Best Souvenirs and Gifts to Buy in Hungary
What to buy in Budapest as a souvenir and a gift and bring back home? In this article I will tell you about the best things and products that Hungary is famous for.
After visiting Budapest, would you like to bring home a reminder of it?! An image of the Hungarian Parliament or the Fisherman’s Bastion on a magnet, for example. Handmade plate with Buda Castle. A doll dressed in a national costume? Or a beautiful porcelain figurine that can only be bought in Hungary?
Still – after all, such things not only remind you of a pleasantly spent time, but also decorate the interior. And yes, they make great gifts!
We only beg you, do not rush to the first souvenir shop. Since in Budapest you can buy souvenirs and gifts for literally every taste. It would be a desire and time to find them!
Have you ever heard the word hungaricum? So in Hungary they call objects and phenomena that are characteristic only for this country.
Therefore, when you think about what gifts to bring from Hungary, feel free to open the list of hungaricums. And choose the items you need from it personally!
Best Souvenirs from Hungary
The world-famous Rubik’s Cube puzzle was invented by Hungarian architecture teacher Erne Rubik. A souvenir Rubik’s Cube with an original logo is an excellent and memorable souvenir you can buy in Budapest. Or in any of other Hungarian’s city!
It’s not a fact that it will be useful to you, because not everyone likes puzzles. But as a reminder of a trip or an inexpensive gift, it is very good.
And it will yield only to traditional magnets, mugs with images of the main sights of Budapest, as well as ceramic plates. Because today not everyone knows exactly where the Rubik’s Cube was invented.
Lavender
A good gift from Hungary for any woman is a bag of dried lavender. This flower is very much loved here, and in summer they even hold lavender festivals.
In Budapest you will also find a huge number of souvenirs using lavender oil, for example, soap or handmade candles.
By the way, pay attention to other cosmetics from Hungary. In comparison with well-known European and American brands, it is inexpensive, but it is famous for its environmental friendliness and very high quality.
National Clothes
Add color to your wardrobe or give a gift to a relative by bringing from Budapest a traditional Hungarian shirt or other part of the national costume. Of course, Hungarians today do not wear them every day, but during national holidays you will definitely meet unusually and brightly dressed people on the streets of Hungarian cities.
Women’s clothing consists of wide skirts and blouses with puffed sleeves. Men’s suits have long sleeves and are complemented by a vest or belt. The shirts are usually white and decorated with hand-embroidered designs in bright patterns.
Clothes created for national motives are very popular among tourists. You should also pay attention to home textiles with Hungarian embroidery: bedspreads, tablecloths, napkins.
Lace
You will definitely find a large assortment of such products on the second floor of the Central Market. Or in souvenir shops on Vaci Street and in a picturesque town 30 km from Budapest — Szentendre.
Dolls
Dolls in traditional Hungarian clothes are another great souvenir to bring back from Budapest. Both as a gift and to decorate your home – many travelers today even collect such things.
The beautiful handmade porcelain dolls are dressed in traditional Hungarian peasant costumes and sometimes in elegant ball gowns. The smallest dolls cost less than $10, for a medium-sized toy you will have to pay about $50.
The best place in Budapest where you can buy dolls is a craft and gift shop on Vaci Street 32.
Ceramics
In the souvenir shops and fairs of Budapest, you will definitely find interesting and original ceramics of local production.
Please your loved ones with beautiful figurines or ceramic products that will be useful in the household. Well, or at least decorate the home interior.
Remember that a lot of original and downright antique things can be bought in Budapest at the famous Ecseri flea market.
Porcelain
The Hungarian tradition of porcelain production dates back several hundred years. The most famous local brand – Herend porcelain was once bought by well-born aristocrats and monarchs both in Europe and America. Even the English Queen Victoria was so impressed by the Hungarian porcelain that she ordered it for herself.
Today, Herend manufactures its famous products in a small factory in Hungary. Beautiful cups and tureens, plates and bowls are decorated with bizarre patterns, images of birds, flowers and plants. They will definitely decorate your table during a dinner party or a holiday.
Herend also produces beautiful hand-painted porcelain figurines: townspeople and peasants, workers, soldiers, horses. Herend products are not cheap, but perhaps one of the best original souvenirs worth buying in Budapest.
The only thing is that this is best done in one of the manufacturer’s showrooms. Since there are many much cheaper fakes of Herend products sold in Budapest – reminds gpsmycity.com/…hungarian-things-in-budapest.
Alcohol
The Unicum liquor is considered the hallmark of Hungary. The recipe for this bitter balm is kept in the strictest secret and belongs to the family of the royal physician I. Tsvak. The balm has a positive effect on the digestive and circulatory system of a person.
Tokay Wine
Tokay wine is deservedly considered a cult Hungarian drink, known far beyond the borders of the country. Golden wine with a noble taste is made in the region of the same name. It is worth considering that this is a sweet wine variety.
It is not a shame to bring such a gift from Budapest to colleagues and friends.
Bull’s Blood
Eger, northeast of Budapest, is a famous wine region in Hungary, best known for its Bikavér wine, commonly known as “Bull’s Blood”. While the sweet white Tokaj as a whole remains the country’s most famous wine, Bikavér is by far Hungary’s most popular red wine, notes wine-searcher.com/regions-eger.
It is a mixture of several varieties of dark grapes. And it was first made at the end of the 19th century in the town of Szekszard. Although it is believed that the “Bull’s blood” was once drunk by the defenders of the fortress of Eger, who successfully resisted the Turkish invasion in the 16th century.
Bikavér gained international fame at the end of the 20th century, when the state winery Egervin monopolized the production of this wine. So today this alcoholic drink can be bought in Budapest in almost any specialized store!
Vodka Palinka
Palinka is a Hungarian fruit brandy with a strength of 42-43 degrees. The drink is produced by distillation of various fruits and berries. It is better to give preference to varieties of the drink made on the basis of plums and apricots — they are considered the most delicious.
Meal
Paprika is the main ingredient in the dishes of the national cuisine of Hungary. This is the main spice on the Magyar table.
Souvenir packages in bags and tin cans can be purchased at the Central Market and souvenir shops. In packages of “no frills” paprika is sold in supermarkets, and much cheaper.
Sausage Pick
Be sure to bring Pick brand sausage from Hungary. The company has been producing sausage according to an old recipe since 1869. The most popular sausage among tourists is salami, covered with noble white mold. The recipe for the preparation of which, of course, is kept a big secret.
Moreover, the Pick company produces salami from mangalica, an iconic local breed of pig.
Foie Gras
A jar of foie gras is a great and original idea that you can bring from Hungary.
Few people know, but Hungary is among the three world leaders in the production of foie gras. By the way, prices for foie gras are much lower here than in other European countries.
You can buy the coveted jar of liver most profitably at the Central Market.
Marzipan
Marzipan candies will be a great sweet gift from Hungary. Here they came up with an ideal recipe for making marzipan, with the obligatory addition of sweet and bitter almonds.
The famous chocolate factories Stühmer and Szamos produce the best sweets with marzipan in Hungary.
And in the town of Szentendre near Budapest there is even a marzipan museum. Where you can also buy a treat for personal use or as a gift.
Tihany Cheese
Soft cheese with Tihany brand mold is in no way inferior in taste and quality to French cheeses. You can buy Tihany cheese at any grocery store.
Perhaps you should not focus on this particular brand. Since other varieties can be purchased in stores and at fairs. Less well-known, but also very tasty – Hungarian agricultural products are traditionally of high quality.
