Christmas markets in Hungary

Christmas in Hungary is the most important holiday of the year, thanks also to the fact that the Christmas festivities coincide with the feast of St. Stephen, the founder of the Hungarian state. So for Hungarians, Christmas is not only a religious holiday, but also a national holiday. There are also numerous Christmas Markets in Hungary, from the famous Christmas Market in Budapest, to the equally beautiful ones in cities of art such as Győr, Pécs and Sopron.

BUDAPEST CHRISTMAS MARKETS

GYOR CHRISTMAS MARKET

Gyor (Győr) is an important city in northwestern Hungary located along the Danube and near the border with Slovakia, it was founded by the Romans with the name of Arrabona. In the Middle Ages it developed thanks to its strategic position along the Danube, halfway between Budapest and Vienna, in the 16th and 17th centuries it became an important stronghold in the fight against the Turks, who occupied it for six years (1594-1600).

The city has a beautiful, perfectly preserved historic center with interesting buildings mostly in the Baroque style. The heart of the old city is the Káptalan hill which is located at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, the Rába, and the Rábca. A few kilometers from Győr is the Pannonhalma Abbey, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

1) Gyor Christmas Market (Győri Adventi Vásár, Advent Győrben). The market usually takes place in the city center along Baross Gábor út street and in Széchenyi tér and Megyeház tér squares. The market offers handicrafts, traditional foods and mulled wine.

The program of shows of the so-called Winter Festival (Győri Téli Fesztivál) is also usually rich, with concerts of classical or modern music, and cultural programmes, which traditionally take place in the Town Hall Square (Városház tér).

KÖSZEG CHRISTMAS MARKET

Kőszeg, a town located close to the border with Austria, boasts one of the most beautiful squares in all of Hungary, overlooked by colorful Gothic and Baroque houses. The city center has a nice medieval atmosphere with several interesting churches and palaces, the mighty Jurisics castle and the remains of the ancient city wall.

1) Kőszeg Christmas Market (Kőszegi Adventi Vásár). Classic Christmas market in the city centre.

2) Advent in the Natural Park (Advent a Natúrparkban). Exhibition of handmade products of the Nature Park (9730, Kőszeg, Táblaház street 11. “Flower-Yard”)

PÉCS CHRISTMAS MARKET

Pécs, Hungary’s fifth largest city, is located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the southwest of the country, near the Croatian border.

Founded by the Romans in the 2nd century under the name of Sopianae, it became the seat of the first Hungarian university in the 14th century. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, for about 150 years it was controlled by the Turks, who left interesting artistic evidence including the Qasim Pasha mosque.

Pécs is rich in artistic testimonies from every era and after Budapest it is probably the most pleasant Hungarian city to visit. There is a beautiful 11th century cathedral renovated in the 19th century, the 12th century Hungarian bishops’ palace, the old university, and remains of the medieval walls.

The remains of the Christian necropolis of Sopianae are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

1) Pécs Christmas Market (Karácsonyi vásár pécsi). Christmas Fine Arts Fair with handicrafts by renowned Pécs artists, held in Széchenyi tér street.

2) The diocese of Pécs during the Advent period usually organizes a rich program of songs and music (Pécsi Advent) in the Basilica of Pécs (Szent Péter és Pál Bazilika) in Szent István tér. In front of the Bishop’s Palace, a nativity scene made of straw will be set up, Christmas melodies and small decorated trees will show the way to the church.

SOPRON CHRISTMAS MARKET

Sopron, the ancient Scarbantia of the Romans and the Ödenburg of the Germans, is one of the historic cities of Hungary, located close to the border with Austria, a short distance from Vienna and Bratislava. The city has a small German-speaking minority, some signs are in fact bilingual, its historic center is well preserved, full of Baroque palaces and partly enclosed by the remains of the medieval walls. Sopron is located in the center of an important wine region.

1) Sopron Christmas Market (Soproni Adventi Vásár). The market usually takes place in the city center, in the castle district (Várkerület), in the old market of Sopron, here there are over 60 stalls with handicraft products and local gastronomy. Numerous Advent concerts and church choir songs are organized during the event.

SZEGED CHRISTMAS MARKET (Szeged)

Szeged, located in southern Hungary along the Tisza (Tisza) River, near the Serbian and Romanian borders. The city was founded by the Romans with the name of Partiscum, in the XIV century it became one of the most important cities of Hungary, between 1543 and 1686 it was occupied by the Turks. Szeged is known as the birthplace of paprika, which arrived here as an ornamental plant in the 16th century. The city is also home to a major university. Its historic center is very beautiful made up of avenues and large squares, it was largely rebuilt at the end of the 19th century, after a disastrous flood that destroyed the old historic centre.

1) Szeged Christmas Market (Dóm Téri Advent). The market usually takes place in three squares in the city centre: Széchenyi tér, Dugonics tér, Dóm tér. Particularly very beautiful is the cathedral square (Dóm tér) which is filled with many stalls of exhibitors, you will find objects for your Christmas gifts, Carpathian handicrafts, hot drinks, and in the theater set up in the square there will be musical, theatrical and folklore, while for children there will be puppet shows.

2) Antiques Fair (Régiségek vására Szegeden). Together with the Christmas market there is usually also a nice antiques fair, the antiques stalls are located in Dugonics tér and Dóm tér.

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