Constructed in the 1850s and restored to its original glory in the 1990s, this is the world’s second-largest synagogue and one whose design influenced many others worldwide. The beautiful Moorish building – on the edge of what became the Jewish Ghetto – looks mosque-like from the outside and is strangely reminiscent of a Christian church inside. Unusually, it houses an organ, once played by gentiles, including Franz Liszt. This reflected the mildly reformist nature of ‘Neolog’ Jews who built the synagogue and populated the district before the Holocaust, the victims of which are honoured in a memorial garden. Decent guided tours and the informative Hungarian Jewish Museum offer historical background on the synagogue and the district itself, which thrives today, happy to leave behind the tragedies that occurred here in the 20th century.
History, culture, excitement and shopping; the best things to do in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter are a microcosm of the best things to do in this beautiful city. This part of the city has a long history, but there is plenty of life in it yet. The most densely populated part of the Hungarian capital is a whirlwind of ruin bars and delicious restaurants hidden around cosy corners and more.
Budapest is a thriller of a city, home to one of Europe’s best nights out and a conveyor belt of museums and galleries that are as good as anything found across the continent. Many of the city’s finest spots can be found in its Jewish Quarter, so get there and see what it is all about.