Hidden Treasures of Budapest / Jewish Quarter synagogues, sights, tours, stories

Description of the Jewish Quarter Walking Tours

Hidden Treasure Tours offers the visitors of Budapest interested in the Jewish district tours that embrace vestiges of the past and contemporary life of the locals.
You can discover with us the atmosphere of the former Jewish Ghetto of Budapest, its synagogues , cemetery, memorials and unique architecture. The three major religious wings of the Hungarian Jewry are represented here by the Jewish Triangle; learn about the Neolog, Status Quo Ante and Orthodox wings of the religion. Rigtheous Gentiles, Theodor Herzl, Hanna Szenes and Tony Curtis are also met during the tour. Explore the history, culture and religious life of a community that plays an important role in the development of multicultural Hungary.

We cooperate with Aviv Travel, the official cultural and touristical representative of the Budapest Jewish Community.

the standard Jewish quarter tour

The STANDARD JEWISH QUARTER TOUR

- entrance to the Dohany synagogue
- entrance to the Jewish museum
- the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park
- stroll along the streets to discover hidden treasures

This tour is for visitors who would like to do the basics of the Budapest Jewish quarter. The Dohany street great synagogue is a must among the top ten sights of Budapest. The tour continues then with a walk in the Jewish district. The walk includes the Goldmark Hall, the Jewish Community Center, the famous Gozsdu Courtyard, the Carl Lutz memorial, the Mikvah, the modernized old Király street and a great number of fascinating old buildings, decorations. Experience the unique, special atmosphere on the former territory of the Budapest Ghetto while walking among the ruined and modern buildings. It is a stroll along narrow streets where no map can help you find your way out...

- duration: 2 hours
- departure: meeting point, timetable
- price: ADULTS: 5900 HUF, STUDENTS: 4900 HUF (entrance tickets included)

Make a RESERVATION to get 10% off.

Jewish quarter walking tour

The WALK of the JEWISH QUARTER

- stroll along the streets to discover hidden treasures

This tour follows the path of history, visitors get an insight knowledge to a hidden treasure - the old-new Budapest Jewish Quarter - full of secrets to locals too. The walk includes the Goldmark Hall, the Jewish Community Center, the famous Gozsdu Courtyard, the Carl Lutz memorial, the Mikvah, the modernized old Király street and a great number of fascinating old buildings, decorations. Experience the unique, special atmosphere on the former territory of the Budapest Ghetto while walking among the ruined and modern buildings. It is a stroll along narrow streets where no map can help you find your way out...

- duration: 1 hour
- departure: meeting point, timetable
- price: ADULTS, STUDENTS: 3300 HUF

Make a RESERVATION to get 10% off.

the extended Jewish quarter tour

The EXTENDED JEWISH QUARTER TOUR

- entrance to the Dohany synagogue
- entrance to the Jewish museum
- the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park
- entrance to the Rumbach synagogue
- entrance to the Kazinczy synagogue
- stroll along the streets to discover hidden treasures

This is the complete, most detailed tour of the Jewish Triangle. It includes interior visit to the three synagogues that form the triangle, representatives of the three major religious wings of the Hungarian Jewry, and of course everything mentioned in the Standard and the Walking tour is included in this one as well. This tour is the best way to understand the Hungarian Jewry's past and present in case you don't want to miss anything.

- duration: 2 hours 45 minutes
- departure: meeting point, timetable
- price: ADULTS: 8000 HUF, STUDENTS: 7000 HUF (entrance tickets included)

Make a RESERVATION to get 10% off.

important Notice:

- book through the Internet and get 10% OFF the prices
- children under 10 are free
- no tour on Saturday and holidays. PLEASE CHECK THE DAYS THE SYNAGOGUES ARE CLOSED ON HERE
- in case of ceremonies or technical reasons the synagogues can occasionally close up without notice!

Ticket purchasing for the Jewish Quarter Tours Tickets for the tours can be purchased at:

- the ticket offices of the Dohány street Synagogue, at the Tourinform Offices of Budapest of Budapest
- the reception desks of hotels
- on the spot from the guide.

Ticket purchasing locations:

Dohány street Synagogue
-address: 1074 Budapest, Dohány utca 2.

