Where to stay near Budapest’s Great Market Hall

Budapest’s Great Market Hall – or Nagy vásárcsarnok – has been supplying the city with fresh food since 1897. The neo-Gothic building has two levels, and a wander through the market’s aisles is an introduction to the colours and aromas of Budapest. Look out for aromatic Hungarian paprika and locally made salami to take home as souvenirs, or try traditional goulash in one of the unfussy cafés upstairs.

The Great Market Hall is a few steps away from the River Danube, on the Pest side of the city. Here are four of the best apartments within a few minutes’ walk.

Grand Market Luxury Apartments

Across the road from the market, Grand Market Luxury Apartments offers a range of apartments that sleep from two to eight guests. They’re decorated in elegant cream, gold and black, with herringbone parquet floors and dark wood furniture. Each flat has a fully equipped kitchen, so you can get groceries at the market and cook at home. If you prefer to eat out, the apartments’ owner runs a popular steakhouse on the ground floor of the same building. There’s also a small bakery a couple of doors along, ideal for fresh bread and tasty breakfast pastries.

Pipa Apartment

This cosy apartment is located in a historic residential building next door to the Great Market Hall. Pipa Apartment is just the right size for up to three to stay comfortably, with an air-conditioned bedroom that looks onto the market’s green-and-yellow roof tiles. There’s also a sunny lounge area with a sofa bed and a fully equipped kitchenette with a breakfast bar. The front door leads into a quiet internal courtyard, connected to the street by a grand stuccoed staircase. From here, it’s a 600-metre stroll across the Liberty Bridge to the Gellért thermal baths on the Buda side of the river.

Budapest Center Apartments Luis

Also next to the market, Budapest Center Apartments Luis is a roomy spot on the third floor. Inside it’s painted in chocolate and white, with clean-lined furniture and high ceilings. There are two bedrooms and a third sleeping area in the lounge, as well as a bright kitchen with a microwave, stove and coffee machine. Guests loved the fact that everything was provided, from extra towels in the bathroom to condiments and washing up liquid in the kitchen. They also appreciated the central location, with plenty of shops and restaurants nearby. Directly below the apartment, Pipa étterem serves typical Hungarian dishes, including melt-in-the-mouth chicken paprika.

Eclectic Home

Eclectic Home lives up to its name, with a cheerful mix of floral prints and pastel colours. In the main living area, tall windows flood the space with light, and there’s a wooden ladder leading up to a mezzanine with a double bed. The kitchen comes stocked with essentials like coffee, rice and salt, and you can pick up other groceries at the Great Market Hall – less than 100 metres away. The apartment is located between Fővám tér and Kálvin tér metro stations, close to the banks of the Danube. Both the Hungarian National Museum and the bustling pedestrian street of Váci utca are within a 5-minute walk.