Ariel Sophia Bardi is a writer, journalist, and cultural specialist. She has filed stories from Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Lebanon, India, Nepal, Israel, and the West Bank for outlets like The Guardian, Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, and Atlas Obscura. She was born traveling, almost literally, on a tiny island off the coast of Japan, and now calls Italy home.
Ariel Sophia Bardi is a writer, journalist, and cultural specialist. She has filed stories from Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Lebanon, India, Nepal, Israel, and the West Bank for outlets like The Guardian, Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, and Atlas Obscura. She was born traveling, almost literally, on a tiny island off the coast of Japan, and now calls Italy home.
Hi, I'm Ariel!Ariel Sophia Bardi is a writer, journalist, and cultural specialist. She has filed stories from Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Lebanon, India, Nepal, Israel, and the West Bank for outlets like The Guardian, Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, and Atlas Obscura. She was born traveling, almost literally, on a tiny island off the coast of Japan, and now calls Italy home.
Hi, I'm Ariel!Ariel Sophia Bardi is a writer, journalist, and cultural specialist. She has filed stories from Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Lebanon, India, Nepal, Israel, and the West Bank for outlets like The Guardian, Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, and Atlas Obscura. She was born traveling, almost literally, on a tiny island off the coast of Japan, and now calls Italy home.
"There’s probably no stronger feeling inside me than my love for Hungary,” says Katalin Kovács-Boldizsár, co-founder of the Hungary-based tour company Budapest Wonderguides, which organizes private excursions through Budapest and the surrounding countryside—including a Christmas Market tour.
It’s no surprise, then, that Katalin—a Budapest native who hails from the Pest side of the Danube River—is also one of their guides.
Growing up, Katalin was fascinated by her country’s history and cultural heritage, as well as the stories and legends that she encountered during her travels. This led her to start offering tours in 2013, and she’s enjoyed giving visitors a nuanced perspective on Hungary’s vibrant and storied capital ever since. As she herself says, the goal is to make every visit as “fun, adventurous, and memorable as possible.”
Even during pre-Christian times, ancient Hungarians practiced festive pagan rituals to enliven the darkest days of winter. Those early traditions combined with newer Christian practices and beliefs to create one of Europe’s most atmospheric and historic destinations to celebrate Christmastime–as Katalin likes to emphasize on her tours.
In Budapest, you’ll find a cozy and festive atmosphere complete with bustling Christmas markets, bright seasonal decorations, a special Christmas tram decked out in Yuletide lights, the lighting of Advent candles every Sunday, and Christmas trees with all the trimmings.
In addition to Christmas Day on December 25, other notable December holidays celebrated during the lead-up to Christmas include Saint Nicholas Day (Mikulás, in Hungarian) on December 6, when well-behaved children are rewarded with sweets and naughty kids are punished by the devil-like figure Krampus; and Saint Lucy’s Day on December 13, known for its unique tradition of scanning for witches detectable only to people standing on a special chair, known as “Lucy’s Chair.”
Nothing says wintertime like a hearty and traditional Hungarian meal, from roast goose liver to beef cheek goulash. Head to Gundel Restaurant—serving up classic dishes to a Budapest clientele since 1894—for a lavish 3- or 4-course menu. And, while it’s obviously not Christmas-y, Katalin also recommends the family-run, Hungarian-Jewish Rosenstein Restaurant, which boasts its own decadent menu of Hungarian and Ashkenazi classics ideal for the wintry climate, such as stuffed cabbage and matzo ball soup.
Round out your meal with a bite of szaloncukor, a chocolate and marzipan Christmas candy that you can find at legendary confectionaries such as Stühmer or Szamos, which has a chocolate museum and café.
Head to Castle Garden Bazaar—a 19th-century neo-Renaissance palace complex located south of the Chain Bridge in Buda—on each of the four Sundays of Advent in December. There, you’ll find a contemporary arts and crafts fair and plenty of unique souvenirs.
However, the largest Christmas market can be found in Vorosmarty Square, home to over 100 stalls, while the Advent Fair and Festival by St. Stephen’s Basilica is another great spot to pick up craft items including homemade ceramics, handbound books, and artisanal toys as well as spiced gingerbread or savory patés. (Be sure to leave space in your suitcase, Katalin advises!)
The 5-star Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest offers guests a festive 4-course holiday menu in its on-site restaurant, ES Bisztró’s—including a vegan alternative, with options like orange-scented tofu and baked pumpkin. They also serve mulled wine out on their special Christmas terrace.
You’ll also find many hotels next to the city’s biggest and longest-running Christmas market at Vorosmarty Square, including Prestige Hotel—housed in a converted 19th-century neoclassical palace—and Aria Hotel, which offers a special Winter Wonderland package and its own 4-course lobster and halibut Christmas dinner.
Travelers shouldn’t miss the City Park Ice Skating Rink (Városligeti Műjégpálya)—the largest outdoor ice rink in Europe, and certainly one of the oldest—for a chance to skate alongside dreamy Vajdahunyad Castle. In Lumina Park, out on Margaret Island, you can stroll through fairytale-esque LED installations for a festive and family-friend sound and light show.
Most of all, you won’t want to miss browsing the many Christmas markets for which Budapest is well-known. Consider joining a walking tour to visit them with a guide. Many—like Katalin’s Christmas Market crawl—include a hot cup of chocolate or mulled wine, or the coiled, Hungarian-Transylvanian pastry known as a chimney cake.
