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Great Synagogue

The  Great Synagogue of Budapest , in Hungarian Nagy zsinagóga, known also as the  Tabakgasse Synagogue , is a very important historical building. It is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest synagogue in the world. It can seat 3.000 people and it is located in the Jewish Quarter of Pest.

The complex consists of the Heroes’ Temple, the cemetery, the Memorial and the Jewish Museum. The Synagogue is located on  Dohány avenue , which marks the border of the Budapest Ghetto.

Visit the Synagogue

The building consists of three decorated wide aisles , two balconies, and an organ . The original organ dates back to 1859; in 1996 a new mechanical organ was added. The wooden door is decorated with various Torah scrolls, which were taken from other synagogues destroyed during the Holocaust. The seats for men are located on the ground floor while the seats for women are located on the upper gallery.

Jewish Museum

Within the  Great Synagogue of Budapest  there is also a  Museum  built in 1930 in accordance to the building’s architectonical style. The museum hosts a Jewish historical and religious collection, a collection of relics, ritual objects of Shabbat and other festivities, as well as an Holocaust room.

Heroes’ Temple

The  Heroes’ Temple can seat 250 people. It is used for religious services on weekdays and on winter months; it was added to the complex in 1931. It was designed by Lazlo Vágó and Ferenc Faragó as a memorial to the Hungarian Jews who passed away during World War I.

Jewish Cemetery

Adjacent to the Great Synagogue of Budapest there is a  cemetery , an usual element for a place of worship. The Jewish community decided to maintain it after the dramatic events of World War II.

The Budapest Jewish Ghetto served as a shelter for hundreds and hundreds of Jews. According to the  Eichmann plan, in 1944 more than 70000 Jews were relocated to the Ghetto of Pest . Some of them died of starvation and hypothermia during the winter of 1944 and were buried in the courtyard of the Synagogue.

The memorial

The last element belonging to the Great Synagogue of Budapest is the  Raoul Wallenberg Emlékpark Memorial , made by Imre Varga. It resembles a weeping willow whose leaves have the names of the victims of the Holocaust.

Entrance tickets for the Great Synagogue

To visit the Great Synagogue in Budapest you need to buy an entrance ticket: book your skip-the-line ticket or a guided tour online, which includes the entrance ticket.

Skip-the-line ticket for the Great Synagogue

We recommend that you buy your ticket to the Great Synagogue a few days in advance to guarantee your access and to avoid queues at the ticket office by clicking on the box below.

Guided tours in the Jewish Quarter

The best way to visit the Great Synagogue in Budapest and its surroundings is to take part in an organised tour. There is a choice between short tours and more in-depth tours, check if the Great Synagogue entrance fee is included in the tour you choose, of course if you want to visit it!

Opening hours

Opening hours of the Synagogue and the Jewish Museum vary according to the time of the year. Usually the Synagogue stays open from Sunday to Thursday from 10 am to 4 pm on autumn and winter months. During spring and summer months, the complex is open from 10am to 6pm. The Synagogue is always closed on Saturdays. On Fridays opening hours change monthly.

Getting there

In order to reach the Great Synagogue of Budapest you can take subway line M2, getting off at Astoria station. You can also reach Dohàny by bues 7 and 7A or by tramways 47 and 49.

A little bit of history

The  Budapest Synagogue  was built between 1854 and 1859 according to the moorish style, featuring decorations based on Islamic models of North Africa and Medieval Spain, such as the Alhambra of Granada. The structure was designed by the Viennese architect  Ludwig Förster , who decided to use architectural forms used by oriental ethnical groups related to the people of Israel. The interior design was made by Frigyes Feszl.

This building, just like many other buildings in the city, was bombed by the nazi army in 1939 , especially by the German aviation during the  Siege of Budapest . During the communist age, the damaged synagogue became again a prayer house for the Jewish community, who was much diminished.

In 1991 the Synagogue was renovated; the project was financed by the state and private donations, and completed 7 years later in 1998.

Useful information

Entrance ticket.

• Monday: 10:00 - 20:00
• Tuesday: 10:00 - 20:00
• Wednesday: 10:00 - 20:00
• Thursday: 10:00 - 20:00
• Friday: 10:00 - 16:00
• Saturday: Closed
• Sunday: 10:00 - 20:00

Metro stops

• Astoria (207 mt)
• Deak Ferenc ter M (385 mt)

Where is located Great Synagogue

How to save on transport and entrance fees.

City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.

Attractions around

Budapestbylocals.com

Budapest great synagogue.

