The second-largest synagogue in the world, the Nagy Zsinagóga on Dohány Street is easily one of Budapest’s most spectacular sites. Blending cathedral-esque proportions with neo-orientalist features, the 1,200-square-metre hall is a kaleidoscope of coral reds and gold leaf split into sections with 1,472 seats for women in the galleries and 1,497 for men downstairs.
The large rose window with the Star of David motif is the interior’s centrepiece, while outside a mass grave commemorates the 2,000 Jews killed here during the Holocaust. Next to it, the smaller, simpler Winter Temple looms in grey, and behind it you’ll find the Raoul Wallenberg Park with its metal Memorial Tree bearing the name or number of a Holocaust victim on each leaf. You can only visit the synagogue on a guided tour, and it’s closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.
