Shopping

Globalization has hit the Hungarian capital and at breakneck speed. From name-brand items to stylish secondhand shops, Budapest offers a far wider array of shopping experiences than just a few years ago.

In some ways, Budapest has become metropolitan in terms of shopping. Once ruled by countless small monotonous shops and boutiques offering a scanty selection of goods, today local Budapest citizens and travelers alike crowd an ever-growing number of gigantic malls and shopping centers.

Still, buyer beware: Quality and value are not always on the agenda. So while most mainstream locals wallow in the lowly atmosphere of the giga-malls, fashion driven and retro-loving highbrows have returned -- ironically -- back to the small shops. Overcoming bankruptcy due to the influx of the mega-malls, these shops -- stylish, modern, and cool -- have become the center of attention once again. Scroll through a wide selection of some of these stores offered in this chapter or venture out on your own.

Folklore -- Travelers seeking folklore objects do not have to look far. A chain called Folkart has shops (one is called Népmuvészeti bolt, another is called Háziipari bolt) that boast great selections of handmade goods at unbeatable prices. Popular items include pillowcases, pottery, porcelain, dolls, dresses, skirts, and sheepskin vests. Antiques shops, running along Falk Miksa Street in downtown Budapest, feature a broad selection of vintage furniture, ceramics, carpets, jewelry, and accessories.

Other sources of authentic folk items are the ethnic Hungarian women who come to Budapest with bags full of handmade craftwork from Transylvania, a region of Romania heavily populated with ethnic Hungarians. Keep your eyes open for these vendors, who sell their goods on the street and are unmistakable in their characteristic black boots and dark-red skirts, with red or white kerchiefs tied around their heads. Their prices are generally quite reasonable, and bargaining is customary. The police halfheartedly drive the vendors from one neighborhood to the next, and they congregate where they can.

Porcelain -- Another popular Hungarian item is porcelain, particularly from the country's two best-known producers, Herend and Zsolnay. Although both brands are available in the West, you'll find a better selection and substantially lower prices in Hungary.

Hungarian Food -- Typical Hungarian foods also make great gifts. Hungarian salami is world-famous. Connoisseurs generally agree that Pick Salami, produced in the southeastern city of Szeged, is the best brand. Herz Salami, produced locally in Budapest, is also a very popular product (though not as popular as Pick). You should be aware that some people have reported difficulty in clearing U.S. Customs with salami; bring it home at your own risk. Another typical Hungarian food product is chestnut paste (gesztenye püré), available in a tin or block wrapped in foil; it's used primarily as a pastry filling but can also top desserts and ice cream. Paprika paste (pirosarany) is another product that's tough to find outside Hungary. It usually comes in a bright-red tube. Three types are available: hot (csípos), deli-style (csemege), and sweet (édes). All these items can be purchased at grocery stores (élelmiszer) and delicatessens (csemege). Another product to look for is Szamos brand marzipan. Szamos Confectioners, a recently reestablished family business that was originally founded in 1935, is also said to make the best ice cream in the country. They're based in Szentendre, with a shop in Budapest at V. Párisi u. 3 (tel. 1/317-3643).

Wines -- Illustrious local traditional wines and spirits have matured. The sweet white Tokaji Aszú, Tokaji Eszenzia, and Tokaji Szamorodni, mouthwatering Egri Bikavér, Villányi Cuveé, Szekszárdi Bikavér, and Kékfrankos are the most representative. The transcendent Pálinka -- a strong fruit brandy -- is a Hungarian treasure that soothes the stomach and bullies the brain. The black spirit that cures all, Unicum, the trademark product of Zwack, is a bitter liqueur made of herbs.

Markets -- If you love markets, you're in for a treat. There are numerous markets here: flea markets (használtáru piac), filled not only with every conceivable kind of junk and the occasional relic of Communism, but also with great quantities of mostly low-quality new items like clothing, cassettes, and shoes; and food markets (vásárcsarnok, csarnok, or piac), which sell row after row of succulent fruits and vegetables, much of it freshly picked and driven in from the surrounding countryside. You can find saffron and several varieties of dried mushrooms for surprisingly low prices at these markets.