The 2nd Largest, and the Most Beautiful in the World

History, photos, kosher restaurants in the area.

The Great Synagogue of Budapest (also known as the Central Synagogue) in Dohány Street is a good starting point to learn about Jewish Budapest.

Find out about the history and architecture of this wonderful Jewish religious monument .

You can also take one of the Jewish Heritage tours to visit the Dohany Street synagogue and related sights, incluidng the Jewish Museum .

The Jewish Quarter (district VII.) hides many treasures, so devote enough time to explore it.

Quick Links:

Opening Hours 2023 – Guided Tours – History and Architecture  – Non-Kosher and Kosher Restaurants near the Synagogue

Location & Getting There

Address: Dohány utca 2-8. in district VII., at an angle to Károly körút, between Deák tér and Astoria

Tel: +36 1 317 2754

Public Transport:

• M2 metro line Astoria station, from there the Dohány utca synagogue is just a short walk
• bus: No. 7, 7A
• tram: No. 47, 49

Opening Hours 2020

(synagogue and jewish museum & archives):.

Spring & Autumn (01. March – 27. April and 01. October – 26. October)

• Sunday – Thursday: 10.00 – 18.00
• Fridays: 10.00 – 16.00
• Closed on Saturdays

Summer (29. April – 30. September)

• Sunday – Thursday: 10.00 – 20.00

Winter (27. October – 28. February)

• Sunday – Thursday: 10.00 – 16.00
• Friday: 10.00 – 14.00
• Saturday: CLOSED
• Closed on Saturdays, 24. and 25. December

The Ticket Office closes half an hour before the synagogue’s closing time.

The synagogue is closed on the following days:

• April 16., 19, 21., April 25: till 14.00
• June 09., 10.
• September 29., 30.
• October 01., 08., 09., 14., 15., 21., 22., 23. Oct. 13. and 20.: till: 14.00
• November 01.,
• December 24., 25.
• Every Saturday.

Visiting the Great Synagogue and the Jewish Museum

TIP: The best way to explore the Central Synagogue and the numerous other Jewish sights of the Hungarian capital is to join a guided tour .

You can choose from two tours:

• A shorter (2,5 hours) and a
• Longer, more detailed one (3,5-4 hours).

Both tours are lead by experts in Budapest’s Jewish history and culture.

Admission to the Synagogue & the Jewish Museum & Archives:

• full price: 5 000 HUF (10% discount with Budapest card )
• students: 3 800 HUF (10% discount with Budapest card)
• children (ages 6-12): 1 700 HUF
• family (2 adults + min. 2 children): 11 300 HUF
• free for children under 6 yrs of age
• guided tour of the synagogue (in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew and Hungarian languages)
• visiting the Heroes’ temple,
• the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Garden with the Emmanuel Tree of Life
• the graveyard in the courtyard of the synagogue
• the lapidary
• entry to the Jewish Museum & Archives
• temporary exhibitions in the cellar

Note: Men cannot enter the synagogue without a hat or cap.  You have to wear a small skullcap called kipah or yarmulke. You’ll receive one at the entrance after ticket inspection.

Please also wear appropriate clothes : no sleeveless tops, short skirt or shorts.

History and Architecture

Jews were banned from the city in the 18th century, so they established a Jewish quarter just outside the old city boundary.

Remains of the old Pest city walls run on the opposite side of the road.

The Jews built their main synagogue in a residential area. Theodore Herzl , founder of modern Zionism was born in one of the buildings.

This stunning temple was constructed between 1844-59 according to Ludwig Förster’s plans.

The second largest synagogue (the largest stands in New York) in the world can take in 3,000 people.

Its Byzantine-Moorish style will fascinate you and remind you of monuments in the Middle-East.

Two onion-shaped domes sit on the twin towers at 43 m height.

The towers symbolize the two columns of Solomon’s Temple .

The spacious interior has equally rich decorations . A single-span cast iron supports the 12-m wide nave.

The seats on the ground-floor are for men, while the upper gallery has seats for women.

Surprisingly, the synagogue has an organ , though this instrument is used in Christian churches. The temple’s acoustic make it a popular venue for concerts.

Tree of Life Holocaust Memorial

The Dohány Street synagogue witnessed the tragic events of WW II.

The Germans established a ghetto for the Jews in 1944 that served as a gathering place for deportation.

Many people found refugee in the Dohány utca synagogue but thousands died during the bleak winter of 1944/45. Their bodies are buried in the courtyard.