Tourinform Offices
- 1052 Budapest, Sütő utca 2 (next to the Mc' Donalds on Deák tér)
- 1061 Budapest, Liszt Ferenc tér 11
- 1014 Budapest, Szentháromság tér (opposite the Matthias church in the Castle District)

Departures & prices of the Walking Tours

DEPARTURES 1. APR 2009 - 31. OCT 2009	TOUR I	TOUR II	TOUR III
Monday-Thursday	10:30	11:30	10:30
Friday	10:30	11:30	10:30
Sunday	10:30	11:30	10:30

PRICES 2009	TOUR I	TOUR II	TOUR III
Adults	5900 (~20 €)	3300 (~11 €)	8000 (~27 €)
Students	4900 (~16 €)	3300 (~11 €)	7000 (~23 €)

Prices in Euros are informative only. They may vary according to the exchange rate valid for the day.

Meeting point of the Jewish Quarter Walking Tours

The meeting point of our tours is in front of the Dohany street Synagogue main gate, before going through the security check. Tickets and information available at the Dohany synagogue ticket offices.

Getting there

- take subway M1 (yellow) / M2 (red) / M3 (blue) to Deák tér station, then walk on Károly körút towards Astoria
- take subway M2, tram 47, 49 or bus 7, 78 to Astoria station, then walk on Károly körút towards Deák tér
- the Dohány Synagogue is at walking distance from the downtown hotels and the famous pedestrian shopping street called Váci utca

Reservation Form
Tour (I / II / III)
Departure (DATE & TIME)
Adults
Students
Contact person
*E-mail
*Phone
( * in case we need to contact You )

Special Offers

- The participants of the tour get a gift Tamás Köves postcard from the guide!
More information about the artist: www.tamaskoves.com

- Fill in a reservation form and send it to us: GET 10%/person OFF!

- Groups of 10 or more get special rates! Children under 10 are free.

- Present our brochure at the Carmel Cellar Jewish restaurant (glat-kosher) to get a 5% discount! Listen to live Klezmer music at the Carmel Cellar performed by the Sabbathsong Klezmer band every week in summer!
Address: Kazinczy utca (street) 31.
Open: every day 12:00 - 23:00

The Jewish Quarter of Budapest

Where is the Jewish Quarter of Budapest?

The GoogleMap below shows you the Budapest Jewish Quarter. It is located in the VIIth district of Budapest, on the eastern bank of the Danube, the Pest side of the city, roughly between the Kiraly utca - Karoly korut - Dohany utca - and Erzsebet korut. This part of Budapest belongs to the VIIth district, and bears the name of Queen Elisabeth (Sissi), hence the name Erzsebetvaros. The VIIth district is one of the smallest districts of Budapest, and it hasn't changed much since World War II. Some parts of it have changed a lot, not to their best. Investers have succeeded in obtaining permissions for demolation, and construction without involving the Ministry of Cultural Heritage or the Monument Protection Directorate. Watch this short movie and understand more: Legacy For Sale - Hungary.

Do Jews still live there?

Many do. However, after World War II many Jews have either left the country, or those who stayed have spread around in Budapest's other districts. Another district of Budapest, where many Jews live now is along the Danube bank, on the Pest side of the city. In Hungarian it is called Ujlipotvaros, Leopold's Town in English. Many of the Swedish protected houses were in this area, one of the streets here actually bears the name of Raoul Wallenberg.

Can I realize when around that Erzsebetvaros is the Jewish district of Budapest?

The first thing visitors notice is how empty the streets get when leaving the corner of the Dohany synagogue behind. Hollo utca, Kazinczy utca, Rumbach Sebestyen utca, Sip utca, Nagy Diofa utca, Klauzal ter, Wesselenyi and Dob utca are full of hidden treasures of the once prosperous Jewish life in this part of the town. Faded remains of former shop-advertisements, imprints of the names of Jewish craftsmen-houseowners above gates, Jewish symbols and monograms of architects and houseowners on the cast-iron railings of staircases, menora decorations on balconies and entrance gates; synagogues facing the streets (Dohany synagogue), hidden behind dwelling houses in inner courts (Vasvari synagogue), attached to the community's office block (Rumbach synagogue) and