Why you should experience the Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest.
The Dohány Street Synagogue isn’t merely a monument of faith, it’s the beating heart of Budapest’s Jewish story, where beauty, loss, and resilience coexist beneath gilded arches.
Set within the historic Jewish Quarter, this 19th-century Moorish Revival masterpiece is the largest synagogue in Europe, an architectural wonder that bridges East and West in both spirit and design. Its twin domed towers rise over Dohány Street like guardians of memory, their intricate brickwork glowing warm against the city’s light. Step inside, and the sanctuary unfolds in breathtaking detail, carved wood, golden ornamentation, and stained glass shimmering like a prayer caught in sunlight. Yet the true power of this place lies in what it has witnessed. Built in 1859, it became both sanctuary and shelter during Budapest’s darkest years. When the ghetto walls rose in World War II, this synagogue stood at their edge, its courtyard transformed into a burial ground for thousands who perished within. Today, it remains a symbol not only of Jewish endurance but of Hungary’s ability to remember through reverence. The Dohány Street Synagogue isn’t just architecture, it’s a heartbeat carved in stone.
What you didn’t know about the Dohány Street Synagogue.
Behind its ornate façade lies a story of innovation, defiance, and deep humanity that redefined Jewish life in Central Europe.
Designed by Austrian architect Ludwig Förster, the synagogue broke from tradition in daring ways. Its vast basilica-style interior, complete with organ and balcony, reflected the Neolog movement’s embrace of modernity, merging sacred ritual with civic openness. Yet history would test that optimism. During the Holocaust, over 70,000 Jews were confined within the Budapest Ghetto surrounding the synagogue, and thousands died of starvation, exposure, or violence. In the aftermath, its courtyard became one of the few Jewish cemeteries connected to a functioning synagogue, a haunting and holy rarity. The memorials added in later decades turned sorrow into sculpture: the Tree of Life, a weeping willow cast in silver by Imre Varga, bears more than 30,000 inscribed leaves, each one a life remembered. Adjacent buildings house the Hungarian Jewish Museum and the Heroes’ Temple, creating an unbroken dialogue between history, faith, and survival. Every facet of this site whispers the same truth: that remembrance is not an act of mourning, but of living on.
How to fold the Dohány Street Synagogue into your trip.
To truly experience the Dohány Street Synagogue, visit not as a tourist, but as a witness to resilience.
Begin in the main sanctuary, where sunlight dances through stained glass and the chandeliers glimmer like stars suspended in stillness. Sit for a while, feel the weight of silence and song woven through the air. Then walk into the courtyard, where the Tree of Life catches the breeze, its metallic leaves trembling like whispered prayers. Step into the adjoining museum to explore centuries of Jewish life in Hungary, from cultural flourishes to unspeakable loss, and then pause at the Heroes’ Temple, built to honor Jewish soldiers who fought in World War I. When you step back outside, wander along Dohány Street, where cafés and galleries now line the same roads that once marked the ghetto walls, a living testament to renewal. If you come at dusk, watch as the synagogue’s brick façade glows amber against the night, a golden echo of endurance. The Dohány Street Synagogue doesn’t just tell history; it breathes it, reminding every visitor that faith, beauty, and survival are all forms of light.
Hear it from the Foresyte community.
“You think it’s just another big old building, then you step inside and it hits different. Gold light, stained glass, history everywhere. Heavy but so beautiful.”
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