In the cobbled Raoul Wallenber g (Swedish diplomat who saved many Jews during WW II) park stands the Holocaust Memorial by Imre Varga.

It was erected in 1989 above the mass graves in the honour and memory of Hungarian Jewish martyrs.

On each leave of the metal weeping willow tree you can read a name of a martyr.

You can also see a piece of brick from the original ghetto wall in the garden.

Behind the main building stands the Heroes’ Temple that was built in 1929-31 to commmemorate the Jews who died in the First World War.

A restoration of Budapest’s Great Synagogue was finished a couple yeras ago, funded partly by a foundation set up by Tony Curtis who has Hungarian roots.

The adjacent Jewish Museum (on the left of the synagogue) has

• a Holocaust memorial room
• and displays about the Jewish culture.

The museum has the same opening hours as the synagogue. Visit the official website for more information.

Read more about Jewish Budapest.

Where to Eat near the Central Synagogue?

You’ll find some good eateries nearby including kosher, and non-kosher restaurants with fine Hungarian-Jewish cuisine . The area is literally packed with terraced restaurants and cafes.

TIP: Gozsdu Court , a series of arcades connecting Király utca and Dob utca is a real culinary centre with a couple of good-value pubs, cafes and restaurants:

• Klikk Bistro,
• Spíler Pub,
• 2Spaghi (a real Italian Pasta Bar),
• BlueBird Cafe with its own coffee roaster,
• Léhűtő and Legenda for craft beer lovers.

Osteria Fausto’s – first-class Italian Restaurant

Address: Dohany utca 5., district VII.

Open: Mon – Sat: 12.00 – 23.00

Tel: +36 1 269 6806

Fine Italian food in the vicinity of the great synagogue. Tasty pasta dishes, fish soup friendly staff.

Prices are a bit high but so is the quality of food and service.

Spinoza Café and Restaurant

Address: Dob utca 15., district VII.

Open: Mon – Sun: 08.00 – 11.00

Tel: +36 1 413 7488

A cozy restaurant with elegant turn-of- the-20th century decor and good food.

The Spinoza also functions as a theatre , and gallery.

Daily menu at a favorable price, good wine list, and breakfast. Try the 3-course Hungarian menu for 20 EUR.

Klezmer show each Friday evening.

Fröhlich Café

Address: Dob utca 22., district VII.

Open: Mon – Thurs: 09.00 – 18.00, Fri: 09.00 – 14.00,

Sat: closed, Sun: 10.00 – 18.00

Tel: +36 1 266-1733

A bit run-down from the outside, this  family-run kosher restaurant has been operating for nearly six decades. Real kosher pastries and sweet treats.

The flódni is a must.

See also our page about Top Restaurants or our recommendation of Hungarian Restaurants in Budapest.

Kosher Restaurants in Budapest

Carmel glatt kosher restaurant.

Address: Kazinczy Stret 31.

• Sunday – Thursday: 12.00 – 22.30
• Friday (winter): 12.00 – 13.30, Friday (summer): 12.00 – 15.30

A bit touristy (=pricey) but the food is good in Carmel.

It had never been a cheap restaurant, but since its glatt kosher status prices have risen to the sky: soups are 1 400 – 1 800 HUF, mains are cc. 4 000 – 6 000 HUF, a Carmel plate for two is 11 000 HUF.

If you can afford it, try the Jewish specialties Carmel is known for:

• meat soup with Matzo balls (1 400 HUF),
• cholent with smoked meat (4 000 HUF), and flódni for dessert (1 400 HUF).

They also have Sabbath menu (5 000 – 6 000 HUF).

Hanna Orthodox Kosher Restaurant

Address: Dob utca 37., district VII.

• Sunday – Thusday: 11.30 – 22.00 08.00 – 22.00
• Friday: 11.30 – 14.00 – break – 21.30 – 24.00
• Saturday: 12.00 – 15.00

The Hanna Ort Kosher Restaurant is located in the courtyard of the Kazinczy Synagogue , but entrance is from Dob utca, that intersects Kazinczy utca.

Hanna opened at the beginning of the 1960s and it offers traditional Hungarian and Jewish cuisine.

TIP1: Visit the Jewish Summer Festival at the beginning of every September to learn more about Jewish culture.

TIP2: Take a walk along Kazinczy Street, Budapest’s trendiest nightlife spot , but also home to the Orthodox Synagogue of the city.

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About the author.

Zoli is a product development engineer who has been living in Budapest for more than 20 years. He loves baking - grows his own sourdough starter - and has a keen interest in urban photography.