The Central Market Hall won the 1st place among the five most vibrant city markets in Europe, followed by Mercat de San Josep de la Boqueira in Barcelona, The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, the Portobello Road market in London and Les Puces in Paris.

In the mid-1990s it was extensively restored and now takes pride of place as one of the city’s great attractions.

It’s easy to navigate with mostly fresh produce on the ground floor, game, fish and a supermarket in the basement and the best of Hungarian arts and crafts alongside bars, cafes and food stalls on the first floor.

A guided tour can help you find your way through the various sausages, hams, salamis and locally revered langos -- a deep-fried doughy confection topped with sour cream and cheese.

If you buy only one thing, make it a packet of smoked paprika, which will add more than memories to your cooking at home.