbons and cream cakes. And yes, there will be plenty of sausages and artisan meats to taste or purchase. To make the event more exciting, folkloric shows and musical artists perform daily.
3. Sign up for a Hungarian cooking course
No trip to Budapest is complete without participating in a home-based Hungarian cooking experience. (I can help you find the best classes available.) Learn how to prepare an authentic three-course dinner with a local host and enjoy a wonderful meal you can recreate once returning home.
4. Visit Szamos Marcipán Múzeum
Fancy yourself a candy lover? If you wish to know more about the age-old practice of making marzipan, visit the Szamos Marcipán Múzeum. The museum honors the artists Mátyás Szamos and Károly Szabó and details how they began shaping marzipan into the shapes of flowers and other beautiful creations back in the 1930s. Today artists skillfully carve and shape marzipan into scenes of fairy tales and popular characters or celebrities. There is a cafe on-site along with a place to purchase a variety of sweet treats, meats, and wine.
5. Attend the Budapest International Wine Festival
The festival has been running for more than thirty years, and visitors worldwide flock to attend. Multiple wineries bring out their top-rated wines for sampling. Purchase a day pass and let the fun begin.
Have questions about a trip to Budapest or need assistance planning a fabulous vacation to Hungary? Contact us today. We are happy to assist. If you consider yourself as a food lover, then Budapest should be on your must-visit list!
