Budapest: the Jewish Quarter

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Dohány Utca Synagogue

A wet morning saw us heading for the Jewish Quarter and Dohány Utca Synagogue – the largest in Europe (capable of accommodating over 5000 worshippers) and second largest in the world after the Temple Emmanuel in New York. Tours in various languages were available, chosen by sitting in a pew near the appropriate flag. We tried this, but it was so noisy we couldn’t hear the guide so we just wandered about ourselves.

Dohány Utca Synagogue, interior
Dohány Utca Synagogue, interior

In an adjacent building is the Jewish Museum full of beautifully crafted objects and some lovely stained glass. Unfortunately none of the items on the first floor were labelled, though a special exhibition upstairs was much more informative. Given these defects, we spent a much shorter time in the synagogue and museum than I expected.

Jewish Museum
Jewish Museum
Jewish Museum

The way out took us through the cemetery and Heroes’ Temple. The former is there because the Nazis forbade Jews from being buried anywhere else. The domed temple dates from 1931 and was built to honour the 10,000 Jewish soldiers who died fighting for Hungary in World War 1.

Cemetery
Cemetery and Heroes’ Temple

Behind the temple and cemetery is Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park, named after the Swedish consul who saved 20,000 Jews in World War 2. It also commemorates others who helped Jewish people such as Sir Nicholas Winton. Very moving.

Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park
Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park
Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park
Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park

It was still raining, and still not quite lunchtime, so we visited the very quirky Museum of Electrotechnology. John liked the big machines (no idea what the one below is) but I loved the more domestic details such as the Philips reel-to-reel tape recorder. This is exactly like the one I had as a teenager. I would put the microphone up to the radio and record the charts from Alan “Fluff” Freeman’s Pick of the Pops on a Sunday evening. Often, the music would be overlaid by the dog barking and other noises-off, but it was the best I could do. Da da da da-da dah, da da da!

Museum of Electrotechnology
Museum of Electrotechnology

Still raining – time for a beer! Budapest is famous for its “ruin bars”. Originally nomadic, springing up in condemned properties and moving on when evicted, many are now static and commercialisation has set in. Szimplakert in the Jewish Quarter is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, and famous for having part of an old Trabant in the courtyard. Cheers!

Szimplakert
Szimplakert
Szimplakert
Szimplakert

Finally, time for lunch. I had set my heart on the café at the New York Palace, but there was a big queue. We managed to get some snaps of the ceiling before leaving.

New York Palace
New York Palace

Serendipity led us to Macesz Bistro. I wasn’t hugely impressed that the veggie option was lasagne – I’ve had too many awful ones over the years – but it was still raining hard and we didn’t want to wander too far, so in we went. This turned out to be the best meal of the whole week (and the only one I photographed). The lasagne was made with matzo instead of pasta and was absolutely delicious, as was John’s duck. Wonderful!

Macesz Bistro
Macesz Bistro
Macesz Bistro

There is much that is picturesque in the streets of the Jewish Quarter, but most of the photos below were taken on our way home on a different day (as you can maybe tell from the blue sky).

John took a reflected selfie in one of the pedestrianised streets.

Street scene
Selfie!

There were several murals – this was my favourite. If you can enlarge it, you will see a man working on the roof, a window cleaner, a couple on their balcony and this cat.

Mural
Mural – cat detail

Finally, we knew this was a school (iskola) but weren’t sure if it was still in use. I’m still not! The best English-language explanation I can find is from a geocaching site: “The Erzsébetváros Primary and Secondary School, situated on Dob Street, can justifiably be named as one of the most beautiful educational institutions of Budapest. The building, originally constructed in 1890, has been modified many times throughout its history, the mosaic ornaments of its facade were installed following the plans of artist Zsigmond Vajda.” Just gorgeous!

Erzsébetváros School
Erzsébetváros School
Erzsébetváros School
Erzsébetváros School
Erzsébetváros School

I hope you’ve enjoyed a brief tour of Budapest’s Jewish Quarter. Next time – a final visit to the Buda side of the Danube.

Hungary

52 Comments »

  1. We also went to the synagogue and actually listened to the tour guide as we sat in the pews; it was really interesting. I wish I had seen that beautiful school. We did go to the fabulous Budapest Market and also, as you saw on my post, we stayed almost across the street from Szimpla kert in the Jewish Quarter. We made the mistake of going at night, so my pictures turned out terrible. People were sitting in the old Trabant, but it is now covered in some other kind of art; again impossible to get a decent picture especially because it’s sitting under a stairwell and was occupied by party-goers. A fun place, but I really wish we’d made it there in the daytime. 🙂

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  2. Such a pictoresque entry. I really enjoyed everything on this page.

