Budapest Went Crazy for Christmas

I think there are many reasons why people tend to go to central European cities for little getaways throughout their 20s. I personally know first hand how diverse and exciting our continent can be (Boo Brexit). What I found really astounding about Budapest, however, was how evident all of these different tribes of tourists were, and how well they complemented each other.

It's no secret that Budapest is considered one of the best cities in Europe, if not the world, for a quick holiday or a good, old (easy on the wallet) European soul search. The entire place oozes class. I mean, the architecture alone is truly breathtaking. Honestly, it felt like with every corner I turned in the city, I spent four or five seconds just open-mouthed staring at the inherent beauty of the place; they really nailed the aesthetic.

It's things like the beautiful surroundings coupled with the cross section between German family holidays and English stag weekends that make. In my opinion, Budapest truly one of a kind. Nowhere is this individuality manifested more than in Budapest's plethora of Christmas markets.

As a staunchly cynical Englishman, my perception of Christmas markets had been marred slightly, and prior to my late November visit to Hungary's capital I had the idea in my mind that they stood for nothing more than cheesy Disney-esque family friendly consumerism and Instagram fodder for the one-dimensional. I should add that my time as a student in Leeds did nothing to dispel this stereotype (ChristKindelmarkt in Millenium square I'm looking at you). I can confirm that Budapest completely changed my opinions.

I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here. There's so much more than just Christmas markets in Budapest. From the majesty of Buda castle to the atmosphere of the Jewish Quarter's many ruin bars, I felt like there was something to do around every corner. This was illustrated so many times over the four days I was there, and I felt like I barely scratched the surface of the place. Essentially, it exceeded every expectation one might have about a European capital city, and it's hyper obsession with Christmas only augmented its brilliance for me.

I've always enjoyed Christmas. I feel like it's a sentiment that resonates with many of us. Granted, during adulthood we become distracted and stressed when it comes to gift buying and work deadlines, but no other time of year is the same. Time off work, copious amounts of food and drink (without guilt), and a complete aesthetic overhaul make it, for me, a completely unique period. It was a great surprise on my first day, then, to see a Christmas market by the side of Károly körút, about 200 yards from where we stayed. The area has several permanent stalls which trade all year round but I got the impression that the Christmas period was especially important for them, as well as the locals, who were out in full force. Whether it was an enormous smoked sausage (a staple for European Christmas markets) or an unbelievably cheap cup of mulled wine, the stage was set; Budapest was getting ready for Christmas. Initially, I was quite taken aback as back home in Leicester you'd have been lucky to see a pathetic offering of pound shop fairy lights in the homes of even the most forthright Christmas advocates, but that surprise soon shifted into childlike appreciation, albeit with the help of a couple (loads) of drinks.

Christmas markets are clearly a huge tourist destination wherever they pop up, but Budapest gradually put this notion on steroids as I kept happening upon them; it seemed in parts of the city centre that the amount of Christmas markets crammed in was higher than some county's population densities, and from a truly consumer standpoint, this was nothing if not truly amazing. I found myself wandering between hundreds of different stalls browsing a million different handmade Christmas decorations, all while sipping on a mulled wine or eating a huge sweet thing I can only describe as a donut cone filled with cream (I have no idea what they were called but I could certainly order one). The smiles on people's faces here seemed genuine as opposed to the feeling of forced fun at Christmas markets back home, and I felt like I'd been trapped in a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale.

So, as far as recommendations go, then, where do we start with Budapest at Christmas? Well, my first, and possibly most vital piece of advice is a bit of a warning; make sure you're carrying some change because everyone charges to use the toilet, and if you're wandering around and between Christmas markets you'll mostly be outside (and if you're like me, you'll be drinking as much mulled wine as you can). Get yourself down to St. Stephen's Basilica, at 96 metres the joint-tallest building in Budapest serves as the perfect backdrop for a Christmas market, and its friendly traders and happy punters make for a great evening. Finally, try to unburden yourself from all of your preconceptions about Christmas, Europe, and street trading, because they're all ultimately going to become unstuck when you're surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people invariably enjoying themselves. They say laughter can be infectious. I've come back from Budapest thinking the same thing about Christmas spirit.