I'd heard about this market from a few people but I'd never made any serious plans to go there.
However on Saturday evening, I met a girl who wanted to see a man about a violin, so on Sunday morning we met outside the Great Market Hall to venture into the suburbs/countryside.
After a tram, a bus, the realisation that we were in fact not going to Ecser, and another bus back the way we had come, we made it. Just in time too. On a Sunday the market closes at 1pm. We waved goodbye to lazy weekend browsing time and dashed inside, and incredibly, straight across a violin stall.
A lady pointed us towards a little shop and inside we hit the jackpot. There were rows of violins just waiting for us. The only problem now was choosing one.
My friend decided the older the better, so we looked out for the most weathered-looking one we could find. After a quick conversation with the shopkeeper in German (he decided this was the best language, as he couldn't speak English and we couldn't speak Hungarian - or German for that matter). He was very helpful though and taught us two new words: funkcionális and dekoráció.
We picked a funkcionális, thanked him, and left. The prices for the violins start at 30.000ft (about €90).
I had to stop myself from spending on some silly things for my flat. Like this tiny TV. And what might be an easy-bake oven next to it.
The guy was pretty nice about the fact that we arrived at closing time and spent a good half hour deciding on a violin. He even threw in a free case.
We managed a quick tour of the remaining stalls.
Before saying goodbye..
We headed back to the city for some lunch at Pozsonyi Vendéglo, near to Jászai Mari square, which is a nice, reasonable place to have a Hungarian meal. Warning: the starter portion sizes alone will leave you full for a week.
To get to Ecseri Flea Market (and not to Ecser): take the 54 or 55 bus from Boráros tér and get off at Használtcikk piac (20 stops). The bus stop is right outside the market. To get back, use the same stop .. but the 294E will take you to Határ út where you can get the metro.