    I’ve only been in one sinagogue, in Prague, many years ago, and I don’t have any pic (I don’t even remember whether it was possible to make pics). The one in Verona is inaccessible to non-believers.

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    • That’s interesting, I’ve been to several in different places, including Glasgow. However, that one is only open to the public on special Doors Open days. Maybe it depends on the size – a lot of churches are also locked, but cathedrals are usually open.

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  3. Thank you for the in-depth look of the Jewish Quarter, Anabel. We only walked by the big synagogue and did not wander into the cemetery. We did have a drink in the same ruin bar, which is quite eclectic and very popular. You are right, it was the “first” or oldest one. We spotted the car as well, not knowing it was famous for that bar. We mostly wandered around during our short stay, not reading up about much. I”m happy to see you found some tasty and good food! 🙂

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  8. It is so beautiful and yet so sad. I have heard how wonderful it is to sit in the temple and reflect. I hope it comes surreal with all that is happening in the world now. We need never to forget.
    Those beer gardens are very colorful and artsy and I love seeing those places. Keep me travelling!

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  9. Ugh, no labels on an entire floor of a museum would drive me nuts! The electrotechnology one appears to have labels at least! And now you’ve got me intrigued by the idea of matzo lasagne…I imagine they’d soften up nicely under all that sauce. I honestly can’t remember having that many lasagnes as vegetarian options though; usually it’s the dreaded mushroom risotto or goat’s cheese tart!

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    • I know! I mean, I know a menorah when I see them but a whole case of them needs to be differentiated in some way. Veggie food goes in cycles I think. Stir fry was big at one time.

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  10. Loved this post, Anabel. You see lots of Budapest but I don’t recall much of the Jewish Quarter, and I really like looking around a synagogue. It looks fascinating throughout- even the lasagna 🙂 🙂

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  13. Thanks for sharing your trip to Budapest! I’d never heard of a ruin bar before (when I first read it, I thought it was a rum bar), but sure sounds like a fun idea. And the museums looked very interesting. I hope to visit there someday!

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  14. What a fabulous day despite the rain, and that building is gorgeous. I’m with you on the veggie stuff – whilst I occasionally eat meat at home I nearly always have vegetarian out – and I get so tired of the same old options from lasagna, to risotto to something with mushrooms! Glad yours turned out to be delicious.

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  16. Interesting post Anabel – takes in a few places we didn’t get round to seeing on our trip in 2014. Our daughter told us about the “ruin bars” – she obviously went to quite a few on her own travels with friends! Would have liked to see the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park – we learnt quite a lot about him at the Mauermuseum in Berlin last year.

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    • I think the ruin bars are probably a young person’s thing! Happy to check out at lunchtime when not too busy – in the evening I’d have been dismayed by the lack of comfy seats….

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  17. I wonder if they have an ‘eruv’ around that district? Something I only learned about recently as they have one in New York stretching for nearly 20 miles and constantly maintained, A fishing line strung around the Jewish Quarter there that allows them to keep faith during their Sabbath- that really amazed me.

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    • Found a list of cities online with eruvin that answered my own question. No it doesn’t :o)
      Manchester has one though and London has loads.

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  19. Love the art nouveau facade on the building in the last pictures. It would be wonderful to eat in that place but who wants to wait that long…glad you took pictures though. This must have been a beautiful trip. Love to see the Jewish synagogue and the tribute to Raoul Wallenberg who I have admired since I was a teen. I read a book about him and watched the miniseries with Richard Chamberlain in the lead….it was quite good actually.

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  22. Hi Anabel – Budapest certainly entices – fascinating areas around the Jewish quarter – Nicholas Winton was an amazing man, while Wallenberg really pushed the barrier out helping Jews in WW2 – poor chap …and for us not to know how he died – sounds really horrible.

    Lovely architecture and no doubt beer … Electrotechnology museum looks interesting – quirky but fun … wonderful place to visit … while your lunch looks delicious too … cheers Hilary

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  24. I never got to see the Jewish quarter when I was in Budapest (there is so much to see, isn’t there?) but your Post has taken me there and shown me what I missed. Thank you

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