Stolpersteine – one stone, one name, one person

We stumble upon these little brass plaques in the pavement of the streets of Budapest, we see most of them on the Jewish Quarter walking tour. These little plaques remember people who were killed in the Holocaust, placed in the pavement in front of the building they lived, their last address of choice.

I love the idea of never forgetting people. I love how discreet these little plaques are and how they make you think, the actual train of thoughts that can take you much further than intended. I also love that this is probably the largest ever Holocaust memorial, still, you only see little parts of it. The amazing project of Gunter Demnig began in 1996 and about 95,000 plaques have now been placed across Europe. Don’t forget to look “down” sometimes. I can promise you that once you notice a plaque, you’ll all of a sudden see them all. Here is a little gallery of the ones I’ve come across the last couple of days.

Rumbach street synagogue is now open for visitors

Rumbach street synagogue, one pillar of the famous synagogue triangle in Budapest was closed for renovation works for almost three years. From the 19th of July the synagogue is open for visitors, so that you can admire the interior of the building designed by Otto Wagner in the 1860’s.

The synagogue is of moorish architecture and surely you’ll be amazed by the abundance of colours: blue, purple and golden. There will be concerts, performances, exhibitions and conferences held in the building and you can also have some coffee and snack in the cafeteria.

I’m happy to show you the building when you book a Jewish Quarter walking tour with me.

 

Budapest Jewish Quarter Private Walking Tour
€180

BUDAPEST JEWISH QUARTER WALK

Easy
4 hours
view

Great Synagogue Budapest

Unfortunately the Great Synagogue (or as we call it the Dohány street Synagogue) is not yet open for visitors, however, we were fortunate enough to visit the building. It was unusually quiet and empty without the hundreds of tourists but it was a very special tour as you can see in the pictures. The synagogue will reopen in August and hopefully you’ll include a visit when you are in Beautiful Budapest.

Book the Jewish Quarter tour with me to explore all the sights and history of the Jewish Quarter of Budapest.

 

 

Budapest Jewish Quarter Private Walking Tour
€180

BUDAPEST JEWISH QUARTER WALK

Easy
4 hours
view

Statues of Budapest: Carl Lutz Memorial

I’m starting a new series to introduce you the most famous statues of Budapest and some of the hidden gems, too. These are the beautiful monuments of Budapest we usually see on our walking or driving tours in Buda and Pest.

A beautiful memorial commemorating Carl Lutz, Vice-Consul of the Embassy of Switzerland in Budapest who saved tens of thousands of Jews between 1942 and 1945. The statue is in Dob utca, near the Gozsdu Courtyard.

A Must-See: Shoe Memorial

The most poignant Holocaust memorial in Budapest is at the Pest side of the Danube River near the Parliament. That’s where thousands of people were killed in 1944 and 1945 by the militiamen of the nazi Hungarian Arrow Cross party. Before these people were shot and their bodies were carried away by the Danube River they had been ordered to take of their shoes.

A Must-See: The Great Synagogue

The Great Synagogue is one of the most beautiful buildings of Budapest with unique architecture. It looks like a Mosque from the outside, the interior is very similar to the interior of a Christian church, still, it’s the most important cultic and cultural center of the Budapest Jewish community. Don’t miss to visit the interior and the Jewish Museum together with the garden and the park of the Synagogue with moving Holocaust monuments. I’m happy to show you around the building and the neighborhood as part of the “Jewish Quarter Walk“.

A walk around the Jewish Quarter

The Jewish quarter, the 7th district of Budapest is the most fun and creative neighborhood of Budapest. It’s hip and always busy, full of cafés, clubs and restaurants, charming little streets and monuments.

After visiting the world’s second largest synagogue in Dohány street we take a walk around the synagogue triangle. I’ll take you to the famous ruin pubs and will also show you around local pastry shops and cafés. I’ll show you the monuments commemorating the victims of WW2 when the Jewish quarter was the ghetto of Budapest. I’ll show you a piece of the ghetto wall, will tell you about the time when the neighborhood witnessed so many dark memories and will also tell you about the well-known and lesser known heroes who had saved the life of tens of thousands.

We finish the tour by the moving Shoe memorial at the Danube river.

The Jewish quarter is the center of the Jewish community and walking around it is fantastic cultural experience too, we’ll see great design ateliers and the most amazing examples of Budapest Street Art. Come and join me for a walk in the Jewish quarter, so that I can show you and tell you more!