The Shopping Scene

Main Shopping Streets -- The hub of the tourist-packed capital is the first pedestrian shopping street in Budapest, Váci utca. It runs from the stately Vörösmarty tér in the center of Pest, across Kossuth Lajos utca, all the way to Vámház krt. High-end locals and travelers alike throng Váci utca as well as the boutique- and shop-filled roads bisecting pedestrian streets and courtyards. Váci utca was formerly known throughout the country as the street for good bookshops. Sadly, only one remains. The street is now largely occupied by Euro-fashion clothing boutiques (where high prices prevail) and an overwhelming number of folklore/souvenir shops, as well as cafes and bars (many of which are overpriced tourist traps).

Another popular shopping area for travelers is the Castle District in Buda, with its abundance of overpriced folk-art boutiques and art galleries. A healthy selection of Hungarian wines from historical local viticulture regions can also be found in the intimate labyrinthine cellar of the House of Hungarian Wines.

While Hungarians might window-shop in these two neighborhoods, they tend to do their serious shopping elsewhere. One of their favorite streets is Pest's Outer Ring (Nagykörút), which extends into West End Center, central Europe's largest multi-function shopping mall, located just behind the Nyugati Railway Station. Another bustling shopping street is Pest's Kossuth Lajos utca, off the Erzsébet Bridge, and its continuation, Rákóczi út, which extends all the way out to Keleti Railway Station. Andrássy út, from Deák tér to Oktogon, is also a popular, though much more upscale, shopping street. Together with the adjacent Liszt Ferenc tér and Nagymezo utca, Andrássy út is also the most popular hub for nightlife, with numerous coffee shops, bars, and restaurants. In Buda, Hungarian crowds visit the shops of Margit körút and the neighborhood around the transportation hub Móricz Zsigmond körtér, where the Buda Skála department store is located. Hidden among the herd of cafes and restaurants of the lively Ráday utca, small interior design boutiques and shops present unique presents and doodads. You can often pay by credit card in the most popular shopping areas.

Hours -- Most stores are open Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am or 10am to about 1pm. Some stores stay open an hour or two later on Thursday or Friday, and some close for an hour at lunchtime. Most shops are closed on Sunday, except for those in downtown Pest. Shopping malls are open on weekends, sometimes as late as 9pm or 10pm.

Taxes & Refunds -- Refunds on the 10% to 25% value-added tax (VAT), which is built into all prices, are available for most consumer goods purchases of more than 50,000 Ft ($250), VAT included (look for stores with the "Tax-Free" logo in the window). The refund process, however, is elaborate and confusing. In most shops, the salesperson can provide you with the necessary documents: the store receipt, a separate receipt indicating the VAT amount on your purchase, the VAT reclaim form, and the mailing envelope. The salesperson should also be able to help you fill out the paperwork. Use a separate claim form for each applicable purchase. If you are departing Hungary by plane, you can collect your refund at the IBUSZ Agency at Ferihegy Airport. You have to do this right after checking in but before you pass security control. Otherwise, hold on to the full packet until you leave Hungary and get your forms certified by Customs when you land. Then, mail in your envelope and wait for your refund. Two wrinkles: You must get your forms certified by Customs within 90 days of the purchase, and you must mail in your forms within 183 days of the date of export certification on the refund claim form. For further information, contact Global Refund (Innova-Invest Pénzügyi Rt.), IV. Ferenciek tere 10, 1053 Budapest (tel. 1/411-0157; fax 1/411-0159; www.globalrefund.com).

Shipping & Customs -- You can ship a box to yourself from any post office, but the rules on packing boxes are as strict as they are arcane. The Hungarian postal authorities prefer that you use one of their official shipping boxes, for sale at all post offices. They're quite flimsy, however, and have been known to break open in transit.

Very few shops will organize shipping for you. Exceptions to this rule include most Herend and Zsolnay porcelain shops, Ajka crystal shops, and certain art galleries, which employ the services of a packing-and-shipping company, Touristpost. Touristpost offers three kinds of delivery: express, air mail, and surface. At the moment, it seems that the service is not available directly to the public but functions only through these particular shops. You may inquire further at Touristpost, III. Meggyfa u. 31 (tel. 1/388-7465; www.touristpost.hu). Though the service is costly (for example, 30,000 Ft/$135 for 60 lb.), you will still likely be paying less for fine porcelain and crystal purchased in Hungary than you would at home.

Hungarian Customs regulations do not limit the export of noncommercial quantities of most goods. However, the export of some food staples, like coffee (1kg) is strictly regulated (but rarely enforced). The limit on wine and spirits is 1 liter each, and 500 cigarettes may be exported.