Police regularly raided the Lehel Square market for years after it was established. When a church was built at the site of the market in 1931, the sellers simply moved a little further down the street. The market was an open-air one until the 1950s, when a row of warehouses was built in back of the site and stalls in front. Still, the authorities tried to shut the market down. But local residents argued - apparently convincingly - that closing the market would drive its large population of rats into the surrounding residential areas, causing a public health hazard.
In the 1980s, the market's profile was heightened by the arrival of a large number of Chinese sellers. In addition to the traditional Hungarian fare of sauerkraut and salted donuts, the Chinese sold their own ethnic food and offered every kind of unusual kitsch.
In 2000, the market got a new home that resembles a post-eclectic Noah's Ark. (Some critics were not so kind, likening it to a space ship - though these critics probably never go to a market anyway.) But when one gets past the strangeness of the structure, it becomes clear how well the market functions in its new home.
A visit to the Lehel Square market is best begun with a snack. Sellers offer hot sausage, salted donuts and sweet pastries. You may even buy a plastic bag of sauerkraut and eat it with your fingers. When you've had your fill, you can start to shop. Produce and meat can be bought on the ground floor, and shops that sell everything from clothing to stationary line the mezzanine.
My own favourite place in the market is a coffee shop in the middle of the mezzanine opposite Váci Street. It is an island of peace among the bustle and activity, and it has been known to draw famous personalities, as well as more common shoppers.
Author: Lilla Proics
