The Jetpacker

A walk through Budapest’s Jewish District, or Erzsébetváros, is equally impressive and depressing.  During World War II, the Nazis crammed over 220,000 Jews into Erzsébetváros with nearly half dying behind its wall before the war ended.  The area hasn’t really recovered, which is a shame considering how rich it is in history and architecture.

The star of the Jewish District is the most easily accessible:  The Dohány Street Synagogue.  This 150-year old synagogue is the second largest in the world (behind the Temple Emanu-El in New York) and includes the Great Synagogue, the Jewish Museum and Heroes’ Temple.

There’s an unusual sight on the left side of the synagogue:  a cemetery.  Jewish law forbids cemeteries from being on the premises of a synagogue, but Jewish law also states that the deceased must be buried within 24 hours of their death.  The Jews had nowhere to bury their dead in the ghetto during WWII so one of the laws had to give.  2,000 poor souls were buried in this yard despite its small size.

The courtyard behind the synagogue houses the stunning Memorial of the Hungarian Jewish Martyrs.  The silver leaves in this weeping willow monument are inscribed with the names of the 400,000 Hungarian Jews who were murdered by the Nazis.

Just up Dob utca, past the Orthodox Kazinczy Synagogue, is Klauzal ter, the district’s largest square.  It’s a nice, shady area to take a break, though it could use a little upkeep.  The square includes a monument dedicated to the failed Hungarian war for independence in 1848-1849.

Near the Dohany Synagogue is another impressive work of art:  the Rumbach Synagogue.  This place hasn’t been nearly as well-maintained as Dohany (supposedly the interior is crumbling), but it’s just as beautifully colored and impressive.

Down the road is Madach ter, where the old city of Budapest originated.  There’s a cool arch that provides a great view of the Liberation Monument on Gellert Hill.

We accidentally stumbled upon the Elektrotechnikai Muzeuma.  Too bad it was closed when we passed by because the Hungarian Museum of Electrical Engineering supposedly has a pretty cool free exhibit that shows you unique ways to produce, distribute and use electrical energy.