TIPS FROM LOCALS
Budapest Great Synagogue (Dohany utcai Zsinagoga) 
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Jewish Heritage Tour |
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On this Jewish heritage in Budapest tour you will be introduced to the history and to the most beautiful monuments of the Jewish district of Budapest with the guidance of an English-speaking guide :
NOTE: after payment you'll receive a confirmation email with all the details. |
History and Architecture of the Budapest Great Synagogue
Jews were banned from the city in the 18th century so they established a Jewish quarter just outside the old city boundary. Remains of the old Pest city walls run on the opposite side of the road.
The Jews built their main synagogue in a residential area. Theodore Herzl, founder of modern Zionism was born in one of the buildings. This stunning temple was constructed between 1844-59 according to Ludwig Förster's plans. The second largest synagogue (the largest stands in New York) in the world can take in 3,000 people. Its Byzantine-Moorish style will fascinate you and remind you of monuments in the Middle-East. Two onion-shaped domes sit on the twin towers at 43 m height. The towers symbolize the two columns of Solomon's Temple.
The spacious interior has equally rich decorations. A single-span cast iron supports the 12-m wide nave. The seats on the ground-floor are for men, while the upper gallery has seats for women. Surprisingly the synagogue has an organ, though this instrument is used in Christian churches. The temple's acoustic make it a popular venue for concerts.
Budapest great synagogue has witnessed tragic events in WW II. The Germans established a ghetto for the Jews in 1944 that served as a gathering place for deportation. Many people found refugee in the Dohány utca synagogue but thousands died during the bleak winter of 1944/45. Their bodies are buried in the courtyard.
In the cobbled Raoul Wallenberg (Swedish diplomat who saved many Jews during WW II) park stands the Holocaust Memorial by Imre Varga. It was erected in 1989 above the mass graves in the honour and memory of Hungarian Jewish martyrs. On each leave of the metal weeping willow tree you can read a name of a martyr. You can also see a piece of brick from the original ghetto wall in the garden.
Behind the main building stands the Heroes' Temple that was built in 1929-31 to commmemorate the Jews who died in the First World War.
A restoration of the Budapest Great Synagogue was finished not long ago, funded partly by a foundation set up by Tony Curtis who has Hungarian roots.
The adjacent Jewish Museum (on the left of the synagogue) has a Holocaust memorial room and displays about the Jewish culture. The museum has the same opening hours than the synagogue.
Read more about Jewish Budapest.
Where to Eat near Budapest Great Synagogue
You'll find some great restaurants nearby.
Fausto's - first-class Italian restaurant
Address: Dohany utca 5., district VII.
Tel: +36 1 322 7806
Spinoza Café and Restaurant - cozy restaurant with elegant turn-of- the-20th century decor and good food
Address: Dob utca 15., district VII.
Tel: +36 1 413 7488
Fröchlich Café- a family run kosher restaurant
Address: Dob utca 22., district VII.
Tel: +36 1 267-2851
Carmel Pince - a non-kosher restaurant offering Hungarian, international and Jewish specialities
Address: Dob utca 31., district VII.
Tel: +36 1 322 1834
See also our page about Best Restaurants in Budapest or our recommendation of Hungarian Restaurants in Budapest.
TIP: Visit the Jewish Summer Festival at the beginning of every September to learn more about Jewish culture.
Oher Tips on Sightseeing in Budapest
World Heritage Sites of Budapest
Guided Sightseeing Tours in Budapest
Return from Budapest Great Synagogue to Budapest Sightseeing or
Budapest Travel & Tourist Guide Home.
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